A Which? investigation has revealed that UK airport meet-and-greet operators are speeding and stealing money from vehicles.
The consumer group used GPS trackers to uncover rogue off-site parking firms at London airports earlier this year.
According to Which?, Heathrow police have received 300 complaints about meet and greet services in the last two years.
Long waits at drop-off and missing cars were among the issues flagged with illegitimate companies.
In 2022, a man was sentenced to 17 months in prison after he promised to put Manchester Airport passengers’ cars in a secure compound but instead left up to 500 vehicles in a farmer’s field or nearby streets.
Data from the GPS trackers of Heathrow meet and greet service Quick Park found vehicles speeding down the A4 at nearly 70mph and abandoned in the back garden of a rectory five miles from the aviation hub.
The Which? investigator reported an 80-minute collection time, £4.50 in change stolen from the vehicle and no identity verification when collecting the car.
Heathrow’s Mayfair Parking also fared poorly, with four recorded speeding offences, cash theft and unsecured car park facilities found by Which?.
Mayfair Parking told Which? it “strongly disagrees with its findings” and apologised if money was missing. It also noted the car was “stored in a BPA-accredited site, picked up promptly and returned safely”.
At Gatwick, the company claims Prime Parking moved a car from Gatwick’s official Orange Car park to an offsite location and the vehicle was “returned dirty and muddied both inside and out” with missing change.
Aside from these investigations in June 2024, Which? conducted a survey of 3,161 of its members on their meet-and-greet airport parking satisfaction and experiences at the UK’s 12 biggest airports.
The best overall car park provider, Sentinel at Leeds Bradford airport, received a customer score of 93 per cent for value for money at £79 for a week’s parking and a two-minute bus distance from the terminal.
APH, Cophall Park and Ride and I Love Meet and Greet also ranked as Which? Recommended Providers.
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