Sheffield-based Excel Parking sued Julia Webb for failing to input her full registration number at Newcastle Avenue car park in Worksop.

Her 80p ticket only showed one letter:’S’.

Ms Webb insisted it ‘jumped forward’ to the payment screen before she could key the rest of it in.

Julia Webb celebrates beating Excel Parking in court. | Julia Webb

placeholder image — Julia Webb celebrates beating Excel Parking in court. | Julia Webb

But the company refused to let it drop and after 18 months of letters and warnings the case reached court, where it demanded £430.

Deputy district judge Kate Wilson dismissed the case, stating Ms Webb had attempted to input her number, had paid properly and no agreement or contract was broken.

She also awarded Mrs Webb costs of £99 for having to miss work to attend.

Ms Webb, aged 55, who lives in Worksop, said the incident was in April last year and a month later she underwent major spinal surgery, from which she is still recovering.

She said: “I wasn’t trying to scam them for 80p. I paid for an hour and stayed 12 minutes.

“I would have paid £20, the industry standard for keying errors, rather than go to court.

“I think Excel Parking should be put out of business. They are rude, arrogant and greedy and don’t have an ounce of human decency.

“I had major spinal surgery and for 18 months while I’ve been recovering they have been pursuing me like a dog with a bone.”

Excel Parking boss, Simon Renshaw-Smith, and wife Karen Gillott, company secretary. | National World

placeholder image — Excel Parking boss, Simon Renshaw-Smith, and wife Karen Gillott, company secretary. | National World

Parking expert Lynda Eagan accompanied Ms Webb to court.

She said Excel’s argument was that no one else had the one-digit problem and provided records to ‘prove’ it. But it was just a two-hour sample.

She added: “Judge Wilson, in her summing up, said there was no loss to the claimant and Excel had failed to provide further evidence that the machine wasn’t at fault when instructed to do so.”

The company lost a similar case at the Berkeley Centre car park on Ecclesall Road in 2023. It was replaced by another firm later that year.

Excel Parking, is based in Tinsley, Sheffield.

A representative said they were “wholly satisfied” the meter was working.

They said: “Following a review of the transaction data for all other users that day, we are wholly satisfied that the two pay meters onsite were in excellent working order.

“Furthermore, there were no reports of pay meter faults on the day in question. Human error was the cause of the missing characters on the pay and display ticket.

“We are currently considering the judge’s decision and as such it would not be appropriate to comment more specifically at this stage.”

In February, parking firms were banned from demanding £100 from drivers who took more than a few minutes to pay. The 10-minute rule which applied at Excel’s Broomhill Rooftop car park was earning the company up to £500-an-hour.

Excel Parking was replaced at Berkeley Centre on Ecclesall Road in July 2023 after years of complaints. | National World

placeholder image — Excel Parking was replaced at Berkeley Centre on Ecclesall Road in July 2023 after years of complaints. | National World

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MPs, including Abtisam Mohamed in Sheffield, pressured industry regulators into imposing a ban.

Private parking firms send Parking Charge Notices, which sound similar to Penalty Charge Notices issued by councils and police, they also have the same initials: PCN.

But many argue they are effectively letters demanding money for allegedly breaching terms and conditions written by a parking company.

David Walsh

Excel Parking: Sheffield firm loses court battle over £430 demand for 'inputting error'