Parking ticket issue

[Coffeetimes3]

I parked at a shop today and their car park is free for 1 hour, or free for 2 hours when you spend over £3 and validate the parking with your receipt.
You can validate the parking at a machine or online by midnight the following day.
I've gone to validate my parking and it tells me I've exceeded the 2 hours. I thought I was within it - at most I can only be a minute or 2 over due to queuing to get out of the car park.
Anyway, the website literally has nothing on it other than a box to put in your reg plate and validation number and the 'exceeding 2 hours' message makes it look it hasn't accepted the validation.
Has anyone ever had this? I have a feeling that it won't accept the validation if you're over 2 hours by any amount which then allows them to fine you for being there over an hour unvalidated.
Various internet sources suggest you shouldn't be fined for being a minute or two over time on your parking. But how do I prove I tried to validate? Should I be ok if I just keep my receipt and appeal a fine?
The car park is either run by apcoa or horizon, neither of which are open on the weekend for me to try and speak to someone.

Oh and don't waste energy typing a post to berate me for being late. I'm not interested. I just wonder if anyone else has been in a similar situation and what the outcome was.

Wait for the PCN and then appeal on their website. The PCN will have the instructions on how to appeal. Remember this is not a criminal action but a civil one as any PCN issued by a company.

Take a screenshot of you trying to validate the ticket to use as evidence so they can't deny you tried.

Thanks both. A screenshot is a great idea. I'll do that now

Yes this. It’s not a fine you would receive, it’s an invoice. Although they do try and deliberately make it look the same as a fine you would receive from the council to scare you into paying - even using the same acronym - PCN.

I don't think there is anything that says you can go over and not get charged. Over is over, no matter by how much nor what the reason is.

You might be thinking of parking tickets on the road, there's some leeway in some circumstances with those.

But private land is different. You park and you agree to the terms. They're not flexible.

I'd say you would be very unlikely to win an appeal with "I didn't think I was over, it can't have been by much" I'm afraid.

I have appealed them before, successfully, but not in this circumstance.

@Negroany That’s incorrect. The British Parking Assosciation code of practice states that its members should allow a 10 minute grace period over the allotted time before they can issue a charge notice.

Thank you. That's exactly what I'd read. And both the potential companies are signed up for that association. It's whether they accept that I have 'validated' the parking that will be the issue.

Just updating this in case anyone searches for parking ticket advice. They did send a fine, I appealed showing proof of the receipt and a screenshot of my attempt to verify. I also quoted the bpa code of practice. They accepted the appeal and overturned the fine.

Good news — shows it’s always worth appealing in those or similar circumstances .

Good outcome, well done.

However this was never a fine. It was an invoice.