Failed Appeal

carolann312

I recently parked on a hospital car park and asked a member of staff what the process was and was told that I enter my car registration number into the machine when leaving and pay the fee. I did this and paid the £1 asked by card and got a receipt. I then received a parking charge from UKPC saying that I did not make a payment.

I appealed and provided a copy of my receipt and thought that would be the end of it. However, I have just been told that the fine was issued correctly as I was parked on site and did not pay a sufficient parking tariff. How can this be when I paid the fee I was asked for? I did not choose to pay £1 it was the car park machine that took £1 from my account.

I can now pay £60 or appeal to POPLA but if POPLA uphold the decision I will then lose the right to pay £60 and the fine will go up to £100. I don't understand what I have done wrong. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Car1980

You won't pay anyway, so try Popla.

Bear in mind they have to provide evidence, so you'll find out what you did "wrong" - or they'll withdraw.

All UKPC tickets go to a court claim, which you just defend online, and then they all get discontinued 6 months later.

In the meantime complain to PALS at the hospital.

GrannyKate

Yes do a strong email now to the PALS department - which hospital is this?

carolann312

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82099847#Comment_82099847

Leigh Infirmary

carolann312

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82099787#Comment_82099787

If it goes to court will this not affect my credit rating? Thanks

Gr1pr

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82099859#Comment_82099859

No, definitely not

GrannyKate

I assume this is Leigh near Wigan - contact patient.relations@wwl.nhs.uk. Something obviously went wrong as website seems to offer 30 min free and then £3.20 for up to two hours. I assume this is a barrier system where you pay at a machine and then barrier opens automatically when it reads your numberplate again. You should not be able to pay the wrong amount.

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82099859#Comment_82099859

No, of course not if you defend it (otherwise there'd be no justice and no defendant would ever defend, think about it…!) and it won't "go to court" as in a hearing.

The machine had a + button for drivers to increase the hours based on when you arrived. It didn't calculate your stay.

You really need to read post 2 of NEWBIES PLEASE READ THESE FAQS FIRST. No link. See my signature below:

GrannyKate

I don't quite know how the poster could have paid £1 as this seems to be what we have at my local hospital and the system records when you arrive and calculates exit fee. It is that payment that raises the barrier when you leave.

From their website;

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) has launched a new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system across all its hospital sites, marking a major milestone in its ongoing commitment to improving car parking for patients, visitors and staff.

The new system, operated by a private company, is part of WWL’s wider car parking strategy aimed at making parking more efficient, safer, and easier to navigate. As a ‘ticketless’ system, payment is made just before leaving the hospital sites, as the time of vehicle entry into the hospital grounds is picked up on entry. 

Visitors and patients will be able to park for free for up to 30 minutes, allowing for drop-off, pick-ups and attending short appointments. All visitors and patients must enter their registration details into the pay stations before leaving the site, where they will be notified of the charge. If you are eligible for free parking or have only been on site for up to 30 minutes, you will not be charged. This move is designed to discourage inappropriate parking and ensure fair access to spaces for everyone.

yarpsnehpets

Problem is - if the system works TOO WELL then the operator would never get to issue any PCNs and they wouldn't make any money.

In other words, they have to design the system in such a way as to ALLOW the drivers / patients to make errors which lead to PCNs being issued.

Coupon-mad

Looks like the hospital thinks the system calculates your stay but UKPC have set up the other system, where the burden falls on the stressed consumer to remember (hours later after a fraught hospital visit) exactly what time they arrived.

The two systems were discussed in this blog years ago, by the Parking Prankster:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/2014/04/bristol-eye-hospital-is-this-how-paid.html?m=1