More ripoffs

[xoggoth]

Parking fines, recycling, litter, the number of cowboy companies ripping people off for trivial things seems to grow every year. Another example here:

Mother fined £600 after putting cardboard box in wrong bin*

£600 for one box! In future I think I'll be checking very carefully I don't put an envelope with my tiny company's name on into my recycling bin.

My son recently got sent a demand for £80 for not paying a parking fine, even though it was the first he'd heard of it. He'd parked at 10pm in what had been a free pub car park and neither he not his mates noticed the inconspicuous signs which were scarcely visible due to bright lights above. Fortunately, he won his case with the ombudsman as the signs were not just poorly placed but legally too low. Doubt it will stop them trying to rip others off.

[Hobosapien]

Aye, in a rule based society they just keep on bringing out new rules.

Maybe fines should only be levied for persistent offenders not first time offenders, but then the stealth tax revenue would suffer.

No wonder fake identities are a thing these days. Looks like we all need one for a more peaceful life. That or all change our names to Spartacus by deed poll.

[woohoo]

I've just had one from the NHS. Penalty charge for not paying for a prescription of £100 + the original prescription amount.

I pay yearly for a subscription thing, done this for years. So possible that there has been a mix up. Anyway, if there has been a mix up and its my fault then I would be happy to pay for the original prescription but a £100 penalty.

[DimPrawn]

I've just had one from the NHS. Penalty charge for not paying for a prescription of £100 + the original prescription amount.

I pay yearly for a subscription thing, done this for years. So possible that there has been a mix up. Anyway, if there has been a mix up and its my fault then I would be happy to pay for the original prescription but a £100 penalty.

Look like you just have to challenge the penalty.

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/penalty-ch...enalty-charges

[BoredBloke]

My wife has just had a parking ticket for parking at MRI when she went to she regular renal appointment. When she got to the car park, the machines were not working and the barriers were up. So she assumed (wrongly it seems) that she was allowed to just drive off. She said there didn't appear to be anybody around to pay/deal with parking issues

[OwlHoot]

Aye, in a rule based society they just keep on bringing out new rules. ..

"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" ( "The more corrupt the state, the more profuse the laws" )

-- Cornelius Tacitus

[woohoo]

Look like you just have to challenge the penalty.

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/penalty-ch...enalty-charges

Yep in the process of doing this.

Another, moan but a sign of the times is that the misses went to the hospital, she could only pay for a max of 2 hours, i think.

Of course, the consultant wanted to do more tests, now she was in the hospital waiting for the consultant, she could not just walk out and pay for 2 hours more.

So, then the misses gets a penalty of x pounds. She called the hospital and they then direct her to the company looking after the car park. Apparently, it's nothing to do with them.

The car park company don't take phone calls, you have to write to them and yep you get the bog standard rejection letter.

You can't reasonably do anything else. It's a tax as simple as that.

[vetran]

Yep in the process of doing this.

Another, moan but a sign of the times is that the misses went to the hospital, she could only pay for a max of 2 hours, i think.

Of course, the consultant wanted to do more tests, now she was in the hospital waiting for the consultant, she could not just walk out and pay for 2 hours more.

So, then the misses gets a penalty of x pounds. She called the hospital and they then direct her to the company looking after the car park. Apparently, it's nothing to do with them.

The car park company don't take phone calls, you have to write to them and yep you get the bog standard rejection letter.

You can't reasonably do anything else. It's a tax as simple as that.

This is what your local MP / Councillor of whatever flavour is for!

use em & abuse them.

[Lance]

It's a tax as simple as that.

Yep.

Maybe when they put income tax up to 30% and enforce IR35 type rules on all PSCs then you can park (and speed) for free.

[BR14]

"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" ( "The more corrupt the state, the more profuse the laws" )

-- Cornelius Tacitus

that's switzerland fecked then. you can't even wash your clothes on sundays - oh, and germany,
regulations for everything