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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

More WWYD - parking charge

63 replies

Maybebabymaybenot · 16/01/2020 11:31

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

OP posts:

StealthPolarBear · 16/01/2020 11:53

I think they'd argue you should have parked somewhere else, sorry

RhymingRabbit3 · 16/01/2020 11:54

Surely the multi storey car park had a lift. Otherwise how did you get out of the car park with your pushchair? Alternatively you could have driven up the ramp to a working machine.
Sorry but I think you will just have to pay this ticket.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 16/01/2020 11:55

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!

Sadly I think they'll argue the same. Tickets are rubbish but I think you need to take this one on the chin.

1FootInTheRave · 16/01/2020 11:55

How did you plan to get to wherever you were going from the level you parked on?

Littlejets · 16/01/2020 11:55

If your appeal has been rejected you can apply to POPLA next. There is a really helpful Facebook group that offer great advice, it's called Fight your parking invoice, see if anyone on there can help advise further.

zoobincan · 16/01/2020 12:00

as I said, thought the simplest and safest solution would be to pay online on my way.

And at the point where you realised you couldn't do this you should have got a ticket.

Yokohamajojo · 16/01/2020 12:01

I think you should appeal nothing to lose and all that but in your situation as I am a bit paranoid about getting tickets, I would have driven off and found somewhere where I knew machine was working.

Wolfiefan · 16/01/2020 12:01

So stairs?

GinNotGym19 · 16/01/2020 12:02

I don’t see what could happen to a child in a car in the whole 3 minutes it would take to get a ticket.
You could of just parked on a different level.
I don’t think there’s any way out of paying it as people have given a few ideas of things you could of done.
Tickets are annoying but one of those things.

crustycrab · 16/01/2020 12:07

Were you trapped on the level you parked on then? How did you get to the street? Why couldn't you drive to another level for a ticket or take your child up the stairs?

You have no grounds for appeal

FraglesRock · 16/01/2020 12:13

Could you not have used the lift to go to another floor to pay

Hingeandbracket · 16/01/2020 12:13

Op can you explain the voting?
You refer to yes and no but the options are YABU and YANBU- which one is appeal?

PersephoneandHades · 16/01/2020 12:14

The fact that it is not wheelchair friendly is not relevant in this case, being a wheelchair user and using a pram are completely different and I think it's quite insensitive when people correlate the two.

No one is going to care that you had a pram, children are not binded to their prams and parents are fully capable of holding their toddler's hand or carrying their toddler for the short distance of going to a different ticket machine.

Pay the fine.

Original poster

Maybebabymaybenot · 16/01/2020 12:15

Thanks all, yes as I have said in retrospect I should have put child and pushchair back in the car and driven to another level then back to the level I needed to park on or carried her up stairs etc but I relied on the online payment system being available as advertised on thr machine and as the process of registering, activating account etc was time consuming, I was already well away from the car park by the time it came to light this wouldn't work. Not to worry, I will pay up and chalk it up to experience but will point out to them that if they are only going to have 1 machine per level they should really consider pushchair and disability access to other levels. Thanks everyone!

OP posts:

JKScot4 · 16/01/2020 12:17

Another mum who thinks having a child exempts her from certain things, pay the fine and don’t be so bloody daft in future.
You could’ve walked down the ramp, plenty do, you’re very precious 🙄

Cynthie · 16/01/2020 12:19

Couldn't you have left the pram in the car for a few minutes and carried the small child?

marchez · 16/01/2020 12:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Maybebabymaybenot · 16/01/2020 12:21

JK I have never said I should be exempt, I tried to pay on 2 occasions and again subsequently. Very odd comment. Also it's not precious not to want to put myself, my child and other motorists in danger by walking into the path of oncoming traffic where the drivers have limited visibility due to winding ramp.

OP posts:

DappledThings · 16/01/2020 12:21

The car park I use most often only has one machine per floor that takes cards and has no option for phone/internet payments. I hardly ever have cash so on the odd occasion the card machine has been broken it's been a pain in the arse.

I have had to leave a note on the windscreen explaining I had gone to get cash, get toddler and baby out and into buggy, go down one floor in the supermarket, find the cash pint, take out a tenner, go to the cigarette counter to buy something I don't need to break that tenner, go back up a floor, get a ticket and put that in the car all before getting on with what I actually wanted to do.

If I'd just chosen not to get a ticket because it was too much hassle I would have been fined and it rightly be my fault.

MorganKitten · 16/01/2020 12:21

Prom back in car, carry the kid, pay the ticket.

Goodadvice1980 · 16/01/2020 12:22

OP, best advice is to join the fbook group "fight your private parking invoice" for help and advice. Just post up your paperwork covering personal details and you will get help.

I'm assuming you've named the driver to PE?

marchez · 16/01/2020 12:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

claireyjs · 16/01/2020 12:30

Put the pram in the car and get the toddler to walk or carry them. You're excuse is utterly ridiculous. I used to manage stairs at my local train station with a 3 year old and a baby... you're being a precious CF

seltaeb · 16/01/2020 12:32

Just pay it, you are not particularly likely to win a court case when other machines were working and paying online was an option. It is not worth the stress. The company may not take you to court but it is not worth the risk.

Original poster

Maybebabymaybenot · 16/01/2020 12:33

Recent posters please read thread, the main issue is the online payment failure which is why I didn't do any of the things like carry child, put pushchair back in thr car etc. I'm far from precious or trying to dodge paying for parking, was just unfortunate that both payment methods were unavailable at the same time. As i said, I will just pay it and put down to experience

OP posts:

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