philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Hate Parking Tickets? Fixed Fights Them In Court For You

[Philip Lelyveld comment: this exploits an inefficiency in the manual parking ticket appeals process.  In a sense it is making money through statistical analysis - the Moneyball technique.  What other mass-market fines could be subject to this approach?]

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign-up for Fixed (currently in a small beta trial in San Francisco) and enter your credit card details.
2. Come back to your car, find a parking ticket you think was unfairly issued, take a photo of it with Fixed, and type in the violation number.
3. Fixed looks up the violation type, tells you the probability of getting that type dismissed, and prompts you to take photos as evidence.
4. If the ticket is for street cleaning, you might be prompted to take a photo of a missing street cleaning times sign. If it’s a “red curb” violation, you might be asked to photograph the faded curb paint. Fixed supplements the evidence with data like when the curb was supposed to be repainted, or whether the street was actually steep enough to warrant a “wheels not curbed” ticket.
5. Fixed prepares a “contest letter” to fight the ticket, has you digitally sign it, mails it on your behalf, and takes care of all correspondence with the court.
6. If Fixed gets your ticket dismissed, you pay it 25 percent of what the ticket would have cost. If it loses, you pay the ticket like normal but pay Fixed nothing.

Read the full story here: http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/15/fight-parking-ticket-fixed/?ncid=tcdaily