I was slapped with a £160 hospital parking fine despite following instructions – but I’d been scammed

A FUMING grandad has revealed however helium was slapped with a £160 parking summons contempt pursuing each the rules - but soon realised helium was scammed.

Ronnie Hayman, 73, parked his car astatine the St James’ Hospital successful Leeds to sojourn an sick household subordinate helium was instructed to wage £6 for 2 hours via the Tap2Park website.

Mr Hayman said helium paid for his parking but the owners of the car parking aboriginal sent him a £100 good missive to his address.

The grandad-of-seven said the paring website was hacked and the interest helium paid astatine the infirmary went into a dodgy relationship called "Mr Muscle".

But conscionable a period aboriginal helium was sent a 2nd missive demanding an accrued good of £160. He besides received a missive from a bailiff company.

Fortunately, his good was quashed aft helium told I Park Services astir the occupation and sent them impervious of payment.

He told Leeds Live: "It's a bully win. I deliberation it was each down to the publicity that you [Leeds Live] provided. I sent them a transcript of your nonfiction and to the bailiff arsenic well, and it did the trick.

"It was conscionable annoying having to spell done each that accent and aggravation erstwhile it wasn't my fault. If they had immoderate communal sense, they would person realised everything was genuine erstwhile I sent them a transcript of the slope impervious of payment.

"As you get older and you're not moving arsenic agelong hours past things bug you. This bugged maine and I had the clip to bash thing astir it. If it had been 20 years ago, I'd person astir apt done thing astir it and paid the fine."

The nutrient antheral was soon contacted by the bailiffs who told them that the lawsuit against him was being dropped and that helium should not expect immoderate further correspondence successful this matter.

The parking website institution Tap2Park antecedently admitted they were targeted by hackers who ran a dupe website to scam customers.

The website said each they supply is an online level arsenic a outgo provider, and person thing to bash with the moving of the car park.

A spokesperson for Tap2Park told the media outlet: “Earlier this year, we were alerted to the beingness of an unauthorised website, accessible done a Google search, which misappropriated our logo and falsely represented our service.

“This fraudulent tract directs individuals to an illegitimate outgo platform. Upon discovering this, we promptly reported the substance to Action Fraud and submitted a takedown petition to Google to code the issue.

"Unfortunately, to date, contempt respective follow-ups connected our part, we person not received a effect from either entity. As portion of our ongoing efforts to resoluteness this, we are present preparing to escalate the substance by issuing a pre-action missive to support our marque and safeguard users against this deceptive activity.”

Can I beryllium fined for not having a parking summons if the instrumentality isn't working?

Sometimes parking summons machines break, but that does not mean that you tin parkland for free.

Police can inactive springiness you a fine, truthful present is everything you request to cognize astir overmuch the good is and if you tin get it cancelled.

You whitethorn inactive look a good for not having a parking summons if the instrumentality is broken, but you should beryllium capable to entreaty the decision.

According to Citizens Advice, the fine tin beryllium cancelled, but lone if determination isn't different mode to pay.

The punishment won't beryllium dropped if determination is another, moving instrumentality adjacent — truthful guarantee you double-check earlier leaving without paying.

If you bash determine to park, you should instrumentality a photograph of the breached instrumentality arsenic you'll request it for your entreaty should you extremity up getting fined.

More than fractional of drivers person successfully appealed parking fines handed retired by local councils, an probe by The Sun found in 2021.

But beryllium careful, arsenic immoderate car parks volition person a motion saying not to halt determination if there's nary mode to pay.

Should you disregard the motion and get a penalty, your entreaty is precise apt to beryllium rejected.