Motoring Discussion > parking Apps. Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Zero Replies: 18

 parking Apps. - Zero
I have a few* parking apps, on my phone and generally speaking its convenient and easy with no need to fish around for cash.

However, this popped into my inbox

I wanted to send you a friendly reminder that the MOT for vehicle "beemer", registered on your JustPark account, is due on 12 November.

When you added this vehicle, the DVSA sent us confirmation of the make and model along with the MOT renewal date to confirm your vehicle was legally allowed to park with us.


Fair enough, but I was intrigued by the statement. confirm your vehicle was legally allowed to park with us.

Is that or has that ever been a legal requirement for a parking contract?

* Three I think, why oh why can't LA's agree to use one parking app.!
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 14 Oct 21 at 09:07
 parking Apps. - Bromptonaut
I guess you'd need to look at the relevant Council/Car Park T&Cs.

IIRC there was a kerfuffle 20 or so years ago over whether a Council could issue a PCN where the vehicle was not taxed. I think the end result, it went beyond the Tribunal to the Senior Courts, the ruling was that the council could not issue a PCN.
 parking Apps. - Zero
>> I guess you'd need to look at the relevant Council/Car Park T&Cs.

Ok does that mean then, if my MOT was expired and I tried to use the app, it would reject my payment? does it follow on, that I can park there for free if there can be no PCN?
 parking Apps. - Manatee

>> * Three I think, why oh why can't LA's agree to use one parking app.!

And while they're at it, one gas transporter and vendor, ditto electricity, trains, water, buses?

I tried to set up the Q-park app the other day and it wouldn't work. It could be me, I was only doing it because I'd pre-booked Q-park in Reading online and the procedure was very opaque. It mentioned my "allocated space" for VIP parking (level 1, bigger space) but they didn't ask for my reg number and said I should just take a ticket on arrival. So how would I know which was my allocated space? The answer was fairly boring, but Q-park don't seem very good at making things work.

The proposition is good but needs better explaining, and staffing/maintenance leave something to be desired. My visit was saved by a hugely helpful attendant who saw me trying to use my booking bar-code before taking the ticket, came over and insisted on taking me through the entire procedure including how to use the ticket to get back into the car park, as it would be unmanned after 9pm when I returned.

It was obvious that I was not the only puzzled customer. There are several plaudits in the reviews for heroic staff giving customers ad hoc training courses.

When I got back, one of the two payment machines at the entrance I used was out of order, causing a queue. It would have been good to be able to do that bit on the app, had it worked.

uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.q-park.co.uk

I'm going to start a list of things that could have been designed to be as inefficient as possible. Heading the list are those idiotic Italian coffee machines, all chrome and escaping steam, that cause long queues everywhere. There are commercial bean to cup machines that only need a button to be pressed to produce coffee just as good. When there is a long queue of people waving £10 notes it would make a lot more sense to get the machinery to take the money off them.

V. Meldrew.
 parking Apps. - Zero
>> There are commercial bean to cup machines
>> that only need a button to be pressed to produce coffee just as good.

Rubbish. Clearly poor coffee is what is making Mr Meldrew Grumpy. Probably the lack of good caffeine has dulled his ability to work parking machines.
 parking Apps. - No FM2R
>>There are commercial bean to cup machines that only need a button to be pressed to produce coffee just as good.

I'd go as far as "better".

I borrowed a house in the UK from a friend and it had such a machine. One pressed one button to select strength and another to select size and it defaults to the last thing you entered.

Other than chucking beans at it periodically and sometimes emptying the drip tray, that was it.

Excellent machine. Can't get it in Chile though :-(
 parking Apps. - smokie
I remember a minor local outrage because Wokingham has/had a couple of car parks which only use an app - no cash option (but you may be able to do it by SMS).
 parking Apps. - sooty123
Don't know why they don't use contactless on the parking machines.
 parking Apps. - Zero
>> Don't know why they don't use contactless on the parking machines.

It requires working technology. A rare thing in a car park.
 parking Apps. - smokie
... and many don't like/won't use contactless
 parking Apps. - Bromptonaut
The Mayorhold Carpark in Northampton has contactless but it's very temperamental.
 parking Apps. - sooty123
>> ... and many don't like/won't use contactless
>>

But are happy using an app?
 parking Apps. - No FM2R
>>.. and many don't like/won't use contactless

Why not? I think it's brilliant.
 parking Apps. - No FM2R
It's also made me realise what you lot often say about cash not being used. I've spent £2 in all the time I've been here and that I gave to a busker.

Good stuff.
 parking Apps. - Zero
"According to UK Finance, in 2020 cash use fell by 35% and accounted for just under a fifth (17%) of all payments in the UK"

With the rise of the contactless limit to £100 shortly, its likely to drop further to single digit percentages in 2022
 parking Apps. - zippy
>>Cash use...

Pedantic me wants to keep cash and has been making a point of visiting the cash point to take out my spending money each week and using cash to pay for fuel, restaurants, cafes etc.

Added this to the I will always try to avoid the self service check out machines in shops and railway stations view point.

I'm not a luddite but I like human interaction and keeping people employed.

Just recently, a tumble drier was delivered. The job of getting it in to place meant that the freezer doors had to come off. For the extra effort the guys put in a tip was paid. Without cash that is going to be difficult.
 parking Apps. - James T
>> Added this to the I will always try to avoid the self service check out
>> machines in shops and railway stations view point.
>>
>> I'm not a luddite but I like human interaction and keeping people employed.

I switched to self service at our local sainsbury after the third time of the person serving being more interested in continuing her (banal) conversation with her friend than serving me. At least Gordon (who normally supervises the self checkout area) says hello.
Last edited by: James T on Tue 2 Nov 21 at 20:22
 parking Apps. - No FM2R
I had one today (Go Park, I think) offer to cover my excess upto £1,000 should anything happen to my car while parked for an additional 25p.
 parking Apps. - wotspur
I was in SW6 today ,and used a RINGO parking app , never had a problem before . I have 4 vehicles registered, Mine,KU09JRO my wife’s, Fx15 my sons GU09 and my mums FD16,
I logged in firm2 hours on my sons car GU09 , paid and got a receipt . Set my alarm for 1.50 so I wouldn’t over run , but finished within the 85 mins , and headed home .
Upon arriving home Imreceived the standard text, your parking session for FD 16 , is nearly over .
What , I contacted RINGO ,and their customer services are saying the details are correct and I Parked FD16 ……now this over the next few days weeks months are going to get very interesting
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