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Heathrow Meet and Greet Car Parking

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
More than 200 cars left with Heathrow Airport Meet and Greet car parking firms were left in a council car park and issued with parking tickets. When the BBC visited the council car park, some cars had up to five parking tickets on their windscreens. In a statement, Hillingdon Council said it was "aware of reports that some vehicles were parked in the car parks" which had not been left by the vehicle owners. "Our trading standards team has launched an investigation and will be contacting the people who have received the parking tickets in due course," they said.

If the council just waives the parking tickets then won't that just encourage the car parking firms to carry on with this practice? It seems to me that as the people who left the cars in the council car park are the car parking firms then they should be charged the parking fines (in addition to refunding their customers' money due to being in breach of contract in not using a 'secure car park' as advertised, and also being prosecuted for fraudulent trading). Evil or Very Mad
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Does it say which company? Just about to book some Heathrow car parking for the summer.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@NickyJ, I regularly use Purple Parking have been for more than 10 years and recently used Heathrow's own service. not issue with either service, I like the fact they meet you in the carpark at Heathrow


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 27-04-17 8:22; edited 1 time in total
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@NickyJ, I watched this segment on the news last night as well, but for some reason they did not name the company or companies involved, which I found strange, as it was the first item on and you would have assumed that the BBC would want discourage anyone from booking with them!!!

also, they must have known who the culprits were, because they met a couple of holidaymakers at Heathrow and took them directly to the public car park.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
NickyJ wrote:
Does it say which company? Just about to book some Heathrow car parking for the summer.


No it doesn't say which company/companies, but I imagine that in the near future that information will emerge. It was over the busy Easter period, presumably they'd accepted bookings for more spaces then they had in their own 'secure' car park so decided to dump them in the council car park (very naughty!)
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terrygasson wrote:
also, they must have known who the culprits were, because they met a couple of holidaymakers at Heathrow and took them directly to the public car park.


Good point.
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Indeed - we need to book for the August bank holiday week, so again it will be a peak week.

Last time we did Heathrow we actually booked the short stay car park with 2 children, two sets of ski, boots and bags for everyone we decided to pay for convenience. However for the summer we weren't going to worry.... Having a bit of a re-think now.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Not the only ones...

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/meet-greet-parking-firm-left-12938179
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It's been gong on for years/decades, but parking in residential streets. Most of which I expect are now CPZ.

If I got a ticket, I'd be ensuring the council (or parking scum like Parking Eye etc.) bill the meet+greet type place (not writing off the ticket).
I'd also be going the full legal route to recover whatever I'd paid to the meet+greet co. (but then I've been watching too much Can'tPay Won't Pay, and The Sherrif's Are Coming recently).

No idea which companies are reputable.

The last time I used such a company was at Birmingham offsite parking, where they park+retreive the car and deliver it to you. It was delivered by someone who thought he was the late Colin McRae.

I self park in short/long term now if I really have to drive to the airport.
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NickyJ wrote:
Does it say which company? Just about to book some Heathrow car parking for the summer.



According to the Daily Fail

"..Connect Parking, one of the companies involved, claims that the tickets were all issued when their valet drivers left them there while popping out for lunch..."
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@albob, thanks!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I don't know about Heathrow, but, having waited ages for "cheap" meet& greets at Gatwick and Stansted, I now reckon it's worth the extra to do the"official" meet & greet. It's seldom much more than the long stay, much more convenient and cheaper than a taxi.


Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 26-04-17 20:49; edited 1 time in total
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We use Stressfree Parking at Heathrow who have always been reliable. The coolest one was premier parking at terminal 5 and then one of the driverless pods. Great way to start the holidays.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
"Good To Go Parking" is good for Heathrow as it's actually a brand of the official airport carparks and meet & greet, it's cheaper than booking through the official Heathrow site but is identical. They are also currently running a sale so it's a good time to book!

Some info here:

http://www.headforpoints.com/2017/02/25/good-to-go-parking-heathrow-airport-review/
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I found it hard to fight my way through these cowboy operators, but at Stansted at least you can still use standard short stay car parking. You park the vehicle and you keep the key.

Presumably the airport itself has to allow these people to trade at their location. I'd be surprised if they weren't taking a percentage off the top. Either would give them some responsibility. And unlike the traders themselves, they're certainly worth litigating against.
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musehead wrote:
"Good To Go Parking" is good for Heathrow as it's actually a brand of the official airport carparks and meet & greet, it's cheaper than booking through the official Heathrow site but is identical. They are also currently running a sale so it's a good time to book!


This. Have used it many times when going to LHR. Actually quite near the airport. You drive the car and know where it is parked and pick it up avoiding the joyriding and random parking and revving hard from cold etc. Have very frequent buses to the terminals/back.
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with quidco discount we found T5 short stay wasn't that much more expensive on the last 2 times of booking parking, less hassle than the call whilst driving to say you are x mins away and then call and wait on the way back with meet and greet.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
After two bad experiences with scratches on my car I now refuse to use any airport parking that involves handing in the key. It may cost slightly extra but it's way cheaper than bodywork repairs.
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We've used MnG parking regularly since the kids. Never had issues beyond having to wait for the car longer than preferable (saw in the new year in a Gatwick carpark this year rolling eyes ) Never had issues with damage, but theres so few straight panels left on the Ford now I doubt I'd be able to tell.
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Never used valet/meet & greet parking because apart from not knowing where they will park it, I have no idea if the drivers will be insured for driving my car, particularly if they use it for anything other than just park it. And even if they are insured, the loss of any NCD if they damage it will cost far more that the saving in money/time over using the standard airport car park.
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I don't really get why people park anywhere in Heathrow or use any of these services. With Uber and Google Streetmap it is dead easy to find the nearest quiet streets near Heathrow, park up, call for an Uber, driver chucks bags in the back of the taxi, get delivered to the front door of the airport. About £10 each way if you get a long way from the airport, but plenty of places within £5 of the airport front door.

Having seen the quality of driving in the carparks, and how close cars are packed in when they store them during your holiday with meet and greet services, I wouldn't fancy either.
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@Digger the dinosaur, nice wheeze but not very community spirited if you are in a residential or business area and taking up spaces from the local community


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 27-04-17 20:12; edited 1 time in total
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I guess it partly depends on the type of car you drive. Whatever, they won't drive mine.

I also dislike the branding - "meet and greet". dangly bits, you don't meet me, and you certainly don't greet me. If I use a taxi then the guy meets me (they have a sign with my name on it), and I suppose they sort of "greet" me, although that's like the American "have a nice day". I don't know them. It's "valet parking", nothing more. The issue is where they dump your car. With modern cars it's easy to work that out afterwards or even whilst it's happening, but it seems obvious that the business model requires your precious to be moved away from the high cost parking.

I did the stupid thing today and parked my car on the STN short stay & went to check in my snowboards. At which point I realized I'd left my phone in that expensive thing I bought where it sits in the car and gets some benefit I can't remember. As the short stay is right there, I just walked out to get it. I guess I may need the early onset dementia looking at, but parking in the freaking car park seems like a good idea, rather than having some oaf driving a car he's not trained to use, showing it off to his mates, them dumping it on some street.
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Take a look at all of the reviews of Drive Fly Meet and Greet at Heathrow. Link below. I think this probably extends to many of the meet and greet type parking firms at airports and is in line with the report of cars parked in council carparks above.

I had a booking with Drive Fly Meet and Greet a week ago, thankfully I saw the review page before leaving for the airport and chose to put the car into the short stay instead. It was £150 on top of the £55 paid for the meet and greet which was non-refundable, but I'm so glad I paid it given the horrendous reports.

Disgusting service. These guys need to be brought down.

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/drivefly.co.uk
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Just to balance things out I've used purple parking meet and greet at Heathrow - with the Premier Inn package and it was fine. Very easy and the convenience of parking right by the terminal. They were cheaper (even with one night stay) than the Heathrow meet and greet and not a lot more than off site parking. Mind you my car is so old I'd not notice a few more dents!

Unless you are using a small regional airport or have very deep pockets using a short or long stay car park usually means parking off site with a bus transfer. With plenty of luggage andkids in tow this is an extra hassle I could do without. If it was just me and one bag it would be fine. Also at the other end of the stay it's nice just to pick the bags up and walk straight to the car, rather than waiting ages sometimes for the bus.
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Used Drive Fly Heathrow in February, took 45 minutes before car arrived on my return. The Dry Fly guys were obviously under-staffed, under pressure, and under performing. Only used them as they were significantly cheaper than other quotes. Only weeks after the event did I notice some trim damage inside the car, and a broken gear lever gaiter, but cannot 100% attribute these to Dry Fly (the only other people to drive the car apart from me and Mrs Skimastaaah, both of us have OCD regarding meticulous care of our cars/stuff).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@capability, I've used Drive Fly at Heathrow 4-5 times with no trouble, but thanks for the review link - I may not use them again!
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I use this sort if parking service around 40 times per year, mostly at LHR. In all those times I've had two problems.
1. A parking ticket. I had switched operator to one recommended in the Daily Telegraph. Parking ticket was cancelled and reissued to the operator.
2. Slight damage to car as driver pulled it to kerb. I didn't actually see it happen and only noticed the damage four days later. Called the company who said they would look into it. No argument at all and next time my car was with them they had it professionally repaired at their expense.

Two issues out of approximately 800 times using meet and greet. That's not too bad. The bunch I currently use are always polite and on time. I'm a very happy user of meet and greet services. The alternatives are either too inconvenient (Long term) or too expensive (short term and pod parking). Official M&G are also very expensive as are Purple Parking.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
For comparison:

A Mon-Friday trip would cost:
PUrple M&G. £138
Purple shuttle bus £78
Official M&G. £155
T5 Long term £99 (discounted from £113)
Pod parking £149 (discounted from £183)

My M&G company charge £65.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Not just at airports, I have heard a few stories about cruise parking cowboys at Southampton!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
At Edinburgh Airport the Valet Parking can be cheaper than the Short Stay. They park the cars on the roof of the multi-storey so they don't go far. I used it practically every week and got to know most of the drivers. They were all local, middle aged men who seemed to take car of the cars. On the other hand, Purple Manor (or something like that) who used the same drop-off/pick-up area, employed young, Eastern European men, who seemed to have a challenge as to how quickly they could exit/enter the car park. rolling eyes rolling eyes
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Almost any large car park of any sort carries a risk of damage to your car - especially ones which cram as many spaces in. Someone can reverse into your car, bang it with their door, scrape a pushchair along it and so on.

In fact that's why I drive a 10yr Ford Fiesta and spend the money I save on ski trips!
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Any updates on this please? I have to park at Heathrow T2 from Sunday to Friday soon , with an elderly wheelchair user. We really need to get out of the car and be in the terminal, parking through the official site is coming out at around £138!
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We have used a number of meet and greet companies at both LHR and LGW and so far no problems.

Next week we are using Premium Parking Heathrow, but prior to that we have used Easy Valet Parking, We Deal Heathrow Super Saver, Budget Meet and Greet. So far no problems. We don't leave any valuables in the car (ie no hidden purses or coins in the console) which really is asking for trouble.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Personally I don't like using the meet and greet anymore. I've used them several times with no issue but just read enough horror stories to be apprehensive of it. If costs were like @foxtrotzulu, suggested a few years back then maybe different, but whenever I've looked it's been no cheaper and usually more expensive to use M&G so I go long term and keep my keys with me. I'll still generally check options though, sometimes there's a deal on. Another option is hotels and parking, think the old man stayed at Gatwick Bloc with a week of parking for not much more than just parking, and it was far more convenient.
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@CaravanSkier, Only done it once but my brother uses them regularly.

Purple Parking M&G booked through topcashback. Worked absolutely seamlessly and no issues with the car (or any funny extra mileage). £74 for a week's parking including M&G through some sort of "special" offer. I think the special offers run most of the time.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
DJL wrote:
@CaravanSkier, Only done it once but my brother uses them regularly.

Purple Parking M&G booked through topcashback. Worked absolutely seamlessly and no issues with the car (or any funny extra mileage). £74 for a week's parking including M&G through some sort of "special" offer. I think the special offers run most of the time.



Thank you!!
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DJL wrote:
@CaravanSkier, Only done it once but my brother uses them regularly.

Purple Parking M&G booked through topcashback. Worked absolutely seamlessly and no issues with the car (or any funny extra mileage). £74 for a week's parking including M&G through some sort of "special" offer. I think the special offers run most of the time.


I can echo that.

..Nick
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big_ben wrote:
DJL wrote:
@CaravanSkier, Only done it once but my brother uses them regularly.

Purple Parking M&G booked through topcashback. Worked absolutely seamlessly and no issues with the car (or any funny extra mileage). £74 for a week's parking including M&G through some sort of "special" offer. I think the special offers run most of the time.


I can echo that.

..Nick


Thank you, I have just looked st them and using them would save me £40!!
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