Man says ChatGPT helped him win three-year parking fine dispute

Rafal Gorfal says he used ChatGPT to help contest a parking fine that began with a £100 penalty in August 2023 and ended with the case being dropped in September. The dispute lasted about three years.

Gorfal, originally from Essex, was fined after parking in a pay-and-display car park in Newquay. He said a queue at the payment machine delayed him, and that the machine accepted cash only. He then downloaded RingGo to pay by phone. The penalty notice said he had paid 16 minutes after entering the car park.

Gorfal appealed to Smart Parking Limited, but said he heard nothing until January 2024, when a debt collection letter listed the amount as £170. After months of exchanges with debt collectors, the case was put on hold. A later letter said it would go to court in October 2026.

He said he entered the letters into ChatGPT and asked what to do. He also contacted Citizens Advice, but described ChatGPT’s help as more effective. Gorfal said the fine had risen to roughly £300 by the time a court order was issued. On September 25, weeks before the planned court appearance, he received an email saying the case and fine had been dropped.

Smart Parking Limited had not commented on the dispute, according to the source. The account of ChatGPT’s role and the events is attributed to Gorfal and the reporting source.