East Midlands Airport Meet and Greet service has refuted a customer’s claim that his car had been driven 178 miles while he was away on holiday. Ashley Hopkins, a 74-year-old from East Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, entrusted his Toyota C-HR to the service on September 9 before leaving for a week-long trip to Majorca. Upon his return on September 16, Hopkins noticed a significant increase in mileage and a decrease in fuel in his car. Despite the airport’s assurances that their tracking systems and CCTV footage confirmed the vehicle remained in secure parking, Hopkins remains unconvinced.
According to Hopkins, he had carefully noted the mileage before leaving for his holiday and discovered an additional 178 miles on his return. He also reported an unusual incident post-retrieval where his car’s battery had gone flat and was not charging, which he found strange for his four-year-old vehicle that had previously shown no such issues. When Mr. Hopkins raised his concerns with the airport’s customer services, he was directed to contact Leicestershire Police for a potential criminal investigation, although he believes it to be a civil matter.
Expressing his frustration, Mr. Hopkins stated, “They say there’s no evidence to support what I am saying, but my odometer and fuel tank can’t be wrong. It must have been taken off the premises, unless the car was just driven around the car park or the storage area is just miles away.” He also added, “Had they just said sorry I would have said fine and got on with it. They have just denied it and implied that I am a liar or reading something wrong.”
The pensioner highlighted unanswered questions about the proximity of the storage area to the drop-off point and the monitoring of drivers’ key usage by the airport’s customer services. In response, an East Midlands Airport spokesperson reassured customers that their Meet and Greet service operated with high standards of integrity and security, ensuring that vehicles were carefully looked after while customers were away.
The spokesperson stated, “We move hundreds of vehicles around our site every day and have systems that keep track of which vehicles are driven by which drivers, as well as recording all key movements and monitoring our site with CCTV. This shows that Mr. Hopkins’ car was driven straight from the meet and greet area to one of our secure storage locations and remained there until he returned. His key was kept securely in a separate location throughout this time.”
Despite the airport’s explanation, Mr. Hopkins remains firm in his belief that his car was driven while he was away, leading to a dispute that has yet to be resolved. The situation raises concerns about the security and monitoring protocols in place for airport parking services and the accountability of such services in addressing customer grievances effectively.
In light of the conflicting accounts, the investigation into the alleged mileage discrepancy continues, with Mr. Hopkins seeking clarity and resolution regarding the unauthorised use of his vehicle during his absence.