A Gatwick valet parking company has hit headlines this week after it was found guilty of false claims about its business, including claiming it was a Gatwick Approved Operator and was a member of West Sussex County Council’s Buy with Confidence scheme.
EPS Parking was found guilty of breaching the Unfair Trading Regulations Act 2008 last Friday, 16 May, and fined £10,000 plus costs of £2,683, which were awarded to West Sussex County Council.
Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services with responsibility for Trading Standards, said: “I hope this sends a clear message that we will always act against people who claim to be part of the Buy With Confidence scheme who aren’t.
“The scheme exists precisely to protect people against this sort of underhand action and I am pleased that the magistrates on Friday saw fit to issue such a large fine.
“We would always encourage people to check the Buy With Confidence scheme to source reputable traders in the knowledge they have already been checked and vetted by us.”
A list of Gatwick Approved Operators
Gatwick parking companies holding ParkMark status
21 May 2014
19 May 2014
BBC Watchdog and why you need Gatwick Approved Operators for your meet and greet
If every you needed a reminder to use a Gatwick Approved Operator for meet and greet parking at Gatwick Airport, it's this programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01z38r2
BBC's Watchdog programme highlights problems with non-approved Gold Parking at Gatwick. Problems include 1,500 miles extra on the clock, parking fines and a stolen Mercedes - stolen from the company's "secure" car park!
Watchdog conducted three test parking bookings, none of the cars used were parked in a secure car park, in fact, only one was parked in a car park, and this was far from secure.
Take a look at the programme here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01z38r2
BBC's Watchdog programme highlights problems with non-approved Gold Parking at Gatwick. Problems include 1,500 miles extra on the clock, parking fines and a stolen Mercedes - stolen from the company's "secure" car park!
Watchdog conducted three test parking bookings, none of the cars used were parked in a secure car park, in fact, only one was parked in a car park, and this was far from secure.
Take a look at the programme here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01z38r2
14 April 2014
Man accused of almost £500,000 Gatwick parking theft
A former employee of APCOA has appeared in court accused of stealing almost £500,000 from his employer.
The alleged theft took place between August 2010 and November 2012 from the APCOA Administration Building at Gatwick Airport.
Ghazala Ashraf appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court last Wednesday and entered no plea to the charges of theft by employee and concealing and transferring criminal property.
A preliminary hearing will take place on 2 May at Lewes Crown Court.
The alleged theft took place between August 2010 and November 2012 from the APCOA Administration Building at Gatwick Airport.
Ghazala Ashraf appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court last Wednesday and entered no plea to the charges of theft by employee and concealing and transferring criminal property.
A preliminary hearing will take place on 2 May at Lewes Crown Court.
09 April 2014
ASA raps Holiday Extras for parking discount claims
The most expensive way to book airport parking is to just turn up on the day of your flight and pay the gate price. It’s something most of us are aware of, but now Holiday Extras has had a rap on the knuckles for letting customers know about it.
Holiday Extras, which sells holiday add-ons, has been slammed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for discount claims made in an email, Travelmole reports.
The email claims customers can save up to 60% on the gate price, however, the ASA said at five airports where parking prices could be compared, no customer had saved 60%, although it did acknowledge that, taken as a whole, 17% of customers had saved 60% or more in the period covered.
Holiday Extras, which sells holiday add-ons, has been slammed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for discount claims made in an email, Travelmole reports.
The email claims customers can save up to 60% on the gate price, however, the ASA said at five airports where parking prices could be compared, no customer had saved 60%, although it did acknowledge that, taken as a whole, 17% of customers had saved 60% or more in the period covered.
28 February 2014
Could airport parking wholesalers be held liable for selling unauthorised parking?
There's an interesting article on the AVPCA website examining whether a meet and greet parking wholesaler could be held responsible for damages if it sells parking with a company that turns out to be unauthorised and something goes wrong.
The article questions whether the reseller could be held liable if it didn't carry out proper checks to ensure that the company whose parking it was selling was using licensed car parks and had adequate insurance etc.
It's an interesting angle that probably poses as many questions as it answers, but also raises a lot of questions for meet and greet parking wholesalers.
Definitely worth a read here: AVPCA - Vicarious Liability for Unlawful Actions
The article questions whether the reseller could be held liable if it didn't carry out proper checks to ensure that the company whose parking it was selling was using licensed car parks and had adequate insurance etc.
It's an interesting angle that probably poses as many questions as it answers, but also raises a lot of questions for meet and greet parking wholesalers.
Definitely worth a read here: AVPCA - Vicarious Liability for Unlawful Actions
27 February 2014
3 Ways to find a reputable meet and greet parking company
Meet and greet parking is probably the most convenient type of airport parking so it's hardly surprising that it has seen a significant increase in popularity over recent years.
This increase in demand has meant that there are more and more companies offering the service. Unfortunately, not all these companies are operating legitimately from licensed car parks, some, as we've seen in TV programmes, use unlicensed car parks, residential streets, supermarket car parks or just at the side of the road.
It can be difficult finding reputable companies when all you have to judge a company on is a fancy website.
Here are three ways to help you sort the good guys from the bad:
This increase in demand has meant that there are more and more companies offering the service. Unfortunately, not all these companies are operating legitimately from licensed car parks, some, as we've seen in TV programmes, use unlicensed car parks, residential streets, supermarket car parks or just at the side of the road.
It can be difficult finding reputable companies when all you have to judge a company on is a fancy website.
Here are three ways to help you sort the good guys from the bad:
- One way to find a legitimate, reputable company is to look for an Approved Operator scheme, such as the one operating at Gatwick
- Another is to look for the Safer Parking ParkMark award - a police initiative
- Or look for Trading Standards Buy With Confidence accreditation.
05 February 2014
Cashless parking trial
While this is not airport parking, it's definitely worth a mention.
Tamworth Council is trialling a new cashless parking scheme which will allow drivers to pay with their mobile phones.
The trial, which will last 18 months, will be cover all the council's nine car parks.
In order to pay by phone, motorists will be able to pay for their parking in advance and will receive a text confirmation that their parking is booked, and also a reminder when their paid-for parking time is about to expire.
Don't panic if your phone isn't set up to pay for parking, you'll still be able to use the pay and display machines.
If the trial is successful, it could become a permanent feature.
What do you think about paying in advance for your parking by mobile phone, would you do it, and could you see its use being extended to airport parking?
For more information check out the Tamworth Herald
Tamworth Council is trialling a new cashless parking scheme which will allow drivers to pay with their mobile phones.
The trial, which will last 18 months, will be cover all the council's nine car parks.
In order to pay by phone, motorists will be able to pay for their parking in advance and will receive a text confirmation that their parking is booked, and also a reminder when their paid-for parking time is about to expire.
Don't panic if your phone isn't set up to pay for parking, you'll still be able to use the pay and display machines.
If the trial is successful, it could become a permanent feature.
What do you think about paying in advance for your parking by mobile phone, would you do it, and could you see its use being extended to airport parking?
For more information check out the Tamworth Herald
13 January 2014
Heathrow top for airport parking charges
It costs more to park your car for one to two hours in the short stay car park at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4 than it does at any other airport in the World.
A two-hour stay during peak morning and evening periods costs £12 - £8.35 more than at New York's JFK.
A one to two-hour stay, off peak, still costs a hefty £10, while a 24-hour stay will set you back £53.90 - more than the cost of some budget flights!
The astronomical prices were highlighted by a recent investigation by the Sunday Mirror
09 January 2014
Mobile phone app to park your car
It may seem a bit far-fetched but Bosch is developing a mobile phone app that could soon be parking your car!
Well, I guess, there's a phone app for most things these days so why not one to park your car?
It's not just a phone app, you would need to add parking sensors to your car too.
According to Bosch, the technology won't be available until 2015:
I'm not sure I would trust a mobile phone app to park my car and I'd be worried about cars being parked next to mine using the app too.
How about you? Would you trust a mobile phone app to park your car?
Well, I guess, there's a phone app for most things these days so why not one to park your car?
It's not just a phone app, you would need to add parking sensors to your car too.
According to Bosch, the technology won't be available until 2015:
I'm not sure I would trust a mobile phone app to park my car and I'd be worried about cars being parked next to mine using the app too.
How about you? Would you trust a mobile phone app to park your car?
19 December 2013
Avoid Gatwick Christmas rail chaos with meet and greet parking
Gatwick Airport is expecting its busiest ever Christmas this year with around 2 million people expected to pass through the airport from 13 December until 5 January 2014.
As expected at this time of year, the road and rail networks will be extra busy too. As well as extra people, rail passengers should expect delays, lots of delays, cancellations and bus travel!
Yes, due to engineering works, the Gatwick Express service has been cancelled and rail-replacement buses will be operating on part of the service from London Victoria Station to Gatwick Airport.
Instead of direct services between Victoria Station and Gatwick, which take around 30 minutes, passenger travelling to the airport will travel to East Grinstead, change to a bus, which will then take them to Gatwick - a journey, which Southern expects to take 90 minutes!
Avoid the hassle of trying to get to and from Gatwick Airport by train this Christmas and book Gatwick meet and greet parking - probably the most convenient type of airport parking.
By booking meet and greet you'll avoid:
As expected at this time of year, the road and rail networks will be extra busy too. As well as extra people, rail passengers should expect delays, lots of delays, cancellations and bus travel!
Yes, due to engineering works, the Gatwick Express service has been cancelled and rail-replacement buses will be operating on part of the service from London Victoria Station to Gatwick Airport.
Instead of direct services between Victoria Station and Gatwick, which take around 30 minutes, passenger travelling to the airport will travel to East Grinstead, change to a bus, which will then take them to Gatwick - a journey, which Southern expects to take 90 minutes!
Avoid the hassle of trying to get to and from Gatwick Airport by train this Christmas and book Gatwick meet and greet parking - probably the most convenient type of airport parking.
By booking meet and greet you'll avoid:
- 90-minute journeys to and from Gatwick
- parking your own car - you just hand your keys to a driver waiting at the airport
- any extra time spent travelling to an off-airport car park and the shuttle bus journey to the airport.
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