Gatwick Valet Parking

Associate
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24 Nov 2017
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I picked up my car from the official Gatwick valet this evening after returning from a week away.

A low fuel warning came up on the M23 a short distance from the airport.

I looked at the trip computer and since 0949 in the morning the car has covered nearly 50 miles over a duration of ~2:30 hours.

I looked at the trip computer on iDrive only a short time out of Gatwick so I would have covered a couple of miles by this point.

I expect the secure car parks for the valet parking might be a short distance away but 50 miles seems excessive.

Has anyone else noticed this?

I’m thinking of asking Gatwick parking to explain this.
 
Associate
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18 Feb 2012
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Birmingham
To be honest I've always avoided valet parking. I've had colleagues and contractors I work with have all sorts of issues and I suspect Gatwick are using subcontractors for the official valet parking.

I would try asking them but don't expect much of a reply.
 

mrk

mrk

Man of Honour
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18 Oct 2002
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South Coast
The last thing I ever would do is use any type of valet parking. Nobody drives or parks my car other than me. These company monkeys can't be trusted anyway.
 
Soldato
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30 Sep 2003
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Location
Norwich
Absolutely get them to explain exactly what has gone on and ask for the location of the "secure" car park. Make sure you document the evidence from your trip computer etc.

I've used valet parking on occasion but I have a company car so to a certain extent... meh. Last time I used a service near Stanstead (I think, may have been another airport) I came back to a scuff on my steering wheel and whacking great boot prints on the door card. It was clear that they'd packed the cars in like sardines then had to enter and/or exit via the passenger side. The place was like a bomb site with massive holes filled with muddy water. I stopped in the one place that wasn't ankle high muddy water to let my wife out and in broken English I got "DON'T LEAVE THERE, CAN'T LEAVE THERE". At 4am in the ******* rain it looked like we were a bunch of refugees fleeing a terror regime not a load of holidaymakers about to jet off to Fuerteventura for two weeks :rolleyes:

From now on I'll pay the difference and park it myself in the onsite long stay which will probably help eat up some of the ridiculous amounts of buffer time I factor in when getting a flight!
 

Deleted member 651465

D

Deleted member 651465

Used Purple Parking at Heathrow on 2 occasions. Both times the car was ready and waiting right outside the short stay lifts (basically as soon as you get out of the terminal).

Depends on the valet parking company and where their off-site parking is located tbh.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2004
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Location
Kent
From now on I'll pay the difference and park it myself in the onsite long stay which will probably help eat up some of the ridiculous amounts of buffer time I factor in when getting a flight!

I'm the same as @mrk and @Bear, in that I don't like valet services anyway - I don't really trust them, and I hate the anxiety of wondering how reliable they'll be when I land, etc.
But we were on holiday last week for a couple of weeks, flying from Heathrow, and the cheapest option was the official on-airport long stay car park anyway, with a 5 minute bus ride to the terminal doors.
It was still expensive (about £10 a day), but cheaper than even the off-site non-valet services.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Feb 2006
Posts
8,867
Location
Winchester
I picked up my car from the official Gatwick valet this evening after returning from a week away.

A low fuel warning came up on the M23 a short distance from the airport.

I looked at the trip computer and since 0949 in the morning the car has covered nearly 50 miles over a duration of ~2:30 hours.

I looked at the trip computer on iDrive only a short time out of Gatwick so I would have covered a couple of miles by this point.

I expect the secure car parks for the valet parking might be a short distance away but 50 miles seems excessive.

Has anyone else noticed this?

I’m thinking of asking Gatwick parking to explain this.
Have you received an explanation for the high mileage?
 
Associate
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Man of Honour
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21 Feb 2006
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Lots of horror stories about valet parking at airports. Some are decent and will typically valet park close to the drop off point, but with cheaper services you will find they are high risk.
 
Associate
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1 Jun 2014
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1,574
I read something about a homeowner waking up to a rangerover parked on his driveway that was there for a few days then miraculously disappeared.
Apparently the police did sweet FA because it wasn't blocking him in. Laughable really but that's a different subject i guess!
 
Soldato
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3 Apr 2007
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South of the Watford Gap!
When I used to work in Edinburgh I used to use the valet parking but after having issues like the car being covered in mud inside and out, screwing up the lock of the front passenger door and one time not being able to find the keys for my car and then asking me if I had the spare keys with me I started using the official Heathrow parking.

No problems at all with the official parking and as it turns out it actually saved me time both on departure and arrival as their buses were prompt as opposed to calling the valet company and waiting.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Apr 2013
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12,371
Location
La France
Used Purple Parking at Heathrow on 2 occasions. Both times the car was ready and waiting right outside the short stay lifts (basically as soon as you get out of the terminal).

Depends on the valet parking company and where their off-site parking is located tbh.

Have used Purple Parking at Heathrow and Gatwick in the past and couldn’t fault their service.
 
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