A holidaymaker claims he has been left around £700 out of pocket after a parking company near Bristol Airport lost his car key. John Standing booked a provider via comparison site Just Park Me, to take his vehicle from the airport and return the vehicle a week later.
John, his brother and a friend left his vehicle with the firm's provider on Tuesday, February 27 as the trio flew to Egypt on holiday. Upon his return on Friday, March 8, he claims he was informed his car key had been lost and they were unable to drive his car to the airport to meet them.
Just Park Me has not responded to Bristol Live’s requests for comment but in an email apologising to John, it said responsibility for any incidents rested with the parking operator and not with its own team. John, who had travelled from his home in Barry, Wales, claimed: “It was about 1am and I recalled they said that when we got our bags, call us and we will give you the car keys and give back the vehicle.
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“I called them and they said they lost my car keys. The guy on the phone didn’t want to take responsibility. He said it was just a driver. I asked what to do and he was rude, to be honest.
“I asked him what to do and he said to sleep at the airport until 9am and I said no and I had to go back to work on the next morning. Plus there were three of us.
“In that case, they said I suggest you get a taxi back. Obviously living in Barry in South Wales, this would be some distance and cost a lot of money”.
Taxi ride to Wales
John said he paid £167 for a taxi ride back to Barry plus extra to allow his brother and friend to return to their respective homes. John said he he was then unable to sleep out of anxiety about losing his car key, the unexpected taxi ride and fare and he worried about what had actually happened to his car.
John did not go to work and instead got an Uber ride back to Bristol Airport, where he insisted on getting his car back. He agreed to meet a driver who John claimed would return his vehicle within a maximum of 30 minutes.
He recalled: “I was a little bit worried as I lost one key with my house key on it. I did eventually meet their driver at 1.15pm in front of the terminal on Friday afternoon.
“I hadn’t had any sleep at this point. I handed over my [spare] keys and asked how long they would be and they said 20 minutes or 30 minutes maximum.
“An hour they hadn't shown up. I would call them and they said they were five minutes away or just around the corner. It took them nearly two-and-a-half hours to get my vehicle back to me at the airport.
“I kept my cool when he came back with the car. It was covered in mud and it was in a disgusting state, but the relief of having my car back was more to me than it being stolen or missing.”
Checking his odometer, John believed the vehicle was parked in a 10-mile radius from the airport. He was simply relieved his vehicle had been returned.
John used the comparison website Just Park Me which finds cost-effective airport car parking deals for customers at major airports across the country, including Bristol Airport. As a prison officer, John was able to get a Blue Light Card discount and thought he had saved some money on his holiday.
But John said he has been unimpressed by Just Park Me’s response since the holiday and said he has tirelessly tried to call and email the company. John said the company was able to claim back the money spent on taxi and Uber, but his since not received payment. He has also not been able to cover the costs for his lost car key.
He said: “No number works and no one is returning any calls or emails to me. No one is giving me information and I am approximately £700 out of pocket, for my taxi, brother’s taxi, friend’s taxi and I have no insurance details to get a replacement for my car key.
“There is nothing or any correspondence from anyone. There is literally no one left I can call.
“I don’t see why I should be £700 out of pocket for their negligence. I did look on Trustpilot and among the reviews, there were a few bad ones. I wish I saw them before booking as I wouldn’t have used them.”
Bristol Live has approached Just Park Me for a comment but did not get a response. In an email to John dated March 8, a member of Just Park Me's support team advised: "We understand your frustration and apologize for any inconvenience caused.
"As a booking agent, our role is to facilitate parking reservations on behalf of our customers. Once the car is handed over to the parking operator, they assume responsibility for its safety and any incidents that may occur during the parking period.
"We have carefully reviewed your complaint, and we would like to emphasize that all matters related to delays, damages, or thefts during the parking period fall under the terms and conditions of the parking operator. They are responsible for addressing and resolving such issues."
It named the parking operator as 'Customer Care Meet & Greet Bristol', which Bristol Live also approached for comment but has not received a response from.
