Which? reveals airport meet-and-greet operators speeding and stealing money from vehicles

Parking providers at Heathrow and Gatwick are accused of petty theft and breaking speed limits

Quick Park and Mayfair Parking fared poorly at Heathrow in the Which? research (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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.

Prime Parking at Gatwick returned the car “muddied both inside and out” (Which?)

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.

Which? criticised parking comparison sites as “part of the problem” for helping rogue traders “absolve themselves of responsibility when things go wrong”.

The consumer champion advises travellers shopping for airport parking to stick to official airport booking sites, use AM-GO and ParkMark accredited providers and pre-book to keep prices low.

Package parking and hotel deals, discounts on airport mailing lists and using better value off-site companies are also recommended by Which?.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Our investigation revealed rogue meet and greet airport operators treating vehicles and personal property with contempt – stealing personal possessions, speeding, and leaving cars in a poor condition.

“Worryingly, rogue operators are often prominently listed in search engine results and on some comparison sites. With generic names that change as soon as they attract poor reviews, consumers can easily be caught out. As a result, Which? has now reviewed airport parking operators so we can recommend the brands you can trust.

“In future, consumers should also check the BPA’s new approved Meet and Greet operator scheme, AM-GO, which is gradually being rolled out across the country. Approved operators will be fully insured, and all sites used will be Park Mark accredited.”

Both Gatwick and Heathrow Airport strongly recommend that passengers use official on-airport parking.

A London Gatwick spokesperson said: “London Gatwick has no relationship with any alleged rogue ‘meet-and-greet’ parking companies, even though many of them have ‘Gatwick’ in their name. Legally, these firms can operate on the airport as long as they do not break our bylaws.

“If passengers are considering using a third-party meet-and-greet parking provider, they should check for positive reviews on Trustpilot, or other reputable review sites.”

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We do not endorse any operators other than Heathrow Airport on-site official parking, even though some may have “Heathrow” in the name. Under competition regulations, we do have to allow them to operate. If choosing to book with a third party, passengers should look for positive reviews on Trustpilot, or other reputable review sites, or Trading Standards’ Buy With Confidence accreditation.”

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