To not pay my parking fine?

[Sp3849]

I am really annoyed. I have recently relocated and found an amazing home bargains a little while away from my house. It's truly huge with cafe and everything. Hadn't seen my mum in weeks and it was my birthday so we arranged to meet there as it was halfway from hers to mine. Did some shopping had a coffee had a lovely few hours out. Then to my surprise I have know received a fine! So has my mother for being in the car park too long?! A picture of me going in and the leaving. Not once had I seen a sign saying there was a maximum time of staying in the 4 times I have been there. The fines are 100 pound each but reduced to 60 if we pat in the 14 days! I feel really annoyed. I spent a hell of alot of money in that shop on that day in particular well over 100 pound and also bought food and drinks in the cafe and now am being fined for being thier too long! If I didn't pay it what can they do? Is there any suggestions to help me?

You met up with your mum in a Home Bargains for your birthday?

Pelosi I paid the fine, won the appeal and got my money refunded. Twice.

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

OP if there genuinely were no signs, then you simply tell them you didn't enter into any contract to pay a parking charge for staying more than 1.5 hours and you will see them in court. They'll let it go, unless they think the signs are clear enough. Double check the signage before you do it.

Don't follow this advice. Much better to use the appeal process.

@Shitzngiggles

Pelosi I paid the fine, won the appeal and got my money refunded. Twice.

Well I'm glad for you but this is really not the norm. On every parking charge / money advice website, you are given the same advice, which is

You can’t appeal a ticket once you’ve paid the fine.

www.moneymagpie.com/save-money/parking-tickets-get-your-money-back-2

@Shitzngiggles

That's assuming the appeal is dealt with within the 14 days. In any case the correct procedure to follow is to pay then appeal. That's what I did twice so I do have experience.

As mentioned, this goes against all the advice from experts.

@Hont1986

You met up with your mum in a Home Bargains for your birthday?

🤣🤣🤣

I must have imagined that then.

@Whammyyammy @Hont1986

Please don't sneer, not everyone wants a big 'birthday bash' and OP was being thoughtful meeting her mum in a location convenient to them both.

@Shitzngiggles

I must have imagined that then.

I didn't say you're lying, just that the advice from experts is to appeal first, and then pay.

You need to appeal on the grounds that the fine is disproportionate to their loss of income. I used the MSE “parking fines” appeal template. I once sent a photocopy of my receipt from the store to show I had provided income. I have successfully appealed 4 of these now!
I also took a photo in the dark once to prove the signage was impossible to see/read in the dark Parked at 5pm in winter so I went back the same time of day. If the signs are rubbish, go back and photograph them to show it’s not clear, the onus is on them to make their signs clear.

Don’t ignore, there was a nurse who got taken to court and she had to pay thousands back for multiple outstanding tickets.

Well clearly the advice is wrong.

Generally if you appeal to the shop management they can ask on your behalf.

@Shitzngiggles

Well clearly the advice is wrong.

For you, maybe.

Well if its wrong for me the chances are it's wrong for others.

I'm giving the op the benefit of my experiences with regard to parking fines. Which happens to be I paid the fines, then appealed and won the appeals and got the fines refunded.

@Shitzngiggles

Well if its wrong for me the chances are it's wrong for others.

I'm giving the op the benefit of my experiences with regard to parking fines. Which happens to be I paid the fines, then appealed and won the appeals and got the fines refunded.

I don’t know the circumstances of your charge but I would strongly urge people to follow the advice from Which and others:

‘Appeal informally

Start your appeal by writing to the council explaining why you think the parking ticket was wrong. You'll need to start with an informal appeal even if your ticket arrived by post -your half-price early payment period is 21 days, rather than 14. If you have any evidence like receipts, photos or witness statements, include these as well. The early-payment discount period is usually frozen if you send your appeal within 14 days of receiving your ticket. Download our free council parking ticket appeal letter.

It’s best not to pay the parking ticket until you’re sure it won’t be overturned, since getting a refund is almost impossible.

Read more: www.which.co.uk/reviews/new-and-used-cars/article/parking-tickets-and-fines-explained-aaMIc1r4dqWA - Which?

Almost impossible..yet I managed it twice within a few weeks.

Anyway op if you are still here that was my experience of fighting a parking fine. Obviously its up to you what you decide to do.

pelosi that’s the advice for parking tickets on council property. OP has a parking fine on private land which is different.

@ThePontiacBandit

pelosi that’s the advice for parking tickets on council property. OP has a parking fine on private land which is different.

The procedure is the same, Just swap the word council for the name of the company!

@ThePontiacBandit

pelosi that’s the advice for parking tickets on council property. OP has a parking fine on private land which is different.

As @CuriousaboutSamphire the procedure is the same.

These parking companies are utter scum. I'd pay the 60 to avoid further penalties and a load of problems. I'd never return to that place, if they piss off enough people and they vote with their feet, the store will relocate due to lack of trade. Happened near me. I was beyond furious with the ridiculous "technicality" fine I received, never returned, the store shut down as they'd done it to so many.

@Shitzngiggles

Because if you pay within the first 14 days you only have to pay half the fine. So if you don't pay then lose the appeal you have to pay double what you would have done. That's why.

It's usually very clear that the 'clock stops' when you appeal. So, appeal at day 8, then if it's unsuccessful, you still have a further 7 days to pay the reduced amount. Check the T&C on your particular ticket, though!

Or 6 days. Apparently I can't count.

This happened to my friend. Large out of town Sainsbury’s with a Starbucks inside. Me and another friend met her for coffee and cake on her birthday morning before she had to go to work in the afternoon. But before we’d got there she’d done her big weekly shop, so she went over the two hours. She got the fine in the post and replied to them enclosing a cheque. She also enclosed her receipt from shopping and Starbucks and explained it had been her birthday and she’d been having a coffee with friends after shopping, but she did pay up, thought no more of it. A week or so later she got a letter back, apologising, returned her check and a birthday card hoping she’d had a lovely day!! Couldn’t believe it!

@Whammyyammy & @Hont1986 how bloody rude of you, you should be ashamed of yourselves
Your attitude is the one thing I hate about MN
Go and have a think about how you make people feel

I've thought about it and I'm terribly sorry and I hope she enjoys trip to B&M at Christmas.