Some airport parking companies have been mistreating customer cars

Customers that have booked airport parking accompanied by valet services have had their cars mistreated whilst they were on holiday. Some customers have gone on holiday and returned to find that their cars have been damaged or used as a rental car. BBC Watchdog has investigated the problem.

Some travellers have found that their cars haven't been secured in the airport parking area as promised. When a couple left their car with Gatwick Meet and Greet, they were horrified when they were contacted by the police telling them their car had been written off on the motorway by an 18 year old employee. The youth abandoned their vehicle on the M23.

Another traveller, Dean Dolling, who was flying out of Luton Airport, booked his airport parking through Airparks. Dean later discovered that Airparks has been sharing its compound with a car hire firm called Green Motion. When he returned from his holiday in Cyprus, Dean had a strange call from an Australian holidaymaker informing him that his car had been rented out to him in error. The Aussie only realised the vehicle was not meant to be a rental car when he discovered personal documents inside it.

Green Motion claims that Dean had driven to the airport in a different vehicle to the one he booked with. Green Motion had been using part of the airport parking facilities to park rental cars, so his car was mistaken for a company vehicle.

Dean was offered £2,500 in compensation for his airport parking mix up and he received an apology from Airparks who implied that it was a one off mistake.

When holidaymakers use airport parking, they expect their vehicles to be well looked after in their absence.

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