'Airport parking firms left us out of pocket'

Holidaymakers say they have been left hundreds of pounds out of pocket after using two meet-and-greet car parking firms at Gatwick, the UK's second largest airport.

One passenger said she had to get a taxi nearly 150 miles home to Norfolk after Drive Park and Fly told her they could not find her car key when she arrived at the West Sussex airport.

Meanwhile, a Galaxy Parking Limited customer said he was charged six pounds each time his car entered and exited the Gatwick drop-off zone while he was on holiday.

The BBC has contacted both firms - which are not connected to Gatwick Airport - multiple times for a comment, but they are yet to respond.

West Sussex Trading Standards said it had received 199 complaints about a number of parking operators since 2022/23.

Kim Renyard said that when she tried to pick her car up, Drive Park and Fly said her keys “had been lost or misplaced”.

She said she spent hundreds of pounds on a taxi to Norfolk, on the understanding her car would be dropped to her home once the company had cut new keys.

Although the firm said they had cut a new key, she said her old set was returned with the car.

“I actually do not know what they did with my car while it was in their care,” Ms Renyard said.

She said she had not received any money and was more than £300 out of pocket, despite being told by Drive Park and Fly that she would be fully reimbursed.

Richard Bowyer said he returned from a family holiday to be told that Drive Park and Fly had “no recollection” of having his car.

He booked into a hotel, but with his car still missing the next morning, he had to take a taxi home to Hampshire, costing him about £400.

A week later he said his car was found in the short stay car park, in the exact spot where he had handed it over to a company representative.

Another holidaymaker, Leon Palma, from Southampton, booked a meet-and-greet with Galaxy Parking Limited.

But he said his holiday was interrupted when he received a series of automatically emailed receipts showing his car had entered and left the Gatwick Drop-Off zone six times during the same morning, when he was abroad, at a cost of six pounds each time.

Mr Palma said: “It stressed my holiday, because I’m thinking if anything happens to my car, I’ll get the blame because I am the owner."

West Sussex Trading Standards said it had received 13 complaints about Galaxy Parking Limited this year and nine relating to Drive Park and Fly since December.

West Sussex Trading Standards manager Richard Sargeant said we have had issues with different operators for a number of years.

"We've had instances where cars are driven outside the compounds, cars left at supermarket car parks, and customers cars have had speeding tickets.

"This year we have seen customers vehicles being left at the short stay car park and when they return their car hasn't moved at all and the customer has to pay money to get their car released from the car park itself."

He said people should always look for a "buy with confidence approved trader" who has been vetted by trading standards.

Natasha Ferdinand, from Somerset, said she thought her experience with Drive Park and Fly had gone smoothly until she was hit with a fine for parking in a no-stopping zone.

“The issue was that the parking meet-and-greet people parked it there, not us”, Ms Ferdinand said.

She said she tried to get Drive Park and Fly to cover the £100 penalty but its staff “either put the phone down or ignored my emails".

Oliver Bedford, head of car parking at Gatwick Airport, which is not connected to Drive Park and Fly or Galaxy Parking Limited, said passengers needed to do their research.

He told the BBC: "Although there are lots of legitimate companies off-airport and the official Gatwick parking, there are some firms who are not operating in a right and proper manner."

He said people should be "extra careful" looking on comparison websites" at providers and check their details.

"Do they have independent reviews? Make sure that what you are booking is fully trustworthy," he said.