Dozens of holidaymakers returning to Gatwick Airport were left stranded for up to eight hours after falling victim to a fraudulent meet-and-greet parking service booked through a price comparison website. The victims, who had paid for what appeared to be legitimate parking, returned from their trips to find their vehicles missing, later discovering them in a junkyard, at a hotel site, or abandoned in Gatwick's short stay car park.
Victims Describe Panic and Distress
Lauren James, 35, from Worcester, had just returned from a two-day wedding in Bordeaux when she found her car missing. She said: "We were all ringing the police in a panic. I was in tears because I thought our cars had been stolen. It was just a very traumatic and stressful situation with a lot of people involved. I won't be doing a meet-and-greet again." James had booked through a website that appeared high in Google search results for Gatwick parking, paying £50 for the service.
Upon landing at around 11am, the company began dodging her calls. She and her friend spent an hour waiting before deciding to search for the vehicle themselves. At the same time, between 30 and 40 other people were doing the same thing "in a panic," including a woman who claimed to have been there all night. The group started a chat to share information, and one member eventually tracked their car to a nearby hotel car park. Some owners took an Uber to the site, where they found a police officer standing with four men and a car boot filled with hundreds of car keys.
Cars Found in Junkyard and Hotel Car Park
James's Volkswagen Tiguan was covered in mud and had about a quarter of a tank of diesel used. She added: "You just don't expect it. I want to raise awareness about these people and try to do something to stop them." Another victim, Dani, 34, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, returned from a long weekend in Milan with her husband. She booked through a different company on the same comparison site, paying £75. When she went to pick up her Skoda Kodiaq at 11:30am, it was not at the hotel but at an abandoned junkyard miles away, with the glovebox emptied of all documents.
It took seven hours to retrieve the car, and they expect to receive fines for tailgating and speeding, as 100 miles had been added to the odometer. Dani said: "We had to walk past into a derelict junkyard and our car was there in the mud. It was pretty awful. We didn't ever think that we were going to be in a scam. It was shocking. The scams have gotten very sophisticated in the last year from how they used to do it."
Father and Daughter Ordeal
Damien Ford, 44, from Hayes, West London, had just returned from two weeks in Jamaica with his four-year-old daughter. He booked a £125 service for his Mercedes A-class through the same comparison site. After about seven hours of searching, going back and forth from sites to the airport car park in heavy traffic on a "wild goose chase," Ford found his car parked on one of the lower floors of the short stay car park. The key was left on top of his tyre, and all belongings from the glovebox were strewn across the seats, with his charger missing.
Ford later found a ticket in his car dated 12pm on June 14, meaning it had arrived an hour after he started searching. He said: "I had been on a 10-hour flight with my four-year-old and I was absolutely knackered. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I lost my temper a little bit. My daughter was asleep on my shoulder, and she was hungry and tired. It was an absolute nightmare."
Calls for Action Against Rogue Firms
The group reported the issue to police but were told it was a civil matter as they voluntarily handed over their keys. Victims are now calling for Gatwick to do more to stop rogue parking firms. Dani said: "The police and Gatwick in these times don't help you. They are turning a blind eye. We didn't know whether we would get our car back and nobody would help. They are quite dismissive when you are in a crisis." Damien added: "I just can't believe that Gatwick don't do anything about this. It was a horrible experience. I don't want this happening to anyone else."
The comparison site did not respond to a request for comment. Oli Bedford, Head of Car Parks at London Gatwick, said: "We are aware of rogue third-party parking companies purporting to offer valet or meet and greet services operating at a number of airports. At London Gatwick we are actively addressing this issue by working closely with the police, Trading Standards, the British Parking Association (BPA) and our car park operator; as well as frequently running awareness messaging and advice. We would always recommend passengers book official London Gatwick parking for peace of mind, and there are other reputable companies who also offer alternatives. We encourage all passengers considering using an off-airport meet and greet parking provider to do their research. Comparison sites can be a valuable resource, but it is imperative passengers thoroughly check out any company they are considering using before booking parking."
