Manchester City Council Reviews 87

Extremely disappointing experience as visitors to Manchester.

During our stay near the city centre, my partner was issued a £150 fine after being unwell and experiencing a coughing fit. Despite explaining the situation, and even after the original notice was issued incorrectly due to “human error,” there was absolutely no empathy, discretion, or willingness to consider the circumstances.

The process was rigid, dismissive, and caused significant stress and financial strain on our family. We ultimately felt pressured into paying just to bring the situation to an end.

This experience has left a very negative impression of Manchester. As tourists, we did not feel treated fairly or reasonably, and based on this, we would not return or recommend visiting.

My friend rang to get some information. It was on speakerphone and I heard the entire conversation. My friend is disabled. He has bipolar so he talks differently. But according to Manchester city council records office he's annoying. His normal voice was falsely equated with shouting. When he explained that he speaks like that due to his disability In a calm manner, that explanation was classed as screaming down the phone. So she could escalate her lies. Because it was clear that she wanted him off the phone. She then started actually shouting at him and when he tried to equal her he had to ask to speak to a manager. The staff member took the Mick and kept refusing. The manager eventually came and flat out refused to investigate. And when he tried to get the name of the horrendous staff member an "Incident" was invented and the phone was then handed to someone else with no explanation. The new person knew nothing and refused the name of the person he wanted to complain about. And just before she hung up on him she said to a disabled man... "I hope you get better". To a disabled man. I hope you get better. Manchester city council, we hate the disabled. Sort it or abort it Burnham. Absolute disgrace. Your staff are anti disabled, and I'm sorry but they are utterly nasty. Nasty pieces of work. Who take the Mick out of disabled people to their faces. They did it to him. We heard them.

THIS IS BURNHAM'S MANCHESTER, ANTI DISABLED!

Just I want right to Manchester City council about rubbish service from EQUANS part of council
EQUANS sent me later appointment (9/4/2026)
EQUANS come to my house to gas safety but he’s broke my boiler not hot water and not hitting I have 4 children same day EQUANS Mack appointment for 13/04/2026 at 2 o’clock for 5 o’clock
But not come to appointment my house to cold not hitting
I don’t know who sort out my boiler
Serves rubbish
Work doggie
Work rubbish
Rubbish

Highly advise you not to use their parking services anywhere across Manchester. I paid over £13 to park in their Arndale car park. I paid using a machine on-site which rather than printing a ticket to be displayed, it sent an e-ticket, even though I hadnt provided an email to be sent to. I even double checked I had paid with the attendants, showed the payment on my bank statement there and then but then still received a ticket.

Their customer services is a joke. Rang up multiple times, sat on hold for ages to then get transferred to a unused line because they don't want to deal with the issue. I spoke to "Kashif" who got bored of my complaint and transferred me again to an unused line.

They make the appeals process unnecessarily difficult to try and make you pay & try and extort your personal details if you wish to make an appeal.

I went above and beyond to ensure I had paid but still not good enough for these scumbags. How this practise is legal I'll never understand.

Manchester City Council for you.

Absolute rubbish.Been living alone since June,last year.Keep trying to apply for a single adult discount for...forever.There is not even an email for them.Pointless,useless staff.Who says this mayor is such a legend need to rethink his decisions.Fuming!

Sold a property, paid off the council tax bill. Manchester City took the money but instructed a debt collecting ageny. The debt collevcting agency wont acvcept an email from me and manchester city council are impossible to contact. Its absolutely painfull

Little scroungers, lingering around cars, watching for less than a minute, ticketing them and running away. I got out to use a cash machine, no obstruction, slightly touching double yellows. Manchester is disgusting now and its 100% due to scroungy corporations like this one, I avoid the place like the plague.

The council tax system is a let down when people are already struggling, there are not enough agents to help with issues. When they say they will call back, they don't. They don't include all the numbers that people should call for help on the letters. If you have told an agent the website is down, they will still tell you to go on the website. If their service was helpful, maybe they wouldn't be getting so many complaints and calls.

I believe this charge has been issued unfairly and without proper consideration of the circumstances. The signage at the location was unclear/inadequate, and the terms and conditions were not sufficiently visible or understandable at the time of parking. As a result, I was not properly informed of any restrictions that would justify this charge.

Additionally, I find the amount being demanded to be disproportionate to the alleged breach. The handling of this matter has caused unnecessary stress and inconvenience.

Totally unprofessional team , not marks on parking no restrictions no barriers, they issues ticket for failure to park into correctly space for cars.

They not have knowledge about ;
●Traffic Regulation Order
●Confirmation of the bay’s compliance with TSRGD 2016.
●Bay’s compliance with TSRGD 2016

Appalling they do not empty bins for vulnerable neighbor of mine who struggles with this and I pushed the bin out and biffa refuse to empty it o have reported this to the council who are no help please rectify this and organize a collection to empty this due to their incompetence

I am extremely disappointed with the level of service and professionalism shown in relation to my booking at Stone Street Car Park, Manchester.
I made a confirmed advance booking for 29 December 2025 and paid £14.03 in good faith. Upon arrival, there were no parking spaces available, making it impossible to use the car park despite holding a valid booking.
What followed has been even more frustrating. I contacted Parking Services on 2 January 2026 to request a refund and received no response whatsoever. I later phoned the council to follow up, only to be told that they cannot find my booking or correspondence on their system, despite clear proof of payment and confirmation.
This demonstrates a serious lack of commitment to customers, poor record‑keeping, and complete disregard for resolving legitimate issues. Accepting payment for a service that is not delivered and then failing to respond or even acknowledge the booking is unacceptable.
I would strongly caution others against relying on this parking service if they expect reliability, transparency, or basic customer care. I am still pursuing a refund and should not have to expend this much time and effort to recover money for a service that was never provided.

Apparently Manchester council doesn't need to have signage up to enforce parking fines.

If you drive into Manchester you have to be a mind reader apparently.

Their 'proof of offence' actually shows the sign is missing from where it should be, but they decided they did no wrong and the fine stands.

Not much of a surprise coming from the same council that used to get CCJs issued for unpaid council tax against council tax exempt residents, then offer to make them go away for a small sum of several thousand pound.

Not one department is fit for purpose
Avoid dealing with them Completely

This housing service is terrible. I have been trying to get help to move for months but all there is barriers and no understanding or sympathy.
I and my son are victims of domestic abuse, we can't live in temporary accommodation such as a hotel or hostel because of sons age, mental health and autism.
Also I don't myself and my son to be put a further risk of abuse.
You ask for help from homeless team at the council but they don't care, after so many weeks your discarded.
I get help from womens aid charity but after a few weeks they discard you.
You try to register onto Manchester Move and you upload the documents then have to wait to be checked.
Theyre excepted and then after all the stress of waiting, your told by Wythenshawe housing, you can't go into band 2, even though you have a letter of assistance from the homeless team.
I have to go through my application and try to proof I and my son are victimsof abuse?
How do I proof that? I can't contact the police because it will make our situation worse. Why can't this housing service be more understanding and so empathy?
Why can't they make it more easy for victims of abuse?
Why can't you see a housing officer face to face?
Why do they want to put me and my son at risk of further abuse?
I just want a safe, decent home for both of us to live in and live a much better and happier life.
Surely we deserve that because we have suffered enough.

Bin men always operate with a smile on their face bus drives often smile and say 'thank you' whenever i say 'thank you driver'

Shambles of a council allowing crackheads, drunks and disturbed people to roam Piccadilly at will.
Open drug dealing, threatening people demanding money, a disgrace to Manchester.
What an advert for our city

WASTE OF TAX PAYERS MONEY. COMPLETELY POINTLESS INCOMPETENT HORRIBLE SCAM OF A COMPANY. UTTERLY DISGUSTED. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO WORK FOR THEM. VILE.

Not your average fine for dropping a cigarette butt with no bins
First offence, evidence given.
Consequences to your actions.
Absolutely.Damn right
But £150 are you taking the p**s

First time ive ever been to manchester in 20 years
I smoke all over and use cigarette bins.
Hardly any leniency given here

14/06/25,,what a joke?thye send me new tax year bill to my old address where even i didnot lve anymore and they have been informed too they day we moved.and they send the new bill from june 25 till april 26(hahaha)and the worst part is the bill i got previously on my old address was a huge reduction due to severe disablity and low income,but they send new bill almost tripple the price even im not on that address anymore.such ahuge rippoff,ofcourse im gona report and will never pay a penny which i didnot owed,they juss start harrsing people with disrepect and fraud tricks.

I received a parking fine from Manchester Parking Services for being slightly outside a bay – a trivial issue that caused no obstruction and was only necessary because another car had encroached into my space. Despite explaining this and providing evidence, they flat-out refused to use common sense or discretion.

I had paid in full for 24 hours, followed all other rules, and yet they still enforced this ridiculous penalty, proving this isn't about fairness – it's just a cash-grabbing operation. They hide behind rigid policies rather than applying logic or fairness.

Genuine enforcement is one thing – this is just exploiting drivers to generate revenue. If you’re parking in Manchester, be warned: even the slightest, unavoidable misalignment will land you with a fine, and they'll ignore any reasonable appeal.

Appalling customer service, zero fairness, and an outright abuse of the system. Avoid at all costs.