TAKEN FOR A RIDE
How can you avoid a parking fine, why you should keep your pay and display tickets also tips for spotting unfair charges
ALMOST all of us have been slapped with a parking ticket or fine at some point.
Money guru Martin Lewis revealed last year that throwing away your pay and display ticket could land you with a hefty bill. Here are some tips and tricks to avoid forking out for parking your motor...
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Why should you keep your pay and display tickets?
Speaking on This Morning in 2017, the money-saving expert said: “So you pay for your pay and display parking ticket, put it on your windscreen, and then leave. Job done.
“Not quite. These days it’s increasingly common for parking firms and councils to use cameras to monitor parking, not people, and that means even weeks after the date you can find a parking fine or invoice in the post.
“Having recently heard of cases where people have struggled to prove they’ve paid, I’ve checked out how long afterwards you can still be contacted.
“So I’ve a new warning rule of thumb. Keep your pay and display tickets for two months at least.”
In the UK pay and display is used both for on-street parking charges and also in car parks where barriers have not been installed.
They can be operated by both private companies and councils.
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more parking rules and fines
How can keeping your pay and display tickets save you money?
Martin gave drivers a couple of ways to keep up with your tickets and avoid unfair charges.
He said: “Why not keep an envelope in your car to put them in as you go, then when it’s filled empty it into a drawer at home.
“You could also take a photo of them before you throw them out so that way if you’re chased later than expected you do have some proof.”
In the UK you usually have 28 days in which to pay a parking fine.
Often the charge will be reduced by 50 per cent if it is paid within 14 days.
Wherever possible, if you are not going to challenge the charge, it is in your own interest to pay the fine within the 28-day period as if not you will then be slapped with a 'charge certificate' and you will have to pay an extra 50 per cent on top of the initial charge.
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