Car park barrier lifted but I didn't pay

[blossomone]

I was in town for 15 mins today parked in one of those ticketless barrier operated car parks.

When I returned the queue for the payment machine was too long and my twins were crying so decided I'd pay once I get to the barriers.

However once at the barriers they just lifted for me so I left. Now I'm thinking I should've paid .. maybe should've reversed and gone to the payment machine. My sleep deprived mind didn't think 😭
Their website says for up to 2h it's £3.10 but says nothing about a free period. So i don't understand why did the barrier lift?

Will I be fined? Probably 😭

Some have a grace period, in case you drive in and can’t find a space. I wouldn’t worry

The car park near me has a free period they don’t advertise, in case the car park is full and you have to leave when you don’t find a space

Maybe it’s that?

Are you absolutely sure you haven’t registered your number plate with them before? In any case if it’s an ANPR system they will possibly send something to you in the post - maybe contact them first to pay in case they send a fine?

The grace period is 10 minutes, could you have been in and out quicker than that?

What do you mean by ticketless? Was it ANPR? How do you know how much to pay if you don't get a ticket with a time stamp on?

None of ours have a grace period btw.

There's a legal minimum grace period of 10 minutes, they can't fine you if you stay (or overstay) less than that.

Either you have an account for automatic payment or you left before the end of the grace period.

I once parked in our local city train station and saw the barriers were all up (and staying up) as i walked back to my car after a day in London. I broke into a little run and dashed into the car and sped out the car park, triumphant that i'd just avoided a £25 car parking charge.

But then I spent the next month terrified of a massive fine coming through the post - but it never did!!! Hopefully you will be as lucky too.

You put your numberplate in to the machine and it calculates the time period

Just write it off as your lucky day. They’ve got number plate cameras, if the barrier lifts then out you go. I never pay for parking at the machines in my local shopping village because you can pay by contactless at the exit. Sometimes the barriers are just standing open but the machines dotted through the car park will still take payment

Is there an app that you have registered for before? I use a carpark where it takes payment automatically if you add payment details to their app, the barrier raises automatically when you leave.

Oh I see maybe ours just don’t advertise it

LOL at the queue being too long as your twins were crying 😂 People paying at the barriers is a pain in the arse, of course if it lets you, if not then you need to make lots of other people reverse. I am sure you’re entitled to 15 mins free, just like you’re entitled to make other people wait as you can’t be arsed to wait in a queue.

Thanks all.

This is a new car, we have just got it last week so it's definitely not registered for the auto pay thing. Our old car was.

Gosh why so rude? It's not about not being "arsed" lots of people just pay through contactless at the barriers or have the auto pay which I did with our old car.

@blossomone
Apologies, we clearly don’t live in the same city. I’ve had to sit in a car for ten mins behind someone who forgot to pay before and also had to reverse in a chain of about 5 vehicles when the barrier folk wouldn’t let a person who hadn’t paid out.

Our local barrier car parks have a 15 minutes grace period in case you can’t find a spot.

Thanks all. I have just been on the phone with the car park department in our district and they have confirmed that for up to 15 min there would be no payment needed just like most of you have said.
Thanks a lot!! I was panicking earlier as I don't like paying silly fines
Lesson learned xx

I'd assume you were lucky.

At work we have a code if we need to use the local car park for a one off arrangement.
We enter their registration on our computer and then when they come to pay it's free.
When I was being shown how to set it up, then I was told to go to the entrance of the car park and take down a few registrations of cars going into the car park. Those cars would have then found when they came to pay there was no charge.
Obviously when taking down the registrations I picked cars that looked more like then needed a bit of luck.

Even if there wasn't a grace period if the barrier lifted then the barrier lifted. You weren't going to get a fine if they let you out.

I honestly wouldn’t give this a second thought. Smile and drive on for goodness sake.