Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about being unable to contact the Council by email to report a faulty parking ticket machine. This is because the matter has not caused Mr X a significant personal injustice.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall call Mr X, complains he was unable to contact the Council by email to report a faulty parking ticket machine, and about the impact of this.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
3. We do not start an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X complained he was unable to contact the Council by email, to request a £2 refund, when he used a faulty parking ticket machine which failed to issue a ticket.
7. Mr X says this caused extensive delay in reporting the faulty machine. He made a 30 minute phone call to the Council which did not resolve the matter. He then wrote to the Council, the following day, to request a refund.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. This is because the matter complained about has not caused Mr X any significant personal injustice which is serious enough to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman