So, a couple of weeks ago I got a ticket in a car park after paying by text. Turns out I put the wrong location number in. 80486 instead of 80468. Easy mistake.
It’s currently under appeal at the moment with no reply.
Talked to a traffic warden yesterday to ask how they check when there is no ticket in the car. Showed me my car details where it was currently parked. Payment receipt, duration etc.
Said the warden who ticketed me would have had the same details. The fact that he was standing next to my car and that I had paid the duration but it was showing in another car park, it got a ticket. Is there no common sense in this world.
If I’d have paid by calling the number, it would have confirmed my location verbally but the text system doesn’t. Only paid by text and not the parking app as the signal is really weak where I parked.
Now I have to sit and wait for a response from the council , for them to decide if I have to pay it or not.

No different to having a displayed ticket for the wrong car park, might be a mistake but the traffic warden doesn’t know that. For all the know you may have moved your car and be chancing your luck. Of course this may not be the case.

It’s unfortunate they have not got a confirmation system in place.

i.e you text the code, they text the location and you have to reply Y or N.

But as it is, they’ve got you bang to rights, you parking thieving little scrote! I’d throw the book at you…and the rest of the bookcase. Hangings too good etc etc.

Send him down!

Not sure there is much you can do. There should be a better system. A checksum on the code to make it highly unlikely to mistype it and a confirmation text would be simple.

“normally” they should be reasonable, I made a mistake once where I was in a hurry to catch the train and put the ticket upside down!.. However appealed and was given a reprieve but with a stern written telling off!

All the best with your appeal

If you write a sensible, non-ranting well reasoned letter to the council I’m sure they will waive the fine. I have done in the case of a failed payment and they did.

(I got interrupted while extending my parking ticket in Salisbury by phone and the payment failed. Came back to find the car ticketed, wrote and explained, told them I thought it had gone though and wasn’t used to this technology as Lancashire CC doesn’t have the money for fancy technology that Wiltshire does. They replied that they could see I had tried to pay and that as I was a visitor to Wiltshire they would give me the benefit of the doubt and hoped I’d had a nice holiday. Result.)

Drac, car was parked in Shanklin on the IOW and the car park code I entered was for Brighton. So nope, not chancing it. I always pay my parking and put up with the little fee they add for the pleasure of it. Just seems there’s no common sense to the system.
Decided if they say I have to pay the fine, I will invoice them for the £3 that I paid with a caveat on the invoice if not paid within seven days, a penalty admin charge of £25 will apply…..

If you write a sensible, non-ranting well reasoned letter to the council I’m sure they will waive the fine. I have done in the case of a failed payment and they did.

Yeah I got my fine overturned when I managed to knock the ticket off the window so it wasn’t on display at all – just sent them an email with a pic of the ticket saying ‘I know it’s supposed to be on display but I didn’t realise’.

Going through something similar. Paid for a ticket in a swimming baths carpark. I ran from the car to the baths holding a toddler as it was raining heavily. The ticket must have blown off when I closed the door, cue coming back to fine. Sent an email with a copy of my ticket which had blown off and explained the situation. I said they could check CCTV and my vehicle tracker would place me there. They came back and basically said it should have been displayed. That’s a local council too. Wonder if I can claim my £2.50 back as I paid for nothing!

If I’d have paid by calling the number, it would have confirmed my location verbally but the text system doesn’t.

That’s a bit crap and possibly a key point in your appeal letter.

(By the way, I generally use an app to pay for parking. Handy because it knows where I am and already has my car details etc so all I need to do is authorise payment).

i got a parking fine despite having a ticket.

i appealed, and got sent an email with 2 photo’s of my car, one quite close up of the windscreen.

and a statement: ‘no ticket on display – pay the fine or else.’

(using paint) i red-circled the ticket, which was clearly visible in my cars window, in both photo’s, and i sent them back, along with a photo of my valid ticket.

i recieved another email: ‘on this occasion, we’ll let you off not having a ticket, but we’ll keep an eye on you!’

(or words to that effect)

there are 2 things i hate in this world, intolerance, and parking wardens.

I used to work in this field as it happens. Try a letter to the local authority who will most likely tell you the ticket stands. Take it all the way through to the independent adjudicator and they’ll almost certainly instruct the council to cancel the penalty.

The key is, you attempted to pay, they’ve had money from you and it was a genuine mistake.

Good luck.