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paying a parking fine - does it have to be this difficult??

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  • 27-02-2009 4:21pm
    #1
    artyeva
    Registered Users Posts: 2,137 ✭✭✭


    Feel free to take the proverbial here - I just want to rant and see if anyone can think of a legitimate reason for this:

    I got a parking fine from a town council. It was my own fault - I hadn't noticed that I was parking in a loading bay - it wasn't laid out like they normally are but I did notice the sign when I came back to the car so I was fined - fair and square.

    I don't live in this town, and normally wouldn't go there - was only passing through on that day, so the next day I rang the number on the bottom of the ticket to pay the fine with my laser card. There was no answer.

    I called approximately 3-4 times at different times each day for the next 14 working days - no answer. Eventually someone answered the phone today and I was told [very very rudely] that they can't take payments over the phone - that I would have to go in person [which will cost me money] or send a cheque [i dont have a chequebook a/c] or send a PO [which will cost me money] in a registered envelope [which will cost me more money].

    Can anyone give me a reason why this town council would not offer the facility to pay by laser seeing as with every other city or town or county council that i've ever dealt with this was not a problem?? :confused::confused::confused:


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    #2
    Oryx
    Subscribers Posts: 19,425 ✭✭✭✭Oryx


    Well, in and ideal world thats what theyd do, but some town councils are little dictatorships. :) Do you not know anyone with a cheque book who would write a cheque for you, and you pay em the cash?

    No the set up is not ideal, but just think of it as going back 10 years when it was how we all paid everything. The ESB have only just started taking laser phone payments, ffs, and theyre a national company..


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    #3
    artyeva
    Registered Users Posts: 2,137 ✭✭✭artyeva


    thanks for your reply - unfortunately don't know ANYONE with a c/book :(

    What reasons would they have for not taking laser payments though - does it cost them anything?


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    #4
    3DataModem
    Registered Users Posts: 3,997 ✭✭✭3DataModem


    Yes... it costs them a fair bit. If it's a small town then the cost would be far more than the cost of a PO + registered post per fine.

    PO's are not that expensive. Nor is registered post. Just pay it.

    Alternatively if you want to do a bank transfer to my bank account I will happily send them a personal cheque on your behalf (PM me for details).


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    #5
    artyeva
    Registered Users Posts: 2,137 ✭✭✭artyeva


    3DataModem wrote: »
    Yes... it costs them a fair bit. If it's a small town then the cost would be far more than the cost of a PO + registered post per fine.

    What are the charges though - this is what I want to find out -do they have to pay something to their bank to take laser payments??? Do they have to pay to have a laser machine installed? What would this cost??:confused:
    3DataModem wrote: »
    PO's are not that expensive. Nor is registered post.

    €7.35 in total - which is more than 20% of this fine in the first place? :mad: I doubt if they could be charged this much for a laser transaction - could they??? It costs me nothing to MAKE a laser transaction with my bank!!!
    3DataModem wrote: »
    Alternatively if you want to do a bank transfer to my bank account I will happily send them a personal cheque on your behalf (PM me for details).

    Umm... thanks for the offer but.... erm.... lol.... in fairness - I don't think I'd be happy putting cash into a bank a/c of someone I didn't know :D


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    #6
    3DataModem
    Registered Users Posts: 3,997 ✭✭✭3DataModem


    They would have to pay a VERY HIGH monthly fee to have the machine on their premises. They would have to pay a % (maybe 2% depending on volume) of each transaction plus a fixed fee (maybe 50c) for each transactions. Plus bank fees. If you are not doing dozens / hundreds of these a day it is not worth your while.

    If they only did one or two a day then the cost could be a lot more than 7 quid on average per transaction.

    Don't believe me? Call your bank and ask them how much to have a POS device.


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    #7
    Oryx
    Subscribers Posts: 19,425 ✭✭✭✭Oryx


    Just to clarify, laser transactions are charged on a fixed fee basis, not % of transaction total. But there is a rental fee for a machine on top of this.


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    #8
    artyeva
    Registered Users Posts: 2,137 ✭✭✭artyeva


    ok - which section of the bank would i find out from? [I'm bloody determined to find out what the cost is to them]

    I spoke to the person in charge of recovering parking fines in another Town Council in the county and she says the decision would be up to the Clerk of each town to decide how payments would be accepted.

    She did mention that they get a large amount of queries about the other town and has confirmed that as they accept laser over the phone she could not herself see any reason why every council could not accept them - given that you can pay for dog licences, water meters and motor tax online.


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    #9
    darc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 677 ✭✭✭darc


    artyeva wrote: »
    What are the charges though - this is what I want to find out -do they have to pay something to their bank to take laser payments??? Do they have to pay to have a laser machine installed? What would this cost??:confused:



    €7.35 in total - which is more than 20% of this fine in the first place? :mad: I doubt if they could be charged this much for a laser transaction - could they??? It costs me nothing to MAKE a laser transaction with my bank!!!



    Umm... thanks for the offer but.... erm.... lol.... in fairness - I don't think I'd be happy putting cash into a bank a/c of someone I didn't know :D

    Laser machine = €20 / month. Transaction fee 15c max.

    Your alternative is to ask them for their bank details and lodge it into their bank account with the ticket number as reference.

    Or tell them that in this day & age, people do not use chequebooks and if they cannot offer a simple form of electronic payment, then you are unable to pay the fine withiout incurring additional costs.


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    #10
    Shelflife
    Registered Users Posts: 3,074 ✭✭✭Shelflife


    my Laser machine costs €14 per month, transaction fees are 15c (can be up to 22c) there is no excuse for not being able to pay this over the phone. the machine will also take credit cards which cost a percentage of the total amount.


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    #11
    artyeva
    Registered Users Posts: 2,137 ✭✭✭artyeva


    darc wrote: »
    Laser machine = €20 / month. Transaction fee 15c max.
    Shelflife wrote: »
    my Laser machine costs €14 per month, transaction fees are 15c (can be up to 22c) there is no excuse for not being able to pay this over the phone. the machine will also take credit cards which cost a percentage of the total amount.

    Thanks - both of ye - this is exactly what I was looking for!!:D:D:D
    darc wrote: »
    Or tell them that in this day & age, people do not use chequebooks and if they cannot offer a simple form of electronic payment, then you are unable to pay the fine withiout incurring additional costs.

    I did :rolleyes: her exact words were ''Well if you don't pay it the fine will double after 56 days and if you don't pay it then you'll be issued a summons and I for one don't care if that happens'' - charming, eh? :eek:
    darc wrote: »
    Your alternative is to ask them for their bank details and lodge it into their bank account with the ticket number as reference.

    Best advice - why didn't I think of that???:pac: Total DOH moment!!!

    I'll ring them on Monday - thanks again you guys :)


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