Beware airport parking thieves: police warn over spate of car thefts | Consumer affairs

Terence Baxter* had booked a meet and greet service to park his Volkswagen at Heathrow airport while he was on holiday with his wife. The couple handed over the keys at the drop-off location and were taken to the terminal; That was the last time they saw their car. When they returned, they were informed by the company that it had been stolen.

The case comes as airports and police forces warn travelers to be wary of “unofficial” operators advertising cheap long-term parking after a rise in complaints.

Returning vacationers report having their vehicles damaged, burglarized or stolen while in the custody of meet-and-greet companies.

Some received penalty charge notices (PCNs) for parking violations while their cars were in so-called secure compounds, while others were stranded in the arrivals terminal because meet and greet services could not be carried out.

Anyone can legally become a parking operator and do business as long as they do not violate airline regulations. Unscrupulous companies often do not have contracts with landowners. Some operators “moonlight” from airport hotel car parks, where customers are directed to leave their cars, and then drop off the vehicles on land outside the airport perimeter, including construction sites and fields.

Baxter used the comparison website Compare Your Parking to find a long-term stay deal. He clicked on the recommended option, Heathrow Park & ​​Ride, and paid £109 for three weeks’ parking in a secure site. Almost a month later he was informed that his booking had been changed and the service provider would now be a company called Park At Airport Ltd. The drop off location was the car park of the Heathrow Holiday Inn where you were met by a driving agent. The paperwork in the trunk is completed.

When the couple returned to the UK they called the number provided and were promised that they would be met in the arrivals hall and taken to their car.

“They didn’t come,” says Baxter. “I had to call them back five times. They finally called me back and told me that my car had been stolen along with seven other cars.”

Baxter is currently pursuing a claim classified as “at fault” through its insurance company. He says: “I feel like I’ve been made to feel like the guilty party, whereas the car park company looks like they could just walk away and continue trading with no consequences.”

Customer reviews about Park At Airport confidence pilot Suggest similar experiences. Some report their vehicles stolen, keys lost, or PCNs issued for parking violations or unpaid ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) charges.

Park At Airport blamed organized crime gangs for the vehicle and key thefts and said it was cooperating with the police investigation. We are told that the issue of issuing PCNs to customers is being resolved. “We make it clear that vehicles can be moved between campuses,” a spokesman said. “Unfortunately, there was a security breach recently that affected a relatively small number of customers. We have since implemented enhanced security measures across all of our facilities.”

Sussex police told the Guardian they had closed the investigation due to lack of evidence. “Officers are aware of ongoing concerns in the local area about the practices of some parking providers,” a spokesman said. “They continue to work closely with relevant authorities, including trading standards, to resolve these issues.”

One Investigation into airport meet and greet companies last year by consumer group Which? discovered that some comparison websites were working in cahoots with unscrupulous parking firms.

“Scam operators are often listed prominently in search engine results and on some comparison sites. Consumers can be easily spotted thanks to generic names that change as soon as they receive bad reviews,” says Which? travel expert Guy Hobbs. “We believe that in some cases the comparison site and the provider are the same.”

Which? recently published a useful guide To the best and cheapest on-site and off-site car parking options at UK airports.

A fake booking on Compare Your Parking, the typo-laden comparison site used by Baxter, produced quotes and unattributed four- or five-star reviews from a number of providers with official-sounding names such as Heathrow Park & ​​Ride. In some cases, when we looked, customers had to click on the fine print to find out that the contract was with a company with a different name. Companies reviewed by the Guardian had one-star reviews on Trustpilot; customers were reporting unsafe storage components, theft and damage.

Compare Your Parking is the trading name of Compare Travel Services Ltd, whose manager was previously linked to a meet and greet service called Wizpark, which has received some critical comments from customers on social media. The company did not respond to our requests for comment.

Heathrow airport this year introduced a new quality control initiative designed to scrutinize member parking operators following a raft of complaints from victims of fraud. approved meet and greet parking operator scheme” Launched by the British Parking Association (AM-GO), it is supported by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives and requires member companies to comply with a code of practice. Birmingham airport also participated in this plan.

Most airports do not yet have a list of approved parking operators. Travelers should read reviews of providers and check they meet these requirements before booking. Parking Sign Logo showing that their premises have passed police security checks. And if a deal is much cheaper than average, be careful because there’s probably something wrong.

* Name changed