Shopper fined £100 for leaving her vehicle for 15 minutes while she tried to pay for parking
Alison Harrald was in the car park for 15 minutes trying to pay before moving onto a different car park, but NCP Ltd still sent her a �100 fine for using their car park Picture: JAKE FOXFORD - Credit: Archant
A woman was fined £100 for leaving her vehicle in a car park for 15 minutes while she tried - unsuccessfully - to use a payment machine which rejected her money.
The car park is close to the new council car park on Crown Street Picture: GOOGLE MAPS - Credit: Archant
Alison Harrald, of Needham Market, was visiting Ipswich on November 22 when she decided to use the Tower Ramparts National Car Parks (NCP) facility in the centre of town.
She said her pound coins were all rejected by the ticket machine and she said the phone payment system left her exasperated, unable to navigate minutes of automated voice messages.
Defeated, she left and used the council car park in Elm Street instead - but got a £100 fine through her door on December 5 charging her for the privilege of trying to buy a ticket.
Mrs Harrald said: “I can’t believe it. I never even left the car park.
Mrs Harrald has the parking ticket from the car park she did use in Elm Street, Ipswich, run by the borough council Picture: JAKE FOXFORD - Credit: Archant
“I saw the big banners for the offer and only had to do a couple of things in town so thought I would use that car park.
“People coming to Ipswich to do some Christmas shopping could be lumbered with the same fine I have and that’s a big worry.”
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NCP has been approached for comment.
The letter from the firm shows Mrs Harrald’s car entering the car park at 10.08am and leaving again at 10.23am - but she claims that she never left the car park during that time, only trying to buy a ticket so she could park legally.
A £100 parking fine was issued after one customer spent 15 minutes trying to buy a ticket only to move onto another car park instead Picture: GOOGLE MAPS - Credit: Archant
She added: “There was a few of us struggling to pay, our coins weren’t being accepted.
“I called the NCP number to pay over the phone but it was just easier to park somewhere else.”
Mrs Harrald said that she did not want to pay by card because she wanted to protect her details.
“I’m not paying it. I’ll be writing to the company to appeal against it.”
Mrs Harrald says she will not be paying the fine and wants to make other drvers aware of the potential fines waiting for them if they park in the Tower Ramparts car park Picture: JAKE FOXFORD - Credit: Archant
“A lot of work is being done to try and draw people back into the town and this could really put people off.”
