Parking apps

[mjf981]

I'll preface this by saying I live in Sydney, so maybe this is 'normal' elsewhere.

However, I've been 2 places in the past few weeks (Leichardt and the Blue Mountains) that now require you to download an app to pay for parking. Different apps. So rather than just depositing a few dollars in machine or even just paying via tap and go, I've had to stuff around for 5 mins figuring out how to download the app, upload my information just to pay for an hours parking. So frustrating and a waste of time. I'm praying this doesn't become the norm, or if it does, all places use the same app! AIBU to fear that all councils are going to jump on board with this in the next few years?

Cash parking machines need someone to service them and empty them. They are also subject to theft, and of course being broken in the course of theft. So it makes sense to councils and the like to move towards cashless payment. But, as posters have pointed out, even assuming you have the right app downloaded to your phone, you might not be able to get enough signal to pay. You can phone the parking company to pay......yeah right, there's no signal.....and speaking from (bitter!) experience that doesn't always work either. I was forced to upgrade an old but perfectly decent phone because it couldn't download these apps. I noticed in one car park that you have to remember to sign out as well as sign in, and wondered how many people forgot to do that and presumably got charged for longer than they needed, sad conclusion is that it is just another crafty way to extract money from you. Bastards!

Why should it cost more on an app, it should be cheaper surely, I remember years ago there was ring up to park and that was more expensive too

I love parking apps. I never have change with me so it's much easier (though most machines have contactless now anyway) and I like that I can extend the time from wherever I am but my god, I wish we could just pick ONE BLOODY APP. Every council seems to have a different one and it's a pain in the arse.

YABU. I love a good parking app, no faffing around. Nice and easy, and you can add time to it while you’re out and about.

Why in this day and age is the signal so bad anyway in some places, surely a good signal everywhere is the most important thing and should be tackled as running our lives seem to depend on it now.

The signal in the Peak District is awful @User19543785, but that will be due to the topography. Unless they install telephone masts on every hill I don't see how else it could be improved.

What I don't understand is why the only other option to pay is cash. Why can't these machines accept card payments?

Parking apps are part of the only 'war on the motorist', paying for parking. Card payments should be applicable everywhere, no phoning up, no apps etc and without them any penalty charge or indeed charge above £1 for parking should be illegal.

One of the things in my manifesto for when in In Charge is parking apps - no more than 3 (need some competition) and no fees. Its cheaper for the provider to use the app than collect cash and run tap systems so why am i then paying the fee?!. I rant about this a lot.

Apart from the fee, another thing that annoys me is that the signage is always really small and next to the pay machines. So I have the app and these days they use your location to suggest nearby car parks. But if you don't know the name of the car park you're in, you still have to traipse over to the pay machine to find the small sticker stuck to the side that tells you the car park number.

Why don't they have one massive sign that you can see from anywhere in the car park? If I'm walking over to the machine I might as well use cash because then I don't have to pay the fee. The fee for walking across the car park to find the number!!

Same here. It was a bit of a pain when they were all starting up and for a year or so I was always having to download some new app. But now it’s fantastic. Much easier. Especially because I can top up if I’m going to be longer than planned without going back to the car.

I suggest you accept the inevitable and just prepare to get them set up on your phone. It’s definitely become much more normal over here but it’s easier if you can manage it. I do know it doesn’t suit everyone so well, but for me it’s great.

I'm all for the apps too. Very easy and quick, once you've actually downloaded the thing!
However, on a recent regular mini break, we had to park in the overflow carpark, next to the main carpark, which used a different app! Very irritating, especially as signal at this costal location is hit and miss (and different networks have varying signal). One bonus was that you can add other cars, which was needed this time as my parents network had no signal at all to download an different app! Being able to add extra time is pretty handy too.
But as agreed with pp's, it's a sign of the times trying to be more efficient and reduce staffing costs.

I’ve nothing against apps as long as there are alternative ways to pay (cash and card).

Totally agree, I have 5 apps, and that's covered me for most local and holiday places we've visited, it would be useful if all the carp park providers had signed up for one app. Having said that I prefer the app than having to remember/sort out change.
I also like that you increase your stay remotely, rather than have to revisit the car park when staying longer.
The only other annoyance I found was user error - I paid £7 for parking only to remember too late we were in my wife's car, not mine, and I couldn't transfer it afterward. Lesson learn tho

I agree with the previous posters that having to pay a fee on top of paying for parking really pisses me off. They save on staff having to drive around emptying machines etc. so why isn't the fee paid by the parking owners? Oh, yes. It's so they can screw every single penny they can.

And as an aside. In Rye there is a street where you can park in a smallish car park, on the road right next to the car park. Both use the same app. Except the two locations are totally different numbers! So you go to pay on line and if you're not careful pay for the wrong area. Dodgy.

The carparks I've visited recently in more rural areas have all had the option to pay within 24 or 48 hours. So it doesn't matter if there's no signal where you are, or if you have no smart phone, as you can take the details and pay when you get somewhere with WiFi or back to your computer. I think that's better as it's trying to be more accessible. Not perfect, but better.

You weren't in Colwyn Bay were you?
I had this issue there - machine ate one of my £1 coins so I then didn't have enough change even if it was working, card not working, no signal for app. I wanted to go to a cafe anyway so paid when I was there - but I did then notice that there were signs about the free WiFi all along the front near the machines.

Usually I don't mind using the app as I never have change.

Sorry - I thought this would have the quote function which seems to have gone. This was in response to OP having trouble with the machines not taking card or cash and no signal in Wales.

*PP not OP.

I need coffee!

I've never used cash for years, and parking was one of the things I always needed to get cash out for, and remember to spend to get change for. So much easier to have an app. And you can check if you're running out of time, I used to always forget what time the ticket said.
I did feel like many pp when we went on holiday during lockdown and I needed to download all the apps in the middle of nowhere, but now they're on my phone I much prefer it.

We have lots of these in UK as mentioned above so brace yourself!

However many of the ones near me are also machines you can still use cards at as well as an app so I hope both options continue.

Can't deny one of the reasons I'm glad ds has a blue badge is I avoid all these apps!

I have a number of different parking apps now - in the UK.
I've noticed recently more seem to be using the same one app a bit more , but there is still a variety out there.

Same with electric car charging - why can't they just all be contactless and card tap, rather than needing a variety of different apps you need to be logged into, some with a whole host of details needed, before you can charge! The newer ones which are just contactless/credit card are so much easier!

I don't mind using an app. As you say there are several benefits. It's the fact that there isn't just one universal app for all. It's a pain when you need to have several different Ines on your phone .

I really like the apps. I never have cash on me, so it's really handy. I also like that I can extend the stay without having to go back to the car. Once you've downloaded the app it's there and you don't have to faff about.
There does still seem to be options to pay cash or use a card in lots of places though.

I would prefer to use contactless card, can you use Apple or Google pay on them. That all seems much simpler than having to put all your details on an app, there must be a financial reason for them using apps in preference. All carparks being pay as you leave also would be preferable. We are very occasional users of carparks so apps would not usually be already on our phones

I don't mind too much (once you've got the app downloaded), but I resent that you get charged a convenience fee when the convenience is for the car park owner not the person parking. I feel the same about paying to book cinema tickets online.

I would prefer contactless card payments to be an option instead. I went to a car park recently that had installed contactless and stopped app payment. I guess for pay and display it's easier to be able to see the ticket in someone's car than have to check some registration numbers against the system to see who has paid.