The other thing to watch out for is if the anti-fraud measures at your credit card company trigger an alert.

I've been told a few times that small value transactions are sometimes used by criminals to test card details. If the payment doesn't work (perhaps because the card has already been reported stolen) then they abandon that one. If it does work, then they can try larger amounts.

Some card companies will suspend or even cancel your card if they suspect fraudulent transactions, which can obviously cause you all kinds of grief. Others will simply phone you straight away, "take you through security" and ask if that 1p you spent on RingGo was actually your transaction or not.

Obviously, be very careful to ensure that the card company that calls you is actually your card company - and not a fraudster.

I am confused. Parking in Sainsburys is free. You input two letter of your reg and get a ticket. If the machine doesnt work you go to the other one. If that is out of order you dont pay.

Walking to the other machine (unless you are disabled (and you would then have a permit)) is hardly strenuous.

You dont need to pay by phone as this discriminates or excludes people who do not have one.

If you get a ticket then go online and fight it. Aggravating yes, but hardly difficult.

Carry on moaning about it and I am sure the council will say s*d it, and start charging so bye bye free parking (and yes, I know they had an agreement to give free parking but I am pretty sure that was only for a limited time).

That's the problem, Londondrz. The official sign on the machine says (and I write this through gritted teeth, if you know what I mean) that if the machine is out of order, pay at the other machine or use RingGo. I didn't notice that at the time - I just saw the crappy scribbled notice (at which point I assumed the other machine was also not working).

The question is, how much time and effort are you prepared to put in to fight to avoid a 1p parking charge in a free car park? As annoyed as this makes me, even I have my limits.

I find it a pita as well but life is full of shoot like this. I downloaded the Ringo app. Really easy to use. Obviously doesnt help if you have no phone.

Next time take a couple of those really heavy duty rubble sacks and some duct tape and put a bag over the machines and tape them up. Only if not working of course.

I have to say, the two scooter wardens are fairly good in my experience. I had this issue a good while ago and one of them went and got a ticket from the other machine for me.