Park Direct UK Ltd Appeal – Should I Pay or Challenge?

Have you got a parking ticket from Park Direct UK Ltd? You could be feeling upset and unsure about what to do next. Every month, I offer guidance to over 32,000 people who are looking for advice on tickets and fines.

In this article, we’ll guide you through:

• Who Park Direct UK Ltd is and if their tickets can be enforced.
• How to avoid paying Park Direct UK parking tickets.
• The steps to take if you want to challenge a ticket.
• What happens if you don’t pay the parking ticket.
• How to contact Park Direct UK Ltd if you need to.

I understand that getting a parking ticket can be confusing and worrying, but remember; you’re not alone. This article will give you the information you need to decide if you should pay or challenge your ticket. Let’s get started.

Can you ignore a Park Direct ticket?

No. Although Park Direct cannot legally demand payment from you, they can take you to court. Plus, there’s never a guarantee that private operators won’t start legal proceedings to recover what’s owed.

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Park Direct could also instruct a debt collection agency to recover the amount owed on an unpaid Parking Charge Notice!

In short, you shouldn’t ignore the parking ticket. Instead, challenge it or pay it within 14 days so you pay the discounted fine.

Can parking tickets on private land be enforced?

A parking ticket on private land is called a Parking Charge Notice. Now, the ticket may look like a Penalty Charge Notice but that’s the only similarity between the two.

Operators like Park Direct UK issue a Parking Charge Notice when you break their ‘rules’. In short, when you park on a site that Park Direct manages, you’re supposed to read the signs showing their T&Cs for parking there.

In truth, the operator raises an invoice which tells you that you didn’t abide by their T&Cs. It’s a civil dispute between you and the operator that’s heard in a small claims court.

The only time a Parking Charge Notice is legally enforceable is when a court orders you to pay the parking ticket. An operator cannot legally demand payment from you with a court order in place!

How to avoid paying Park Direct UK parking tickets

If you want to avoid paying a Park Direct UK parking ticket then you’ll need an airtight appeal.

The best way to perfect your appeal is getting a little advice from a Solicitor. I’d 100% recommend spending a fiver to get a trial of JustAnswer.

You can explain your situation in their chat and they’ll connect you with a Solicitor who can advise you and give you the best chance to win your appeal.

Click here to get the trial offer with JustAnswer.

What if you refuse to pay the parking ticket?

A court would issue an order for you to pay the parking ticket if you refuse to pay it. Plus a CCJ is registered on your credit file which will negatively impact your ability to get credit.

A County Court Judgement remains on your credit history for 6 years!

How could you get out of paying a Park Direct ticket?

You have the right to challenge a parking ticket on private land especially if it was incorrectly issued. You can also appeal a Parking Charge Notice if the details on the ticket aren’t correct.

You have 28 days to file an appeal with Park Direct but I recommend you challenge the ticket much sooner than that. Once the 28-day deadline passes, you lose the right to contest the ticket.

For example, you should appeal a Tesco parking ticket as soon as possible to avoid having to pay the charge!

I’ve listed some reasons you could use to dispute the parking ticket below:

• You couldn’t get back to your vehicle in time because of a medical emergency or because you are disabled or because you were accompanied by a very young child. UK law does not allow for you to be discriminated against!
• The parking ticket arrived through your letterbox more than 14 days after you parked on a Park Direct site
• You parked correctly and followed the T&Cs for using the car park
• The payment machines weren’t working so you couldn’t pay and there was no other way to buy a ticket
• The Parking Charge Notice you received was for an excessive amount
• The car park signs and road markings were unclear
• You got back to your vehicle a few minutes after the allotted time had expired
• You were waiting for a recovery truck because you’d broken down
• The parking ticket dropped through your letterbox but there were no signs indicating the use of cameras in the car park

Check out what happened to one motorist who posted his dilemma on a popular forum:

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Do you have to provide proof to support an appeal?

You don’t have to provide evidence to support an appeal against a Parking Charge Notice. However, it helps if you do!

The sort of proof I suggest you provide may include the following:

• Images of the payment machines that were out of order
• Images of the ticket you purchased showing how much time you paid for
• Copy of an invoice from a recovery truck if you had broken down
• Images of where you parked, road markings and signage
• Witness statement if there is someone who can validate your story

Plus, a private operator should either place the ticket on your car or send it through the post within 14 days. There’s a time limit on how long you can be chased for a parking ticket on private land.

What’s the Park Direct appeals process?

You have 28 days to file an appeal with Park Direct. However, you should try to dispute the parking ticket before that.

It costs nothing to appeal a Parking Charge Notice with the operator!

First, the sooner you gather evidence to support an appeal the better. Second, once the operator receives your appeal, they can’t take any further action!

Also worth noting there’s no Park Direct UK appeal email option.

What if Park Direct rejects your appeal?

If Park Direct rejects your appeal, you have the right to file another appeal with the Parking on Private Land Association (POPLA) or the Independent Appeals Service (IAS).

Either of the associations will consider your appeal against the Park Direct parking ticket. It costs nothing to file this second appeal and it stops the operator from taking the matter further until a decision is made.

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Should you pay Park Direct straight away?

No. You shouldn’t pay a parking charge Notice straight away. Not until you’re satisfied you deserved the parking ticket and that it was correctly served.

If you know the Parking Charge Notice was issued correctly and you deserved it, paying the ticket within 14 days is definitely an option. First, you’ll pay a discounted amount which could be up to 40% less than the original ticket!

Second, you won’t have to worry about being chased by the operator for a payment!

Can a ticket be issued before a 10-minute grace period ends?

No. According to the Code of Practice, all approved operators must allow you a 10-minute grace period before giving you a ticket.

However, this only applies if you were parked correctly in the first place and paid to park on a site!

You should be given a ticket if you parked correctly and paid the right fee but got back to your vehicle a couple of minutes late.

An operator should cancel the Parking Charge Notice providing you can prove the ticket was issued before the grace period was up!

How do you contact Park Direct UK Ltd?

I’ve listed Park Direct UK contact details in the table below: 

Park Direct UK Ltd – pay or challenge? RECAP

There are really only two options open to you when you get a Park Direct parking ticket. First, you can pay the amount within 14 days so you pay 40% less.

Second, you can appeal the Parking Charge Notice because you believe it’s unfair! Challenging the parking ticket stops the operator from taking any further action.

Until a decision is made, that is!

If you’re not happy with the operator’s decision to reject an appeal, you can appeal to an independent appeals service. Again, it stops the operator from chasing you or escalating the matter any further.

Plus, it costs nothing to appeal a Parking Charge Notice!

The one thing not to do is ignore a Parking Charge Notice. Why? Because you could face court proceedings and you may end up with a CCJ on your credit file!

Thanks for reading my post. I hope the information helps you decide which route to take when dealing with a Park Direct UK Ltd parking ticket!