More WWYD - parking charge

[Maybebabymaybenot]

Hi all, I have had a parking charge notice from Parking Eye for £100 and have tried their appeal process unsuccessfully. I totally accept I hadn't paid but the reason was the ticket machine was broken (I have photo evidence) and the other machines were accessed by stairs or walking on the main road part, which I could not do safely due to having my small toddler with me.

I tried to pay online at the time, but this also would not go through. I have explained I am happy to pay for my parking time as I had tried to but feel £100 is excessive given the circumstances. I have an option to use an external appeal but they have said they will reduce to £60 but will have to pay full amount if I appeal unsuccessfully.

I would appreciate thoughts on whether it is worth it or anyone else's experience please?

Voting - Yes = just pay it
No = give the appeal a go

I'm sorry you couldn't go downstairs because you had a toddler with you?

YABU

So you could have got a ticket but didn't.

You could have contacted them when the payment didn't go through, but didn't.

You appealed on the basis that you couldn't walk on a main road, or go downstairs because you had a toddler?

I bet that caused hilarity in the appeals office that day.

Having a toddler with you is no excuse for not going to a different machine. Of course it isn't going to wash with them!

Yes I had a toddler in a pushchair so couldn't manage stairs and there was no other safe access like a ramp etc unfortunately.

Hi OP, can you clarify further why it was not possible to use the stairs with a small toddler? I'm assuming it's because the child was in a pram but maybe you could elaborate?

If the other machines were accessible via stairs or having to walk on a main road, then how would they expect a wheelchair user to get a ticket? If there's a genuine reason why you could not go up/down the stairs then I'd be tempted to appeal as it sounds like the other machines were not accessible for pram/wheelchair users.

Sorry cross posted

So toddler was in a pram so you could have walked along the main road

It wasn't a main road but the main bit for cars, it was the windy ramp road where cars go between different levels of the car park so not suitable for any pedestrians as would be very dangerous.

A toddler so large you couldn’t carry but so small they couldn’t manage stairs?
YABU.

Although to be fair, I've seen plenty of parents pick up pushchairs - with the child in - to go up/down stairs at my local station (about 20 stairs a time), so if your child is small I'm not sure the reason will wash with them.

For a difference oif £40 Id appeal it further...actually I wouldn't have paid or acknowledged it in the first place, but since you are already speaking with them, Id push your point further.

I should have explained this is a multi-story car park, I wouldn't have used the road part on my own let alone with a pushchair and I believe there are signs telling you not to but can't be sure on that point. It would have been impossible for a wheelchair user as another poter has suggested.

So you are unable to carry a small toddler down some stairs

You could of just left the toddler strapped in the car seat, car locked and got the ticket. That’s what I would of done, I always leave my 2 year old in the car when getting tickets. I think you’re being cheeky and should pay

Also, on the point of taking toddler out and leaving pushchair, it would have been possible although difficult but as I believed I could pay online I decided to do that instead only for that to be unsuccessful too but I had left the car park to do all the registration etc on the way as I was already late due to hassle with the first car park I tried having no working lift. Was not my day!

You literally have no grounds to appeal here.

Sorry OP. You can carry a toddler down some stairs. You can leave a pushchair in the car you'd need to return to with the ticket. You've no real excuse and you know it. You should pay.

I had this problem once too OP, couldn't figure out how to carry a toddler + baby + buggy up the stairs in a multi story! I think we walked round the car ramp eventually but it didn't feel very safe (and as you say there were signs saying not to). There was no lift.

So you have my sympathies! I don't know if it is worth appealing or not, sorry!

Multi storey car parks should have a lift surely?

When I had had this problem, I phoned the number on the machine and was able to tell them the problem.

Sorry but would not even consider leaving a small child unattended in the car while I went to a different level to look for a meter, although I'm not keen to pay £100 I would rather pay that than take that risk. Each to their own though.

Could you not have driven to a different level with a working machine?

I don't think I've ever used a multi-storey car park that didn't have a lift. (I'm not saying they don't exist, but I've never seen one)

Yes in retrospect I wish I had called or left pushchair etc in the car but as I said, thought the simplest and safest solution would be to pay online on my way. Lesson learned!