This is really worrying. Sounds like there are moves afoot to end pay and display parking using cash. We will all have to download apps to pay. No way do I want anything that pays on my phone in case its lost or stolen or hacked. But if this goes ahead we will be unable to shop or visit doctor, chemist etc.
Its msn, so facts are likely to be sketchy, but it doesn't surprise me. As someone who hasn't put a coin in a parking machine for at least 5 years it also doesn't bother me.
I actually get annoyed when I visit somewhere that doesn't have payment by app, its very convenient. No guessing how long you will be, extend time anytime, or pay for how long you are parked when you stop your parking sessions, some systems stop the session as soon you drive off. Claiming for the expense is also easier as I can't lose the receipt, the app keeps a record that I can email.
The only downside is I have about 7 apps just for Council parking in local areas and they change provider every few years. Having to download an app and register a card when you arrive somewhere with a different app is a pain.
I can appreciate the reasons to justify going cashless.
However, not having an alternative means to pay except to use an app on a smartphone, such as using a credit or debit card as they do at some multi-storey car parks, does sound rather harsh and impractical especially for the elderly population.
Some struggle to use cash with machines that have lots of buttons to press with instructions that are not easy to read and understand.
Even I struggle with the newer machines!
I prefer to use parking apps on my phone than to pay using cash some years ago, as I had been caught out with not having the right amount of change on me once too often.
I have 4 different parking apps on my phone to date.
DK
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i cannot do apps on my phone despite it being a smart phone, its an issue with with my phone being an old iphone 4, one that works perfectly well for what i want to use it for and one i cant afford to change as i dont have one of those contracts, i just have a pay monthly contract, so to be able to pay i would have to spend out about £900! or be on a 4 times my current tarrif, thankfully i have a blue badge for parking!
I try to avoid anywhere that you have to pay to park wherever possible, but if it's essential I use my debit card. I would be stumped if I could only use a phone-app as I don't have a smart-phone and don't really want one.
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 19/3/2023
I try to avoid anywhere that you have to pay to park wherever possible, but if it's essential I use my debit card. I would be stumped if I could only use a phone-app as I don't have a smart-phone and don't really want one.
Same here, Colin. Fortunately most of the places we need to park allow pay by card. Either that or, in our nearest town, use the Sainsbury car park and just pop in and spend £10 on something. I can usually think of something we need and can store safely so counts as free parking.
Normally we use the bus or cycle so no parking problems.
Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 19/3/2023
... i just have a pay monthly contract, so to be able to pay i would have to spend out about £900! or be on a 4 times my current tarrif, thankfully i have a blue badge for parking!
I understand an earlier comment that MSN is not the most reliable or accurate news source!
I've just read an article on a regional Cornish news site that a local authority there are upgrading their machines to take card/phone payments in addition to retaining cash payments but of course it may depend on the local authority.
£900 may be the cost of a new Apple phone but you really do not need to spend that much money! Perfectly usable good quality smartphones are available for around £100 mark ... Still a sizeable outlay nonetheless!
Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 19/3/2023
i cannot do apps on my phone despite it being a smart phone, its an issue with with my phone being an old iphone 4, one that works perfectly well for what i want to use it for and one i cant afford to change as i dont have one of those contracts, i just have a pay monthly contract, so to be able to pay i would have to spend out about £900! or be on a 4 times my current tarrif, thankfully i have a blue badge for parking!
You can buy a iphone 2nd hand that’s still supported by apple for less than £80, no need for £900 phone
Upgrade the mobile phone contract and get a better handset?
It does not need to be the newest super duper model.
Carphone Warehouse is a good place to browse.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
in our local town centre you get a refund voucher with the ticket, if you spend £10 in either of the 2 supermarkets you get a refund against your bill, that will be another loss!
saxo1
Why should we be forced to buy a phone that we don't want so that we can be ripped off with extortionate parking charges?
I don't have a "smart" phone, so I don't have any "apps". Fortunately I rarely have the need for paid parking and the places that do charge, use card payment. In fact NOT using cash in this case is an advantage.
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Quote: Originally posted by Ancient Uncle on 19/3/2023
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 19/3/2023
I try to avoid anywhere that you have to pay to park wherever possible, but if it's essential I use my debit card. I would be stumped if I could only use a phone-app as I don't have a smart-phone and don't really want one.
Same here, Colin. Fortunately most of the places we need to park allow pay by card. Either that or, in our nearest town, use the Sainsbury car park and just pop in and spend £10 on something. I can usually think of something we need and can store safely so counts as free parking.
Normally we use the bus or cycle so no parking problems.
Yes we use supermarket car parks quite often too, there's always something we need even if we are not doing a big-shop. We also use the bus or the train, as we are lucky enough to still have a station in our village. It's not likely to close either as it's on a busy commuter route that has just been upgraded with all new trains. It also helps that being a retired train driver we get free travel. We have our bus passes too. We only use the car to go into town these days if we have too much to carry back on public transport.
I avoid paying parking fees where possible.If they are reasonable OK but if high then I will go elsewhere.
Our local supermarkets don't charge for an hour or two. I can get the bus into town if I need to.
OAP bus pass is useful!
Some machines in our area take contactless payment which is better than having to put apps on your phone.
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I've come across cashless parking machines quite a few times, and for some time now (often in remote places where coin theft is a risk, and collection expensive!) and have no objection if they take card payments, but HATE paying by blasted phone apps! I've had them fail on me a few times, and received penalty charges when I was deemed not to have paid because I COULDN'T pay when the app/system crashed! - contested them and been let off. You really should take a look on the interweb at just how unreliable these phone app payments are, it's far from an occasional individual, it's a disgrace they are allowed to continue in business, they are that unreliable, and the parking companies are lightning quick to issue hefty penalty charges, bet they make a tidy profit from those that either don't know how (how is usually WELL buried in the contorted small print of a web site!!!!), or don't bother!
I complete a monthly motorists survey for a well known motoring organisation, and a while ago they asked about paying for car parking and the most and least popular methods, card was more popular than cash, but option for both was popular, phone app was by far the least popular by a large margin!
If I see a car park is pay by app, I'll try and find an alternative! I've even known car parks abandon pay by app, and go over to pay by card, so they must have THEIR reasons!
I can't think of a single app on my modern high spec phone that I'd describe as 100% reliable, AND you usually need a quality data phone signal for them to work, and that's not always available at the critical moment of need! There's not a single app on my phone that I rely upon totally, I consider them to be too unreliable by far! Some are so bad they barely work, and the user comments often confirm that I'm not alone in struggling with them!
Phone app will be the least popular for now - its new tech and people are slow to embrace it (with good reason) - the tech hasnt moved on yet, but it will. I think if you have unreliable apps on your phone you need to run some kind of defrag or scan as everything should work. You might have a problem with your roaming internet settings - worth having a look at it, and worth clearing your cache (or equivalent). Problem is theres too many apps and its all too complicated - but they'll sort it in the same way we ended up with electric plugs all the same.
If you choose to not have the apps or use them and you can't park because of your choice, really its up to you, and its highly unlikely you'll change anything - and dont expect any sympathy from those businesses who put them in. They dont care about you. One or two (or even a few) people complaining about cash payments (or whatever) becomes statistically irrelevant for the council (etc) business models - one or two people (or even a few) won't change anything anything any more than they can keep the banks open or save the high street.
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Topic: Ending pay cash for parking machines
via mobile 20/3/2023 at 7:29am
We only use the car to go into town these days if we have too much to carry back on public transport.
