We have come across several articles from the UK in the past week about airport valet parking services hiring out their customers’ cars to tourists and other users whilst overseas.
Airport valet parking or ‘meet and greet’ services are becoming increasingly popular with UK customers, with companies picking up the car from the airport, parking it securely whilst the owner is overseas, and then greeting them at the terminal with their vehicle on their return.
One customer’s car had been hired out to an Australian tourist. The customer claims that he only realised his car had been rented out when he received a call from the tourist who realised he was driving a private car after finding personal paperwork in the vehicle. The valet company had removed the GPS unit and CDs from the car before renting it out.
Another couple using the Gatwick Meet and Greet service received a call from police hours after flying overseas, informing them that their car had been written off. The driver was an 18 year old employee, driving without insurance, who had crashed and abandoned the car on a major motorway.
Buyer beware!