Skip to main content

Posts

ASK TONY: Why did my £25 parking fine turn into £110 penalty?

18 View comments On October 27 last year, my wife and I parked in Didcot, Oxon. We were distracted by our two grandsons, aged seven and ten, and forgot to buy a parking ticket. We returned to find a penalty notice attached to the car. I filled in the form and sent a cheque by post on October 29 for £25, the full amount. But on January 25 this year, I received a penalty demand of £110 with a notice saying: ‘This parking charge has not been paid.’ I checked my bank accounts to find the cheque had not been cashed until December  1, 2011. When I phoned, I was told if I did not pay I would be chased for additional charges. In the end, I agreed to pay £85 by debit card to end the matter. I feel extremely aggrieved and have written to the company that collected the money, Parking Collection Services, to no avail. D.L., Chalgrove, Oxon. I, too, would be pretty fed up in your position. You paid your fine on time and for whatever reason the cheque was not cashed for more than a

Top 10 cheapest countries in the world for petrol 2012

456 shares 158 View comments Petrol prices in Britain remain a consistent sore talking point for motorists - it’s not surprising considering costs have almost doubled in the last 10 years. According to AA figures, the average litre of unleaded in Britain in August 2002 was 74.8p. This has rocketed to 135.52p this month. At the same time, Brent Crude oil prices have risen from an average of $28 to more than $113 now. Filling up the tank is squeezing motorists' finances more than ever and any further rises in petrol costs could price them off the roads completely.  Petrol power: The majority of the top ten places for cheapest fuel are unsurprisingly in Arab-rich oil producing countries Back in April, we revealed Britain was the seventh most expensive country in the world for petrol. It was beaten into first place comprehensively by Norway, where the average litre of petrol was 164p, while Turkey, Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Denmark also had higher prices th

Can insurance comparisons put a dent in your credit file?

7 shares 5 View comments Enlarge   Dented: Can doing a car insurance comparison harm your credit file? One This is Money reader found searches despite not applying for credit. Shopping around for the best value insurance quote on comparison websites has become common practice for millions of people looking to save money on their bills. But what some people who use comparison websites don’t know is that insurers who are carrying out quote searches could end up leaving a footprint on their credit records. One This is Money reader contacted us via e-mail saying they had used comparison website confused.com to carry out a car insurance quote search in April 2012. He turned to the website after the renewal quote he received was higher than expected. He eventually decided to take out a policy from Admiral and paid for full cover without any credit facility required - another happy comparison website user. However, a couple of months later he checked his credit

Pothole payout won by father for army pilot son in Afghanistan

27 shares 17 View comments Gearing up for a tour of duty in Afghanistan left Army helicopter pilot David Floyd no time to fight a claim for damage to his car after he hit a big pothole on a country lane. As he went off to tackle the Taliban, his father Howard went into battle with Hampshire County Council to claim compensation for the wheel damage to his BMW 3 Series car. David, 23, hit the hole on a blind bend last August. Howard claimed compensation because the road had not been checked for potholes for at least six months. Hampshire County Council paid the £857 garage bill for a new wheel within three months. Pilot David Floyd in Afghanistan (left) and his father Howard (right) measuring the pothole where the car was damaged Howard, 60, of Kimpton, Hampshire, who also used to be a military helicopter pilot but is now retired, says:  ‘The money was not the biggest concern – it was the road safety. ‘Had a motorcyclist hit that crater, the rider could easily ha

Why a million people fail to report a car accident to their insurer

40 shares 24 View comments More than one million people are driving damaged cars because they are scared of being hit with a steep premium hike if they report a prang to their insurer. Drivers have become desperate to keep insurers in the dark about accidents, so are increasingly paying for repairs themselves or failing to get them fixed at all. Figures from car cover specialists Accident Exchange show the extent to which drivers are worried about the serious financial consequences of being involved in a shunt — even if it was not their fault. Hit and miss: Drivers are worried about the serious financial consequences of being involved in a shunt Thousands have been hit with sharp rises in their premiums after telling their insurer about a crash. For a driver with a £500 excess suffering damage caused by a parking bump or lower-speed accident, it is often cheaper to pay for the claim out of their own pocket rather than pay the excess and face a bigger bill from th

Insurers pledge to cut premiums by £360 if young drivers face tough new rules

9 shares 8 View comments Young drivers face spending a minimum of one year learning behind the wheel before they can pass their test under radical new plans laid out by insurers - but would benefit from cheaper cover. As well as a one-year learning period, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) wants drivers to have limits on the number of passengers and restrictions on night time driving for an initial period after passing the test – while the learning age limit may be lowered to 16 to give motorists 'sufficient experience' before hitting the road. The body, which represents insurers, also wants a zero blood alcohol driving limit for an initial period after a young person passes their driving test. Radical changes: Young drivers could see some major shake-ups afoot as the Government mulls over ideas The plans come after the Government announced yesterday that it is to publish a Green Paper on young driver safety in the coming weeks, which will consid

Warning over ¿black box¿ car insurance costs with up to £90 fees to remove technology

5 View comments Drivers hoping to reduce their insurance costs by installing a little black box in their car need to watch out for fees of up to £90 if they later want it removed. When you sign up to black box insurance, a specialist fits a computer the size of a smartphone under your dashboard. This uses telematics technology to track your driving habits. On the box: Increasing numbers of motorists ¿ particularly young drivers and women ¿ have turned to black box insurance in recent months The idea is that you are rewarded for driving safely. If you speed, brake suddenly or regularly drive at night, you are likely to see an increase in your premiums.   More... Make young learn for a year and only drive in the day: Insurers pledge to cut premiums by £360 if young drivers face tough new rules How to get the cheapest car insurance: Ten tips for cheaper car cover How younger drivers can beat the car insurance trap - and even drive a more exciting car Find a cheaper c