Couple's car damaged by airport parking firm (From The Argus)

Couple's car damaged by airport parking firm

7:32am Thursday 8th March 2007 in News By Richard Gurner

A couple whose car was damaged when they left it at Gatwick Airport are still fighting compensation 10 months later.

Stephen Clarkson, 37 and Rachel Cox, 38, thought their Rover 25 was safe as they jetted off to Florida in May 2006 when they left it with Ace Car Parking Solutions.

The couple, of Maple Court, Worthing, returned to find their car with £800 worth of damage.

Mr Clarkson said: "We got the car back and there was damaged to the bumper on driver's side, a wing mirror was smashed and there were a couple of scraps and scratches on the car. Needless to say we weren't very happy.

"So far we have had no luck at all with Ace Car Parking Solutions. We had to get three different quotes for the repair but they refused each one. They wanted to put our car through their own garage for repair but we didn't trust them after the last time they had our car."

Miss Fox said: "I was very upset because we had just come off a very long flight and we had to wait for them to to bring our car out. They said they would investigate and get back to us but they never did. We had to chase them through letters and phone calls.

"After giving us the runaround we decided to get the car repaired through our insurance company because we weren't getting anywhere and we wanted the car repaired.

"As a result I have lost my £200 excess because they won't pay and our insurers are out of pocket."

The couple said the holiday went really well, apart from some car trouble when they rented a hire vehicle.

Miss Fox has instructed solicitors over the wrangle.

Stan Wells, a director of Ace Car Parking Solutions, said: "In July we offered the couple to put their vehicle right in our own repair shop and they refused. Customers are important to us but unfortunately cars can get damaged accidentally from time to time.

"We do bend over backwards to put that right on the rare occasions it does happen. We are dedicated to giving customers a first class service."

The Argus reported last Tuesday how a rival parking firm, called Pink Meet and Greet, also based at Gatwick Airport, was caught out by the BBC's Watchdog programme racing customers' cars at 100mph after it investigated a string of customer complaints.

In light of this, Gatwick Airport Ltd asked customers unsure about meet and greet operators to book valet parking via www.gatwickairport.com