{"id":76647,"date":"2022-10-06T10:31:50","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T10:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themotorombudsman.org\/knowledge\/when-can-i-pay-under-protest\/"},"modified":"2025-03-24T19:06:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T19:06:06","slug":"when-can-i-pay-under-protest","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.themotorombudsman.org\/knowledge\/when-can-i-pay-under-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"When can I \u201cpay under protest\u201d?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When can I \u201cpay under protest\u201d?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n

Whenever there is a dispute about the payment due, for example how much the bill is, or the standard of work you are paying for, you have the right to pay an invoice \u201cunder protest\u201d.<\/p>\n\n

What does \u201cpaying under protest\u201d mean?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

If you are disputing the monies due, paying under protest reserves your right to contest the bill after you have made the payment. This indicates that you are not accepting the charges, and the business should expect you to take this further.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaying under protest\u201d does not offer a guarantee that you will get your money back.<\/p>\n\n

Why should I \u201cpay under protest\u201d?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

In any dispute, both sides are expected to keep their losses to a minimum. Paying a disputed amount under protest helps to ensure that your costs don\u2019t rise (e.g. on-site storage fees or car hire charges), and that you\u2019re more likely to get losses back, if your claim should be successful.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t choose to \u201cpay under protest\u201d, and pay the bill, the business may argue that you\u2019ve accepted the charges and the work carried out.<\/p>\n\n

How do I \u201cpay under protest\u201d?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

It is important to make sure that it is clear that the business knows that you are \u201cpaying under protest\u201d.<\/p>\n

If you receive a paper copy of an invoice or receipt, clearly write \u201cpayment under protest\u201d on your copy and any copies that the business takes.<\/p>\n

If you receive an invoice or receipt by e-mail (e.g. as a PDF), send a reply back to the business that you will only make payment once a copy of an invoice or receipt is returned with the words \u201cpayment under protest\u201d.<\/p>\n

You can also reply to the e-mail from the business explaining that you will pay the bill under protest, but you would like this marked on any documentation. This way the e-mail demonstrates evidence that you are in dispute with what has been provided.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can I settle a proportion of the bill rather than the full amount when \u201cpaying under protest\u201d?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

You can make an offer to pay part of the bill \u201cunder protest\u201d. However, it is up to the business to decide whether to accept this arrangement, as they have no legal obligation to do so.<\/p>\n

If the invoice is not settled in its entirety, a business has the right to withhold your vehicle until they have received full payment. Nevertheless, this may incur additional storage charges until the bill has been paid.<\/p>\n

If you are disputing the proposed amount, and can\u2019t afford to pay in full, it is always best to be up front with the business to come to a mutually-agreed arrangement.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"featured_media":79059,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"knowledge-base-category":[617],"class_list":["post-76647","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","knowledge-base-category-car-ownership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhen can I \u201cpay under protest\u201d? - The Motor Ombudsman<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whenever there is a dispute about the payment due, eg how much the bill is, or the standard of work you can pay under protest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themotorombudsman.org\/knowledge\/when-can-i-pay-under-protest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When can I \u201cpay under protest\u201d? 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