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New Which? investigation used GPS devices to expose rogue meet-and-greet airport parking firms
Airport parking firms have been caught speeding in customers’ cars and stealing money from inside the vehicles.
An investigation by Which?, the consumer watchdog, has uncovered cases of rogue firms driving cars over the speed limit and committing petty theft.
Heathrow Police has received more than 300 allegations in the past two years of criminal behaviour from “meet and greet” parking at airports, including the wholesale theft of cars.
Meet-and-greet services, also known as valet parking, park customers’ cars at an airport, or another secure location, and then return the vehicle to the customers when they return.
Using GPS trackers, Which? exposed how Quick Park, an off-site meet-and-greet service at Heathrow, raced a client’s car down the A4 at nearly 70mph in a 50mph zone and left the vehicle in the back garden of an abandoned rectory, five miles from the airport.
Quick Park’s website promises customers parking in a patrolled location complete with CCTV and Park Mark accreditation, which would mean the site had passed a police risk assessment. The British Parking Association said the site was not an accredited Park Mark site.
When an investigator from the watchdog attempted to collect the car, it took multiple unanswered calls and an 80-minute wait before the keys were handed back – all without even a cursory check to confirm the investigator was indeed the car’s owner. Once inside, they found that £4.50 in change had been stolen.
Separately, drivers from Mayfair Parking, which also operates at Heathrow, were found speeding on four separate occasions during the 10-mile round trip from Terminal 5. When the car was handed back, £4 had been taken, along with some sweets.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Our investigation revealed rogue meet-and-greet airport operators treating vehicles and personal property with contempt – stealing personal possessions, speeding and leaving cars in a poor condition.
“Worryingly, rogue operators are often prominently listed in search engine results and on some comparison sites. With generic names that change as soon as they attract poor reviews, consumers can easily be caught out. As a result, Which? has now reviewed airport parking operators so we can recommend the brands you can trust.”
Mayfair Parking used a Park Mark accredited site, although the Which? reporter said they were able to freely enter the car park and walk around. The BPA said that it remained satisfied with the accreditation, but that it would be assessing the site for the superior AM-GO standard in due course – a higher status which confirms (along with using an accredited car park) that the operator is fully insured, staff are qualified and uniformed with identification, using designated drop-off and pick-up zones.
Mayfair Parking said it strongly disagrees with the watchdog’s findings, asserting it operates in a professional manner. It apologised if money was stolen from the car and said it was prepared to take appropriate action and return anything that was stolen on provision of further evidence. It also noted the car was stored in a BPA accredited site, picked up promptly and returned safely.
At Gatwick Airport, the Which? investigator booked a meet-and-greet parking service through a comparison site. However, the booking confirmation showed that it was with a different company, which had no affiliation with the airport. During the car’s stay, it was moved from Gatwick’s official Orange Car Park to an off-site location at an “industrial wasteland” behind a petrol station. On collection, the car was returned dirty inside and out, £3 had been stolen and a sealed bottle of water in the driver’s door had been opened and swigged.
Which? said that part of the problem was that rogue firms operate on comparison sites, some of which are set up by the same people who run the rogue parking operations. The BPA said that most rogue traders are uninsured.
It is easier than you might think to get caught out. When you search for meet-and-greet parking at Gatwick, for example, a number of companies come up with the word “Gatwick” in their company name or website URL, despite having no official affiliation with the airport.
“London Gatwick has no relationship with any alleged rogue meet-and-greet parking companies, even though many of them have ‘Gatwick’ in their name. Legally these firms can operate on the airport as long as they do not break our byelaws,” a Gatwick spokesman said.
Last year, two men were arrested at an unofficial car park on Moss Lane, near Manchester Airport, over claims that they threatened a customer with a knife after he questioned the safety of their minibus used for transfers to the airport.
Manchester, along with Gatwick and other major UK airports, has an official valet parking service which they strongly recommend passengers choose if they desire a meet-and-greet service.
But if you do decide to go with a third party, which is often slightly cheaper, Gatwick advises passengers to check for positive reviews on Trustpilot, or other reputable review sites. You may also refer to the new list published by Which? this week. It is also wise to check if the company has a Trading Standards’ Buy with Confidence accreditation, and also a British Parking Association’s Park Mark accreditation.
For total diligence, check the company has clear contact details (not just a mobile number), a Companies House Number, a VAT Number and a registered company address on the website. British Parking adds that passengers should request a proper receipt, check where the car will be stored, ask for ID from the chauffeur, and to consider whether the business is operating from a designated location.
“Not having premises is a sure-fire indication that something might not be right,” they advise.