Fixed penalty in car park, but I had paid!

[LPP1955]

I'm so upset about this! I parked in a pay and display in Colchester this morning to go shopping for the day. As it is a Sunday, there is a simple charge of �1.50 for any duration of stay, so I bought a ticket in the machine and put it on the dashboard clearly visible. When I returned four hours later, I had received a fixed penalty notice some hours earlier. It transpired that the ticket I had got from the machine, inexplicably, was dated for late afternoon of the previous day! As exit times were not an issue, I hadn't checked that the ticket was in order, but clearly the machine had not issued it correctly. I know I will probably get the old "anyone could say that" if I complain, but this is honestly what happened, anyone would have to be stupid to try to re-use an old ticket!
What can I do (apart from read carefully in future) ? Any suggestions??

[Panic Button]

There must be an appeal procedure. Follow it up fully. I believe a significant number of appeals are successful.

The ticket you got was probably jammed in the machine from a purchase the previous day. I am willing to bet they know they have a problem with that machine.

[lady_p_gold]

Chances are if it happened to you it could have happened to others, so appeal to whoever it is and stick to your guns. It would help if you also had other tickets from other days to show you are a regular payer.

[WoWo]

If there was/is a problem with the machine you won't be the only one to get a ticket, as Panic Button says there will be an appeals procedure so check the penalt notice you were given and go down that route.