Popla Omdömen 

Zero Stars
A fake appeals service, totally uninterested in fairness or indeed honesty.
They are funded by the car parking industry and look after their interests.
If people take the time to Appeal then the 'penalty' charge will increase to £100 so they make an extra £50 per Appeal.
They do not answer questions, they do not allow FOI, they are entirely unregulated. They also produce their own so called 'code of practice'.
I have complained but will not even get any answers,
So, no answers as usual.

I appealed a PCN issued in error by parking eye, as I’d paid the parking fee prior to leaving the car park at Llandudno.
POPLA responded to my appeal by deeming it to be unsuccessful, despite parking eye acknowledging that I’d paid. Claiming that I had not paid enough! Maybe they’re unaware that it’s their machines that determine and advise the amount to pay.
POPLA, in their report even state that parking eye have a admitted that I’ve paid and wrote
“The operator has also provided evidence from its online transaction report which confirms the appellant paid for three hours of parking time. As the vehicle remained on site for an additional two hours and 26 minutes beyond the free parking period, the appellant was required to pay £6.00 which is sufficient for up to three hours of parking.“
This decision raises questions about POPLA’s impartiality and competence. Indeed, it brings the entire appeals process into disrepute.
Looks like I’ll have to go to court.

Yes agree with all the ones before me! This company is bias and ignores facts! Pretty sure they get a % or something in return there no way on earth that you say that the company couldn’t locate the payment! After i send them proof from the bank! I am sorry but why that is my fault and then leaning towards the big off course ! Oh yeah I forgot you get juicy bonus probably! Scammers! I realy hope that one day karma will get you! You deserve it!

No use whatsoever if you have a hire car.
POPLA chooses not to consider appeals where the penalty has already been paid.
In the case of hire cars, ALL hire companies pay up straight away, so the hirer has zero ability to be able to appeal the fine which is automatically taken. (From your card as the hire customer).
Not much protection from aggressive parking companies for the consumer if they have a hire car.

As I said ....Popla of no use if you're in a hire car.

Post POPLA response: as you can see they're actually not disputing what I said

POPLA's decision-making process is heavily weighted in favour of parking operators.

In my case, the assessor accepted that I was a genuine customer, that the venue was exceptionally busy, and that I had provided my vehicle registration details to staff after being told I would need additional parking time. Despite this, the appeal was rejected because the parking operator's records did not show an exemption.

The core issue was never properly addressed. If a customer follows the instructions given on site and the business fails to pass on the information, that should not automatically become the customer's responsibility.

The decision relied on technical compliance rather than a fair assessment of the evidence and circumstances presented.

No wonder POPLA has a terrible record on Trust Pilot

3055461411259
Above penlty charge was wrong and who responded she did not check everything because I did not park in the restricted parking space .
I did park in the main Road to help a pedestrian.
I did ask to provide me evidence however they did not provide me
POPLA Reference:
19 June 2026
Reference no:3055461411259
Vehicle reg: WM71
popla reference no:8651706320

POPLA is not worth the paper it’s written on

We appealed to POPLA over what, in my view, should have been a slam-dunk case — and they found in favour of the parking company. TWICE.

We had the physical parking ticket. It showed the correct date, time, amount paid and even the number of the machine we used. We left before the ticket expired. We also provided bank evidence showing that the £4 payment had left our account.

So how did a £4 parking ticket end up costing us £170?

Because the machine didn’t print our vehicle registration number on the ticket.

That was it.

Because the registration wasn’t printed, the parking company claimed our vehicle wasn’t recorded on its system. Despite us producing the actual ticket AND proof of payment, POPLA refused to accept that this could have been a machine or system error and found in the parking company’s favour — twice.

What more could we realistically have provided? We proved we paid. We proved when we paid. We proved how much we paid. We proved which machine issued the ticket. We still had the physical ticket. We left within the paid-for period.

A quick search also shows reports from other motorists describing problems at this car park involving registration numbers being printed incorrectly, partially or apparently not at all.

Yet somehow the motorist is held responsible when the machine fails to record or print the registration correctly.

We have now reluctantly paid £170 to bring the matter to an end, although I’m seriously considering taking this further on principle.

If this is what an “independent” appeals service considers a fair assessment of the evidence, I have very little confidence in the protection POPLA supposedly provides motorists.

I always try to see the good in people and organisations but have to admit I am struggling with this one. Several weeks after contacting POPLA, I was sent an email stating my appeal was ‘unsuccessful’. The report made no reference to anything I had said explaining the circumstances; it just repeated what the parking company had said previously. All references to myself were disparaging whilst all references to the parking company were congratulatory. The language used was unpleasant; it felt as if I was on trial for a crime, rather than trying to discuss a £5 parking fee! Try as I might, I cannot see that this was an independent review. I am now in a position where I will have to pay an outrageously inflated parking fee, or battle the matter in court, which will cause several more months of stress. How on earth have I ended up in this position when I have done absolutely nothing wrong??!!
NOTE TO POPLA: Please don’t give the standard lie in response to this review (saying you are sorry I have not had a positive experience when you clearly are not sorry as you are the author of this outcome) and stating that you only look at the contractual position. Instead, tell me what I should have done. The machines did not work and the telephone payment facility did not work (I provided evidence of multiple attempts). What should I have done? Or was I damned from the moment I drove into the car park?

AWFUL COMPANY — AVOID

Awful people. I appealed a parking charge that was issued because I made a genuine mistake with one letter of my vehicle registration when paying for my parking.

They reviewed my appeal and acknowledged that I was a genuine customer and had actually paid for my parking, yet they still decided to uphold the charge.

If they can see that the payment was made and that the incorrect registration was clearly just a genuine human error, I cannot understand why they feel it is reasonable to continue pursuing the charge.

Absolutely awful customer service and completely unreasonable.

AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS.

Don't bother with the appeals process. No matter how much evidence or how many valid points you raise, POPLA seems determined to side with the parking company.
It's hardly surprising when POPLA is funded through the British Parking Association, which represents the parking industry. Calling it "independent" is questionable when the industry ultimately funds the appeals system.
Where is the fairness and transparency for the consumer? Motorists are expected to have confidence in an appeals process that has financial links to the very industry it is supposed to scrutinise. Even if POPLA says its adjudicators are independent, there is still a clear question over whether the system is genuinely impartial and whether consumers are being treated fairly.
The lack of transparency around how the funding works and the relationship between POPLA, the BPA and parking companies does little to reassure motorists. The consumer has no choice but to use the system provided, while the parking industry has an established financial relationship with it.
A genuinely independent appeals service should be completely separate from the parking industry, transparent about its funding and structured so there can be no reasonable perception that the interests of the industry are being protected over the consumer.
At the end of the day, consumers deserve a fair and transparent appeals process — not one where they are left questioning whether the system is truly independent.

This company popla is not independent tribunal and as far as I am concerned they are hand in hand these private car parking companys, So it's off to court for me with my paid receipt for the car parking, They take the word of a car parking management company over the word of a customer that a machine was working when it certainly was not, This is a disgraceful excuse of a so Independent Tribunal service,This service need a independent tribunal investigating them as there decisions are not Neutral. A weak reply in your defence, It's not the first time I have gone to a tribunal, I am not wet behind the ears, your services needs investigating as you are making a decisions on hear say from a company and not looking at paid receipts as proof of payment,I am questioning your services as one sided service, Your rating is 1 on trustpilot, How long is it going to take before your services are questioned over your decisions and fairness of a independent decision.

POPLA only defends the parking industry. I was fined by Parkmaven. I had paid, but their machine didn't provide receipts. I sent them a screenshot of my credit card account showing the payment, but this was rejected as insufficient evidence. POPLA were just as bad: though the charge was that I had not paid at all, which was clearly wrong, POPLA said the screenshot was not enough to prove I had paid the right amount. That was not the basis of the fine, and it would have been easy to check from the tariff. The parking industry is a cartel of crooks and POPLA are in their pay.

Car park payment was made on Ringo. The Ringo App was clearly indicated. The signage also indicated a PayByPhone App. The Ringo payment was accepted by GPS for the car park using its unique code and stating the name of the carpark but only the PayByPhone code was printed on the carparks sign. As we had not paid by PayByPhone the appeal against the charge was rejected by POPLA. They used the excuse that as I am the Keeper and driver of the car but the payment was made by my wife my appeal was also rejected!!!!! The evidence was absolutely clear that the mistake was that of Eurocarparks. Should I pay the fine??? I have absolutely no faith in POPLA and assume that they are biased towards the parking company.

I was parked on site WHERE I WORKED FOR OVER A YEAR. Never received a parking ticket and then received 4 at the same time towards the end of my working time there. As I had left employment by the time the tickets came through I could not go through the usual process and had to go through Popla. After explaining what had happened clearly and provided the evidence of the fact I had permission to park there they rejected all 4 of them with a stock basic answer with no real reason. I am appalled by the service i received from Popla. It is clear they are hand in hand with the parking fines. Do not waste your time with this. I had clear evidence of having permission and they still refused. This company is an embarrassment and should be investigated. I would like to see how this company is run.

This organisation are not behaving as an independent organisation should behave. They make decisions to the benefit of the dodgy parking companies.
In my case I didn't enter a car park at all, nor did I park my car, but was deemed to have as I was on hospital grounds for 35 minutes, waiting around, this isn't even accurate. What an utter load of tosh, and completely pointless exercise appealing to these people.
Independent, no chance. Needs closing down. Letter to my Member of Parliament next, see if they can get through.

Extra, In response to the comment from Popla.
I didn't park, which part of that don't you understand Popla? I didn't enter any car park, nor did I park in a parking bay anywhere. You agaim prove that you pay no attention to what the driver says. What an appalling organisation you are!!

Utterly useless organisation. I am furious because I genuinely thought they would show some vague interest in my case - but clearly it’s yet another “independent” organisation that’s totally out of its depth.
I send a detailed case on some crook parking companies, the parking company reply back with evidence, I comment on why their evidence is shady… the reply from popla? We can’t comment on new evidence? So what exactly is the point? If a parking company is sending over their evidence that I can disprove, but popla can’t use my comments, what’s even the point of popla? Don’t waste your time. Dreadful

I lost my appeal as I stated that the signs about charging were not visable from the side I came in on and sent photos clearly showing this, it was ignored as i used google street view. This is wrong as its the same view as now clearly showing no signs why was i not informed to visit to take photos as up to date map view is not acceptable how stupid.
I do not believe they are a neutral as state

For a parking fine at Aldi even though I definitely put in my reg and had proof of my shopping which they said would be absolutely efficient evidence to cancel the fine. Gone through the appeal sending every bit of evidence needed and today get told they reject it and I still have to pay. Both parking eye and POPLA are
Companies making alot of money even when you provide evidence. Has anyone taken these to court?

I wish I could give POPLA zero stars. I went into the process believing it was an independent appeals service, but the outcome received was so heavily skewed in favour of the BPA operator that it would be laughable if it weren’t so serious.

The assessor ignored key evidence, accepted the operator’s assertions without scrutiny, and even made factual assumptions that were never supported by the operator’s own documents. The most astonishing part came afterwards: in response to my formal complaint, POPLA admitted that the operator had not proved they held written landowner authority — a mandatory requirement under the BPA Code of Practice. Despite this, POPLA simply assumed the operator must have consent anyway. That alone tells you everything you need to know about the direction of their bias.

Other issues raised were skipped over with no real engagement with the evidence submitted. The whole process felt predetermined, as though POPLA’s role is to rubber‑stamp operator PCNs rather than genuinely assess their validity.

If you’re expecting an impartial, evidence‑based review, prepare to be disappointed. POPLA may claim independence, but my experience shows a system that consistently defaults to the operator’s narrative, even when the operator fails to meet the most basic evidential requirements.

**UPDATE** POPLA has just replied to a complaint stating "the assessor should have explained this within his rationale and I am disappointed that was not discussed". This review should not be characterised as disagreement with the outcome but of the process.

Agree with all the other comments , waste of time appealing through POPLA. My experience recently was parking at Britania west quay Southampton . I arrived and wanted to pay for 2 hours parking but the machine only let me pay until 8 pm which I paid , ( I arrived at 630pm) the signs said from 8 pm , 1 hour was free and after that an evening tariff was needed. I arrived back at 830pm. Then get a parking ticket for £60. The signs were incorrect and I have heard of 100s of other people getting a fine for the exact same situation. It's been highlighted by trading standards and in all the local papers. They have since had to change their signs as there were so many complaints about them. Many people are now trying to complain and have the fines they have paid refunded.

Despite this I received an email from popla today saying my appeal had been declined and I now have to pay the higher fee of £100.
It's disgraceful and if I don't pay I will no doubt get letters threatening me with court and an escalating parking fines.
POPLA have not looked at my case at all I sent in clear photos of the signs saying 1 hour free from 8 pm ( nothing about this not being the case if you were arriving earlier than this with a paid ticket) and the parking ticket I was able to buy until 8 pm. The signs have since been changed , this in itself and the 100s of other people who have received tickets in the same situation proofs that the signs were incorrect and definitely not clear, and investigations by trading standards and yet POPLA have still said I need to pay this fine.