received parking charge, but machines dont take new coins

[stuggling]

Were i live, the council still have the old coin machines,

they do not allow any 2012 coins,

i had enough change on me for 2 hours,

but £1 of the change was in 2012 coins in .20pences.

 

I asked the parking warden near me if they could assist me but refused

she told me to pay for the 2 hours or move,

 

 

i told her i was not able to as all the car parks in the area are owned by the council and are same,

and i had my disabled child with me who had an appointment,

i had stated this to the warden but she wouldn't have it, but it was a very important appointment.

 

I paid for the hours parking and overstayed by 20 mins and

i knew i had a ticket as she came back 2 mins before the end of my ticket and stood at my car till 3 mins over the time and then issued the ticket,

(i know this as i have a camera on the car which is clearly stated on the car stating camera in car 24/7 recording)

 

I'm paying the fine on friday as they except credit cards over the phone,

 

 

I'm fuming with this i understand i over stayed and I'm at fault but i feel the council should now update their machines

as i would have to go the bank to get old coins as most places now only uses the new coins.

[Jamberson]

What's the difference between 2012 coins and older coins?

[stuggling]

Not a clue but when you put in the machine it won't take them and there a sticker on machine saying as well

[BankFodder]

Make sure that you keep all records and record any phone calls.

 

Take pictures of the meter with the sticker.

 

Write to the council and make a formal complaint and say that you wanted to go to the Local Authority Ombudsman. I can't imagine for a single moment that you will fail with this complaint. It is absurd.

 

Also write a letter to your Member of Parliament and tell him or her exactly what is happening. Send a copy of the MP's letter to the local council.

 

I suggest that you also contact your local paper and give them the story. If you want a hand with that then we will be happy to contact them on your behalf. Please send us your contact details by email to our admin email address

[stuggling]

Our local paper been chasing this for a while but nothing, I've got a picture of the sticker on machines and recorded evedience of parking warden hanging around my car

[stuggling]

Dear Sir/Madam

REF: Parking Charge on 18 November 2014

On the 18 November I parked on Wright Street, to go the the Houghton Street NHS clinic. There was no available spaces on the clinic so we had found parking outside on Houghton street but when we went the machine it was not accepting any of the coins I had, so we had to go and park else where, we found parking on Wright street at the back of the clinic.

The parking warden was on this street at the time, and i went the machine and need to pay £2.80 in change but £1 was in £0.20p in the 2012 coins, i asked for assistance and she said she was unable to and that I was to find the correct coins or face a charge if I over stayed, I stated I had an appointment for my son and that I was not going to go the bank for change when the meters should be upto date, she did not answer me.

 

I paid for an hour, this cover me till 10.23 am i did not return to the car till 10.38 and was issued a ticket timed 10.36 but my camera (which i have fitted in car ) clearly shows the warden had returned to my car and waited and ticketed me at 10.27, I understand I should have paid for 2 hours but your machines do not take any coins dated 2012 as the sticker on the machine states, this is outrages to residents and those that visit the town.

I am now £25 out of pocket due to the council not updating the machines and managing them.

 

 

 

 

this is something i have just thrown together in 10 mins to the council if this ok or needs changing please say, thank you

[BankFodder]

Who is this meant to be addressed to?

[stuggling]

sorry sefton council and I'm just sorting out the mp one now, the thing is the mp knows this and no one had done anything

[BankFodder]

Amended

Dear Sir/Madam

Formal Complaint to the Local Authority Ombudsman

Parking Charge on 18 November 2014 - Meter unable to accapt modern coinage

Your meter no.XXXX sited at XXXaddressXXX is not able to accept coins which are minted after XXXdateXXX. The council is fully aware of this as there is an official sticker on the machine which refers to this.

The result of this is that people who are attempting to park their vehicles are prejudiced and face sanctions if they do not have coins of the correct year.

This is clearly a ridiculous state of affairs and amounts to maladministration. I wish this matter to be brought before the Local Authority Ombudsman.

On the 18 November I parked on Wright Street, to go the the Houghton Street NHS clinic. There was no available spaces on the clinic so we had found parking outside on Houghton street but when we went the machine it was not accepting any of the coins I had, so we had to go and park else where, we found parking on Wright street at the back of the clinic.

The parking warden was on this street at the time, and i went the machine and need to pay £2.80 in change but £1 was in £0.20p in the 2012 coins, i asked for assistance and she said she was unable to and that I was to find the correct coins or face a charge if I over stayed, I stated I had an appointment for my son and that I was not going to go the bank for change when the meters should be upto date, she did not answer me.

 

I paid for an hour, this cover me till 10.23 am i did not return to the car till 10.38 and was issued a ticket timed 10.36 but my camera (which i have fitted in car ) clearly shows the warden had returned to my car and waited and ticketed me at 10.27, I understand I should have paid for 2 hours but your machines do not take any coins dated 2012 as the sticker on the machine states, this is outrages to residents and those that visit the town.

I am now £25 out of pocket due to the council not updating the machines and managing them.

 

 

Please confirm receipt of this complaint and let me know what are the timescales for action.

 

YF

 

 

 

this is something i have just thrown together in 10 mins to the council if this ok or needs changing please say, thank you

[ploddertom]

This is quite a common scenario in different areas - it happens where I live and having a retail business am used to folks asking for "old" coins that the machines take. The Councils see fixing this as an added expense - coin mechanisms regularly check, weight, size, milled edges etc but believe a lot of this stems from the new designs which possibly the "masks" do not recognise.

[Jamberson]

Dear Sir/Madam

REF: Parking Charge on 18 November 2014

On the 18 November I parked on Wright Street, to go the the Houghton Street NHS clinic. There was no available spaces on the clinic so we had found parking outside on Houghton street but when we went the machine it was not accepting any of the coins I had, so we had to go and park else where, we found parking on Wright street at the back of the clinic.

The parking warden was on this street at the time, and i went the machine and need to pay £2.80 in change but £1 was in £0.20p in the 2012 coins, i asked for assistance and she said she was unable to and that I was to find the correct coins or face a charge if I over stayed, I stated I had an appointment for my son and that I was not going to go the bank for change when the meters should be upto date, she did not answer me.

 

I paid for an hour, this cover me till 10.23 am i did not return to the car till 10.38 and was issued a ticket timed 10.36 but my camera (which i have fitted in car ) clearly shows the warden had returned to my car and waited and ticketed me at 10.27, I understand I should have paid for 2 hours but your machines do not take any coins dated 2012 as the sticker on the machine states, this is outrages to residents and those that visit the town.

I am now £25 out of pocket due to the council not updating the machines and managing them.

 

 

 

 

this is something i have just thrown together in 10 mins to the council if this ok or needs changing please say, thank you

 

It's not too clear. How about something like this:

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

REF: Parking Charge XXXXX (state the PCN number, or it won't get dealt with)

 

On 18 November I needed to attend a medical appointment at Houghton Street NHS clinic (evidence enclosed). On arrival there was no parking, and the only available spaces nearby were the pay & display bays on Wight Street.

 

I anticipated this might happen so brought plenty of change for the machines. However when I went to put the coins in, I was surprised to see a sticker stating that the machine will not accept any coins minted after 2012!

 

Checking my change, I only had enough old coins to cover one hour's parking. I predicted the appointment would take less than an hour but would have liked to have bought two hours' worth to be on the safe side, and would have done, if the machine was working properly.

 

I discussed the situation with a CEO at the time, but had little choice - my appointment was due and I could not risk being late. I really did not want to risk getting a PCN, but was in an impossible situation. If I'd driven off again, I would have risked missing my appointment.

 

In the event, the appointment did overrun, and I was a few minutes late back to the car. As I feared, a PCN had been issued by then, for four minutes' overstay.

 

Please would you consider cancelling this PCN? I had absolutely no intention of overstaying and was willing and ready to pay for two hours. As is expected of the motorist, I came armed with sufficient coins - only to be caught out by the strange workings of a machine, which I could not have foreseen and do not understand. Since this was a medical matter, I hope you appreciate I did not have a reasonable option of leaving and parking elsewhere.

 

Regards, etc.

 

 

Enclose something to support the fact that you had an appointment at the time, and you have a fair chance.