A motorist is warning of a parking ‘scam’ in Cornwall after paying the ticket

A motorist is warning others about a parking ‘scam’ after being fined despite paying for a ticket. Stuart Flynn visited Harvey Towans Beach on December 15 last year with a group of friends

They all struggled to download the Sippi parking app, which is the only way you can pay on Hayle beach as the machine doesn’t accept cash. All three were furious and called the parking a total “scam”. His friend Mike Stewart received a penalty notice even though he managed to use the app and pay for his stay.

Mr Flynn, from Taunton, said the same thing happened to him and he too was fined £100 about 95 days after his visit to Cornwall. The 55-year-old office worker said the PCN made absolutely no sense as he paid £3.90 to park and a 20p administration fee which allowed him to stay for three hours, according to the sign installed at Harvey Towans.

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However, despite staying for just over two hours and having a receipt for the Sippi app, he still received the ‘fine’. Mr Flynn said that when he appealed to the PCN, the CPM rejected his appeal outright and threatened him with legal action if he did not pay up quickly.

He told CornwallLive: “It was a struggle to download the app due to poor mobile signal, my partner eventually managed to download and pay through the Sippi app. Now 95 days after parking I have been issued a PCN for £100 saying they have not paid in full.

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“I paid £4.10 (general parking £3.90 plus £0.20 convenience charge) which is taken automatically via the app over which we have no control. I noticed from the signage at the time, this payment was for up to three hours of parking. According to the app, I stayed for two hours and seven minutes.

“The PCN says I was there for two hours and 33 minutes, which is still in the three-hour parking for the rate charged by the app. There is therefore nothing left to pay and the car park and UK Car Parking Management have suffered no loss.”

The letter Mr Flynn received said the reason for the PCN was “failure to pay for parking”. Mr Flynn said he appealed but was immediately rejected and has now received a final red notice dated May 10 stating his case will be referred to a debt collector if he does not fork out £100.

He added: “I sent a new letter of appeal to the PCN PO box and received a letter on May 23 stating that their decision to reject my appeal is unchanged. The letter states that any further correspondence from me will go unanswered and I should now pay £100 by June 6th and if I don’t pay they will seek to recover money through their debt recovery service.

“The full amount for the car park was paid on the day via their app but UK Parking Management from Harvey Towans Car Park refuse to accept this and refuse to correspond further.”

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He added: “I don’t see how that is fair and these continued letters of intimidation, when I have paid the full amount, is certainly inappropriate. I don’t understand how the UK Parking Authority can request driver information from the DVLA when there is no illegal activity. took place.

“Car park management is certainly responsible for ensuring that their own systems are properly calibrated and that any electronic payment and digital content is likely to work correctly in the area. I wouldn’t want this situation to happen to anyone else. I guess a lot of people paid. full but you still get a PCN and pay just to make the intimidation go away but why should you?

“Unfortunately, I was unaware of the issues associated with this fleet and its management when I parked.”

Mr. Flynn and his friend, Mr. Stewart, are indeed not the only ones who have been caught at Harvey Towans. In October, surfer Sami Raif used the facility but was also fined because the machine does not accept cash or phone payments, although he paid extra online later.

CPM has been contacted for comment.