Penalty Notice received

[Cativy]

Hi all,

I paid to park for 24 hours in a railway car park recently. I entered the car park at 11am, got out of my car, walked to the machine and saw I could pay on my phone. I paid on my phone and then went and got my railway ticket and got on the train. I returned to the car park 8 hours later. However, I've received a Penalty Notice today saying that I used a private car park without paying but the time on the notice is the time I left the car park. The photos of my car on the letter just show my number plate.

I'm not disputing that I parked there, because I did and I have the receipt to prove I paid but I'm really confused. Is it normal for car parking companies to get the times wrong or maybe to have an issue with their system? I've checked my bank and the payment also went out.

Has this ever happened to anyone else?

Just appeal and send them the receipt.

Ime it is perfectly normal for car park operators to try and extort money from a person.
Email them a photo of the receipt..

Are you sure you entered your vehicle reg correctly on the app?

Similar happened to me when I’d mistyped my reg number on the machine. Appeal (there should be a link showing how to do this?) with receipt.

Are you sure you used the right app to pay? There’s a station near me with two car parks using different operators. I hate pay by phone parking!

Dh had similar and he had entered his plate incorrectly. He appealed successfully as it was obvious error. Do you have any tickets or receipts from that day?

Thanks for the replies. Yep, I have an electronic copy of my receipt and reg number was entered correctly. I've appealed online and sent them the receipt but it's made me angry

Check registration number. I have my car and Dh's on all parking apps. Doesn't the app send an email too? Appeal. Really simple.

The most common error is 0 instead of O.

I get this all the time from our local train station car park. About 5 times in the last year.

It's a pain, but I just send them my proof of payment and they cancel it. Dickheads.

@taxguru nope, definitely did it correctly because there is a 0 and an O in my reg and it's 100% correct.

@FlemishHorse ah I hope not! I paid at the machine almost next to where I parked as I could almost see the parking location code on the sign but had to get out of my car being it was pissing it down with rain. Grrrr

@Gladiaterf dickheads in deed...!!! I've parked at this car park before and never had issues. Don't trust any of them anymore!

Sorry I mean I got the location code from the machine next to my car

Their computer is probably confused by the fact that you paid till 11 am but left at 7pm and is failing to factor in the fact that it was 7pm the day before.

Just FYI, I appealed the notice and got a letter today saying they've cancelled the charge. So glad I paid electronically and kept a receipt so I had a record. If I'd have paid by cash, I wouldn't have had proof I had paid and would probably have had to pay!

Great news!