Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about problems the complainant has experienced when using a parking payment app/system. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Ms X, complains about the parking payment system/app the Council has contracted to facilitate payment for parking. Ms X says the system is inadequate and the company does not test all makes of phone or provide proper diagnostic support.

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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 impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Ms X. This includes the complaint correspondence. I also considered our Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Ms X had problems booking a parking session while abroad. She has also experienced problems in the UK including logging-on issues and payment issues. Ms X thinks the problem is linked to the model of phone she uses. Ms X says the company does not test every model of phone and she says its systems do not provide adequate diagnostics when she gets an error message.
5. Ms X contacted the company who checked the app and offered advice. It confirmed it cannot test every available phone but said its IT team had not been able to identity any issue with her make of phone. It suggested options to Ms X and said she could also pay on-line or by phone.
6. Ms X complained to the Council. The Council checked with the company who found there were no known problems. The Council booked a parking session using the same type of phone as Ms X. It made suggestions to Ms X such as updating her password and contacting her bank to see if there are any issues with the payment card.
7. I appreciate the problems Ms X experiences are inconvenient and frustrating. However, I will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. The company, and the Council, responded appropriately by liaising with Ms X, checking the systems, trying to identify any issues and offering advice. I acknowledge Ms X may still have problems, but I have not seen any fault in the way the Council responded and there is nothing more I would have expected it to do.
8. We do not have expertise to work out if there are any technical issues with the app and there is not enough evidence of fault to ask the Council to investigate the technical functions of the system. Ms X may not be the only person to have faced some IT problems but, as far as I am aware, it is not an issue that has led to lots of complaints to us which suggests there is not a major issue which requires an investigation.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman