ok - thanks for all the help guys

I think Im going to pay a visit to citizens advice in town, I dont understand how what is a very small mistake can be worthy of a £50 fine. Its ridiculous. thanks for the advice

Terms - free with ticket. Free. No money. To prevent people from shopping in town. I used the store on the car park, as it is designed for. Therefore there should be some leeway there as I am clearly not abusing the car park, let alone a invoice for parking there. Its ludicrous, if I wind up not shopping there again that company will have cost all those shops hundreds of pounds a year, as I will go and shop somewhere where they arent all jobsworths.

the T&C are there to protect the shops and car parks from people who want to abuse the car park, surely? I dont see how in this instance I was abusing either of those other then boosting profits for Lidl.

I have written to the CEO of Junction who run the retail park and presumably therefore hire UKPC. The bottom line is if they go through with this then I stop shopping there, which to them is worth much much more then £50 (that doesnt go to them anyway).

I did write straight away refusing payment on the grounds of excessive charge, with evidence of receipt. Which they rejected and had letter back today. So now Im like...ok where to go from here.

OK, thanks guys. Again thing is, if the fine was set at, I dunno, £10 - I would probably just pay it. But its just totally disproportionate to the heinous crime committed and unreasonable. I have also mailed the CEO of the Junction company who run the retail park asking her overturn. I do know of someone else whose had a parking ticket from this company for quite some time and shes not had anything happen to her yet. Definatly wont forget the damn ticket in future.

Its pretty well signed up to be fair - and this is the first time I forgot to goto the machine, I was just zoned in on what I was going to buy. What Im trying to find out is - if Im onto a loser then I will pay, now. And they could probably take me to court and win - but what would they get, losses? Or these "fines"? I'm confused!

OK heres the thing, I get various action groups, eg moneysavingexpert, here - telling me in their own guides they can only take me to court for losses incurred....what they say they charge me is therefore irrelevant? thats the key question for me, no matter how much they say I owe them, if they only can only take me to court for losses incurred, then they are only doing it as a scaremongering tactic, as there are no losses? IF there are other things they can take me to court for, then I am trying to find out.

Replied before you posted this, this is what I thought the situation was. It just seems like a tactic to get money to get people to buy tickets in the first place knowing if some get these notices a lot of people will pay up straight away!

But do they have a case for going to court? If the criteria is they can only came after me for any losses that have been incurred then the figure is £0 surely?

Lol, ok thanks

Hi All, Apologies I know you probably hear these things a few times. I was shopping in Lidl in Aylesbury - its car park run by UKPC operates a '2 hour free if you disaplay a ticket'. I literally was in Lidl 15 minutes, and absent mindedly forgot to get the ticket. I dont deny that fact, but I am feeling very hard done by especially given I was using the car park for intended use. I still have the receipt from Lidl to prove that I was shopping in the store the car park is intended for. And its not like the company lost money from lost car parking fares, as they are free. Ive read other places that the parking firm have to prove that me parking there lost them money by parking in that space. Is this true, because if so I cant see how they can say I cost them money if I was shopping in the store and if the car park is free anyway? I sent a letter saying I was refusing to pay because I felt it was extortionate and not representative of what I cost them (nothing) - and they sent me back a letter today which in all honest much waffle but they arent budging on the fee and giving me 14 days to pay a reduced rate.. ...which I havent any intention of paying, but Id like some advice as to whether that is the right course of action to take. I dont see how the punishment in any way represents the "crime" here. Thanks for any help

This is the thing - Im really not sure, shes told me she wants the money but hasnt told me how much she thinks shes owed. Shes the type of person whose very quick to take money but very stingy with it so Im really not sure. I should add we never discussed length of the contract at any time. The offer Ive made to her is to cover the 6 months, basically an extra months rent.

Hi sorry to take ages to reply I was at a wedding. No Ive not personally done any of the above, though I do know some of my, now ex-flatmates did something. I have decided to make my previous landlord an offer, but it has opened my eyes as to how much we really dont know with these things - I just assumed that she was being lazy in not getting me to sign the contract.