fines when pay on exit

Tillyfliss

I usually pay on arrival at the hospital car park (managed by Parkingeye) but the machines by the car park had been removed and a notice said i could pay at the machine by the hospital on exit which i did. I paid for 2 hours. Parkingeye's letter issuing me with a fine stated arrival time as 16:03:50 and exit time as 18:08:47. These times were supported by photographic evidence. However if i had paid on arrival my stay would be from the time on the ticket and as long as i left before the time paid for, i would have not overstayed. 
At the time I had no way of knowing exactly what time my arrival photo was taken but my ticket on leaving was 18:03:30. 
I feel i am being penalised for paying on exit as I had no way of exactly knowing the time the entrance photo was taken and had i paid on entry i would not have been issued with a fine.
Also after much research, I believe had I a paid for my ticket in advance, i would have been given a 10 minute grace period.
Am I right in thinking this is unfair?

DE_612183

If I'm reading this right - you paid at 18:03:30 and actually left at 18:08:47 - which is 5 mins and 17 seconds - I think you have probably fallen foul of an automated PCN issue based on the fact you were 17 seconds over - this is automated, not manual so you should describe in your appeal the details of why the difference in time - elderly infirm passenger/ driver making it take longer to get to car, traffic jam at exit, etc etc..

DE_612183

The 10 mins grace period is 5 at each end I think....

Trainerman

If this works in the same way as my local hospital, the pay-on-exit machine calculates your fee. If so, this was beyond your control and a fault of their equipment OR that they do not allow sufficient time to get from machine to car to drive out of exit. ( which would have me thinking about words such as 'entrapment')

A further defence point might be infirmity (2010 Equality Act), if anyone in the car needed extra time. Another (if you are being 'done' for 17 seconds )is cameras not synchronised; Were the signs clear? Did they tell you how much time you had to leave ??

Plenty to get your teeth into here.

Coupon-mad

DE_612183 said:

The 10 mins grace period is 5 at each end I think....

No it isn't.

ParkingEye are required to allow a minimum ten minutes after the parking session expires. According to this account, they didn't.

They appear to be in breach of the BPA CoP and you should complain to the BPA online, as well as (of course, as per every Hospital parking charge) complaining to PALS.