I left my car at airport parking… only to come back & find out they’d CRASHED it

A STUDENT says she left her car with an airport parking firm while she went on holiday – only to come back and find they’d crashed it.

Grace Flaherty, 19, says her holiday was ruined before it had begun and she’s now about £16,000 out of pocket.

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The university student was about to jet off from Dublin to Bristol when she picked up a call – it was the parking company phoning to tell her her car was involved in a smash.

The firm told Grace the damage was repairable which is why she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her £9,000 VW Polo was written off.

The Wales 19-year-old, who says she was brought to tears when she saw her beloved first car, says she’s been fighting the “unhelpful” company ever since.

Grace told MailOnline: “When I got the call from the car parking company, they didn’t even seem bothered about how I would get home and just told me to get a taxi. 

“Since then, they have not been helpful at all. All they’ve done is pass the buck but all I want is the money for my car and all the extras I’ve spent, which I can’t afford.”

Grace had booked a two-day meet-and-greet parking service with a company called Park & Go for £45.

But it was another firm, A4 Parking, that called to tell her about the smash.

And, they told her an employee from a different company, called VIP parking, was driving her car when the collision happened.

Grace called the whole situation “very confusing”, adding: “The whole car parking industry at airports seems to be a mess.

“People should be aware that the company they are paying is not necessarily the company that will be looking after their car and that’s very dangerous.”

And, it became more confusing again as A4 Parking says while they were responsible for Grace’s car, they are not responsible for the accident.

Firm manager Mark Dexter said his company and VIP parking share the same compound and office so staff will often drive the cars the other company is looking after.

Speaking about Park & Go, he said: “They are just a broker. People book through them, but it doesn’t mean they are the ones actually responsible for keeping and parking the cars.

“All customers are provided with this information when they book but they don’t actually read any of it.

“I can understand why Grace and other people are confused with how the car parking industry works. It’s not a simple system.”

The teen estimates the accident will cost her around £16,000 all up once she buys a new car.

Mark continued: “The matter is now in the hands of the insurance company and that’s what has delayed things.

“I’d love it if things could be settled quickly, and Grace get the money she feels she’s owed. As soon as I get any information, I always pass it on to her and her family.”

Park & Go said in a statement: “Park and Go does not park, transport or store any vehicles at any airport, we only facilitate the online booking part of the process.

“Responsibility for the vehicle lies with the car park booked by the customer, in this case A4 Parking.

“Unfortunately, in this case the aforementioned customer’s vehicle was involved in an accident involving a driver from another company that A4 Parking works with.

“Once the customer made us aware that there had been an accident and requested assistance from us we immediately began liaising with A4 Parking to ensure the issue had been dealt with.

“They have assured us that the matter is now with the insurance companies and is being processed.”

A spokesman for VIP Parking said their staff member who was involved in the smash “did not cause this accident”.

Grace is now warning others to be careful.

The teen said: “A lot of us will be using these companies at this time of year but we need to take a lot of care.

“You just don’t know who you are leaving your car with and who will be driving it. I’ll never use one of these companies ever again and will just get public transport to the airport.”