Warburtontollbridge Omdömen 

I have just paid the £31 penalty charge solely to avoid the automated escalation of debt recovery costs, not because I believe this process is fair or justified. The management of the new tolling system at the Rixton and Warburton Toll Bridge (operated by Excel Parking Services on behalf of The Manchester Ship Canal Company) is a textbook example of penalising drivers for glaring infrastructural flaws.

As a driver unfamiliar with this specific crossing, I drove over the bridge at night during light showers. Following the removal of the physical toll booths—which naturally signalled the requirement to stop and pay—the current signage and payment instructions are completely inadequate and virtually invisible in such conditions. Unlike professionally managed systems such as the Dart Charge or the Mersey Gateway, where signage is large, illuminated, and impossible to miss, here drivers are expected to spot small, unlit signs in the dark.

Forcing drivers to search for payment instructions at night and in poor weather requires taking one's eyes off the road, creating a real and unnecessary hazard to road safety. Unfortunately, driver safety is clearly of no concern to this operator. In my appeal, I explicitly detailed the poor weather conditions, the lack of visibility, and the resulting safety risks. These arguments were entirely ignored. Instead, I received a soulless, template-generated response that immediately shut down the appeals process as "final", with absolutely no meaningful consideration of my valid points.

This is not a transparent system designed to seamlessly collect a £1 toll; it operates as an aggressive trap engineered to maximise penalty revenues from disoriented travellers. There is zero clarity, zero flexibility, and zero human element in their appeals process. I strongly advise everyone to avoid this crossing at all costs.

A £1 toll escalated into a demand for £176.

As a driver unfamiliar with the area, I did not consider the signage sufficiently clear about the requirement to pay online by midnight the following day. I submitted a detailed appeal explaining the signage problems, but the response simply stated that the signs were clear and did not address the individual points I raised.

The appeal rejection went into my spam folder. When I later received a £176 demand from DCBL, I disputed the debt and requested the evidence relied upon, photographs of the signs and an explanation of the additional £75 recovery charge.

DCBL acknowledged that the debt was disputed but said it would not become involved and would continue acting on its client’s instructions. The Warburton Toll Bridge team did not meaningfully respond and appeared to leave everything to the debt collection company.

I eventually paid to avoid further expense and the stress of possible court proceedings—not because I considered the process fair.

My complaint is not simply that I missed a £1 payment. It is about inadequate communication, a generic appeal rejection, the escalation of £1 to £176, the lack of an accessible independent review and the bridge operator’s failure to take responsibility once the matter was disputed.

Based on my experience, I consider the complaint and recovery process disproportionate, dismissive and extremely stressful.

As many reviews on this site also received a fine for non payment of £1. I don't know the area and whilst sat nav told me it was a toll i didn't see any signs. Looking on facebook a picture shows toll sign but writing so small obviously not readable by driver concentrating on road. Obviously set up to scam motorists out of £30 instead of nominal £1. These people are just set up to rob you as penalties increase the later you pay!

I've just had the pleasure of paying a £31 fine for unpaid toll charge. I don't know that part of the world, have never heard of this bridge before and had no idea I was driving along a toll road because I saw no signage to tell me so. But then why would they put signage up when they've got such a lucrative scam going. I hope they enjoy my £31, maybe they'll buy a bottle of something and have a laugh about it. I'll do the same and damn their impudence.

£1 missed Warburton Toll Bridge payment escalated to £31

I crossed Warburton Toll Bridge on 2 September 2026 and accept that I missed the online £1 payment deadline. It wasn’t deliberate.

When the notice arrived, I appealed honestly, explained that it was a first-time mistake and offered to pay the original £1 immediately. My appeal has now been rejected with a standard response confirming only that no payment was recorded.

I must now pay £31, rising to £61 and then £101 if it remains unpaid.

In my opinion, adding a £30 charge to a missed £1 toll—a 3,000% surcharge—and refusing any discretion for an honest first-time mistake is grossly disproportionate and exploitative.

I’m posting to warn other motorists: payment must be made online by midnight the day after crossing. Set a reminder and keep proof of payment.

I would understand a reasonable administration charge, but this level of escalation and complete lack of discretion is unacceptable.

Dishonest operators , i forget to pay for a return crossing, received a late payment penalty of £31 which i paid immediately. Month later received a bailiff letter for £176 as the £31 original penalty was for crossing one way but not the return journey !! I never received a £31 late notice for the return journey.
Avoid this bridge if you can , a money making scam .

What happened to the little payment box where you could simply pay the toll at the bridge? This new system seems unnecessarily complicated and leaves genuine customers facing substantial charges for simple mistakes.

I own two vehicles and accidentally entered the registration of my other vehicle. The £1 toll WAS paid and I have proof of payment. This was a genuine error, not an attempt to avoid paying a £1 toll.

Yet, surprise surprise, my appeal has been rejected and you now want £31 for a £1 toll that I actually paid.

I’d genuinely rather take the long way round and never use Warburton Bridge again than risk being charged £30+ because of an innocent registration mistake. It hardly feels like a fair or proportionate way to treat people who have actually paid. Thieves the lot of you! Karma hey! It’s a funny thing!

Went over on 29.5.26 Tried to pay on the day but the app so bad couldn’t - meant to try again later but admit I forgot so got a UTC letter to pay £31 by 17.826 - paid on the 6.8.26 as I had forgot. This week recieved a Debt collection letter for £176!!! Contacted them straight away with receipt of payment apparently not adequate and toll bridge have advised we still need to pay and if we don’t we get a CCJ! So contacted bridge directly they can’t do anything because it’s in hands of debt collection - WTAF!!!

They are absolutely scum use to pay 12p now a £1 fined £30 registered vehicle on the day with blue badge still fined me tried to contact them but no phone number had to pay it they are a disgrace another money racket set up

Absolute robbery. I have had to pay a fine twice now of 30 pounds. Just keep getting notices with threatening to up the fines. No chance to talk to anyone to get a proper understanding of why I got it. I had proof of one coming out of my ban account I had payed but because I had a already tried to argue another fine it would not let me do it again. Surely they cannot keep doing this. Just looking at these complaints I can see they are making a bundle. Corrupt parking fee collectors. No better then the way the mafia started out in asking for protection money. Somebody needs to STOP this collection robbery company.

Nice earner for someone …..find a bridge …..warn the driver of a toll in micro font text…….don’t use number plate recognition to charge for the toll…..do use number plate recognition to fine someone driving over the bridge…….how much Road tax do we have to pay to get from A to B without being fined ??…….avoid the area like the plague !!

The business model is to shake drivers down with escalating fines and threats of legal action if you don't cough up.
There are no easy options for paying as you go and no signs warning of a toll bridge or how to avoid them.
They treat "there and back" as separate journeys so if you appeal one, they'll drag their feet responding till you've racked up the next level's fine.
They are nothing but thieves and I have never despised a worse bunch of parasites in my life. Awful to deal with, rotten and ruthless all the way.
Find another route and starve them!

Has anyone ever refused to pay the money and see whether there are consequences for not paying? Cos this feels like a scam to me! Only if the government is also part of this scheme

Crossed the bridge.....never went to that area before and not noticed the signs....I own 10K van...even vmvad with new technology I outdoor pay stupid £1 if I knew that it need to pay.
Looks like money making scheme by council or owner/s.
I would like to know...who owns the bridge and should fills pocket with UTCN charges????
Please make a counter there to charge a pound or finish the toll instead of coming up charge of £31...£61....£101.....that 1 pound on top is the toll.....rest is fine sent me by a letter if I do not pay....ridiculous

Warburton, as the operator of this bridge, is this genuinely how you want this enforcement regime to operate?

I have used the bridge numerous times and have always paid the £1 toll within the required timeframe. On this occasion I genuinely forgot to pay, but realised a few days later and immediately paid the £1 toll, way before receiving any notice.

Despite this, I have now received a £30 UTCN, with the £1 payment apparently not being allocated to the crossing in question.

I accept that I missed the stated deadline, but surely there should be some discretion where someone has a good payment history, pays the toll voluntarily only a few days late, and does so before any enforcement notice is received? That is the framework of a reasonable system.

The appeals process is managed by Excel Parking Services, so I have little expectation that the charge will be waived. It does, however, raise the question of whether this is genuinely the enforcement regime Warburton wants to operate for a £1 toll.

The system may be compliant with the strict rules it sets, but that doesn't necessarily make it fair or proportionate. I also find it difficult to understand why Warburton would choose to associate itself with Excel Parking Services and then simply say that “all matters are dealt with by them”, as though that absolves Warburton of responsibility for how its enforcement regime operates.

Went on a day out with the kids and didnt even know about any toll bridge until nearly 3 months after we visited to say we had a fine and must pay! Was 2 of us in the car and we never saw any sign at all. If we did we would have paid the stupid pound what a joke! Now they are refusing the appeal and demanding payment of £31 then it will jump up! What scammers these are! Must be rinsing everyone absolute joke!!!

I was lost at the time I used the bridge, I’ve never crossed there before and didn’t see the sign, seems similar in reviews on here, you need to make it clear!!! Ridiculous and unfair

Total scumbags. Paid the fee a couple of hours late. 3 weeks later a fine comes through the post. Need less to say impossible to speak to anyone, the appeals process will just see you get an autometed computer-says-no reply. These companies are a law unto themselves. I hope they have long and painful deaths.

A letter was set to collect the £1 plus the £30 charge for missing the payment in June for a crossing in February. I appealed and lost this appeal.
I then paid but the payment didn't process, which I was not aware of.
missed payment has meant a debt collector asking for £176.
No further messages from Warburton, they must believe that customers want to park with more cash as why now....
I've used their on line message service and it is serviced by a robot only.
Where is all there money going if they can't have a human to support.

I'm so up set as an innocent error has resulted in over a 500% increase in the fine and Toll, wow.

This company are scam artists no wonder you can't actually speak to anyone because all they would get is upset people calling them.. what a fabulous way to make money. Reiterate what others say SCUMBAGS.