Bristol Airport Free Waiting Zone Fine

Genghissian

We recently collected my sister in law from Bristol Airport, she was delayed waiting for baggage but we saw we could pay if we went over the hour. When she finally arrived the free waiting area was packed and we had to ask a taxi to move to let us out which resulted in us being just outside the hour and so had to pay £10. Fair enough, BUT:
1. what appeared to be a contactless payment sign on the exit barrier either wasn't or did not work and a message came up to "pay at the Parking Station".
2. there were no directions to the Parking Station and a queue building up behind us so I asked control to let us out so we could go and find said parking station without delaying everyone behind us. The parking station proved to be out of sight in a different car park on the other side of the road behind another barrier.
3. Once out of the car park I tried to keep moving but had to let my husband out to go and pay and then again to pick him up. 
We've now had the £100 penalty notice. What are our chances of appealing this please?
We could just have stayed parked at the exit barrier while traffic built up or asked six cars to reverse while my husband went in search of the pay station (which was not signposted); we thought it was more sensible to leave and then sort it out but then found ourselves in the no stop zone.
Does anyone have - or can get? - a picture of the exit barrier with what looks like a contactless pay symbol please?
I have read that parking operator (Vehicle Control Services Ltd) may not have authority to enforce this charge in respect of a private road?

Coupon-mad

You don't have a penalty or fine.

It's only an invoice from VCS, same as all the other Bristol Airport threads.

Did you stop on double reds?

Click on the little red 'MSE link' in the small 'Parking Ticket Appeals' banner at the top of this page which leads to the MSE Guide to fight PCNs. That'll set you straight that you don't have a penalty.

Nobody here pays VCS.