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Woman claims airport valet drove her car 500 miles then got her a parking ticket

‘Gone through hell.’ Zoe Parr (SWNS)
‘Gone through hell.’ Zoe Parr (SWNS)

A furious driver discovered her car had been driven 500 miles and received a parking ticket while she was on honeymoon in Jamaica.

Zoe Parr says she has ‘gone through hell’ after her BMW 123d M Sport was taken on the road, including a shopping trip to Asda, while she was on vacation.

And she only found out because a ticket and CCTV footage was sent to her for overstaying in the supermarket car park.

The images showed an unknown man behind the wheel – taken on day two of her holiday.

The mum-of-two also, who flew from Manchester, claims someone drove the vehicle for nearly 500 miles when it was supposed to be in the company’s care.

Mrs Parr left the car at Manchester Airport Parking Services Ltd — which is not the same as the onsite airport parking – while she went on holiday.

The 42-year-old alleges it was driven by staff at the firm.

However, while the supermarket dropped the fine, four months on she claims the meet and greet parking company is still refusing to apologise or refund her over the alleged incident.

CCTV caught the car being used on day two of Mrs Parr’s holiday (SWNS)
CCTV caught the car being used on day two of Mrs Parr’s holiday (SWNS)

‘I think that it’s completely unacceptable,’ she said.

‘They have been using it as a freebie because the petrol tank was empty when it returned to us.

‘It’s absolutely appalling behaviour from a professional meet and greet car parking firm.’

The same company was last month dubbed ‘the world’s worst airport parking meet and greet’ and accused of losing cars and damaging a Range Rover in a collision with a bus.

Zoe, from Wolverhampton, and her new husband jetted off from Manchester Airport on a two-week honeymoon break to Montego Bay in Jamaica, on July 7.

They paid for a meet and greet service with Manchester Airport Parking Services Ltd, and Zoe made a note there was 50,000 miles on the clock.

Mrs Parr claims her car was driven for almost 500 miles while she was away (SWNS)
Mrs Parr claims her car was driven for almost 500 miles while she was away (SWNS)

But when she landed back in Manchester a fortnight later, she says there was an extra 469 miles on the clock, leaving the petrol tank virtually empty.

‘When the man came to drop it off it suddenly, he just dropped the keys in my hand and dashed away rapidly,’ she said.

‘That was when we got into the car and released that something isn’t quite right.

‘There were crumbs all over the back seat and the petrol light was on so I knew then that the car had been driven.’

But when the couple got home they had a fine for overstaying at an Asda store in Oldham.

Zoe said: ‘We were simply gobsmacked. We immediately called Asda and explained the situation and they agreed to drop the charge.’

She said they have demanded answers from the parking company and in August, £70 appeared in her bank account from the company – which Zoe assumes was to cover the fine.

They also phoned Greater Manchester Police.

‘However after a few weeks of investigation, we were told that we could not prosecute because they don’t know who the driver was at the time of it being in Asda,’ she added.

No one was available from the company to speak.