case studyprivate
VARS Technology Parking Charge Cancelled. ANPR Timing Defect
100 charge cancelled after ANPR timing discrepancy (camera clock 4 minutes slow) and late NTK. Keep parking receipts as independent timestamp evidence.
By Parking Mate UK
VARS Technology PCN Cancelled. Camera Clock Error
A motorist received a parking charge from VARS Technology for exceeding the maximum stay at a retail car park. The charge was £100. The motorist was confident they had not overstayed and checked the notice with Parking Mate AI.
What Parking Mate AI Found
- ANPR Timing Discrepancy The motorist had a payment receipt timestamped at 14:32. The ANPR exit photograph was timestamped at 14:28, four minutes before the receipt. This indicated the ANPR camera clock was running slow, which meant the recorded parking duration was inaccurate.
- Late NTK The Notice to Keeper arrived 15 days after the contravention, one day outside the POFA deadline.
The Result
The appeal highlighted both the unreliable ANPR timestamp and the late NTK. VARS Technology cancelled the charge.
Key Takeaways
- Always keep parking receipts. They provide an independent timestamp to compare against ANPR data.
- ANPR camera clocks can drift. A few minutes of inaccuracy can make the difference between a valid stay and an alleged overstay.
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