If you get an unfair ticket in a private car park, don’t automatically pay it, it the advice on the Money Saving Expert website.
These supposed ‘fines’ handed out are merely invoices, often unenforceable.
Apparently it’s a Wild West out there – many private parking firms are frankly cowboys.
Money Saving Expert’s guide reveals three routes to fight unfair private parking tickets and supermarkets, hospitals and elsewhere.
Check if the firm’s a member of a trade body
Hopefully the ticket will say if the company is a member of a trade body, but it not you need to check with the British parking Association (BPA) or the International Parking Community (IPC).
If it isn’t a trade body member it’s a different technique
If the company has chosen not to be a member of a trade body, there’s totally different step-by-step to fight unfair tickets.
It’s also worth checking if there’s a mistake on your ticket
There’s also another route you can try, whether or not the parking firm belongs to a trade body.
After you determine the category you fall under, the next step is available at http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-parking-tickets.
There’s also a host of private parking need-to-knows if you’re looking to save a bit of cash.
Spot the difference: one of these tickets is official, but the other isn’t
Official council parking fines are called ‘Penalty Charge Notices’, yet private parking tickets from supermarkets, hospitals and others do better impressions of these than Alistair McGowan.
Look at the ‘Parking Charge Notice’ in the pic on the right to see how similar they can be. Yet that one’s not a fine, it’s just an invoice.
Generally if you get an official parking fine, known as a Penalty Charge Notice, Excess Charge Notice or Fixed Penalty Notice, from a council or the police, it’ll say it’s from them.
If so, you need to see our Fight Unfair Council Parking Tickets guide.
Are you overpaying your council tax? Martin Lewis has also revealed how you can claim back thousands.
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