This Is Money: How to battle unfair charges from private parking firms… and win

In recent times, private parking firms have come under scrutiny from motoring organisations, the Government… and This is Money. Many motorists will have received a dreaded charge in the post and in some cases, unjustifiably so. If that’s you, it’s time to fight back. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce take a look at whether private parking firms are playing fair. It comes as Lee received a third private parking charge in the post in four years, and for the third time appealed and had it magically cancelled. He explains his case and questions how he was issued the charge despite paying the correct amount and displaying the paid-for ticket in the windscreen. Also, is it fair to remove parking machines and replace them with apps? Halifax has been embroiled in a Twitter storm this week when it comes to pronouns and its bank branches – but what about the move to reduce new build deposits from 10% to 5%? Is it good news for first-time buyers? The energy price cap is set to surge to around £3,000 in October. Is it wise to try and find a fix with your supplier? Also, Simon explains why five FTSE-100 firms have seen their share price fall more than 40% since the start of the year, including Ocado and Royal Mail. And lastly, This is Money business doctor Dave Fishwick answers the question on many small business owner’s lips: how do I pass on price increases without annoying the loyal customer base?