Is it fair to receive a parking charge for mistyping my reg number?

I received a parking charge from smart parking. I paid for an hour and I was twenty minutes in the shop. I received the fine and appealed it as I still had my proof that I paid for my parking. I have received another letter saying my appeal has been declined and I received the charge for typing my number plate in incorrectly (I typed in an O instead of a 0). I feel this is unfair and a harsh fine for an honest mistake. What do you advise?

Asked on 31 March 2017 by Annabel

Answered by Honest John
As the law stands and is interpreted by parking enforcement outfits they think they have the right to do this. However, a reader has argued that because their ticket machine took your money for parking, there is a contract between you and the parking enforcement company for them to provide you with your hour's parking whether you miskeyed your registration or not. Such a case needs to go to a County Court, then a High Court and then to the Supreme Court to get a ruling on these particular facts that could be construed as deliberate entrapment and exploitation.
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