Stansted Meet and Greet (Empark UK Limited) - Claim Rejected

stoem

I've had a reply now from empark which was obscure.

"Having received the documentation that is used throughout the Meet & Greet service (including the arrival & return photos and claim form) we are unable to accept that the damage was caused by the negligence of Empark UK Ltd.

Please see the attached photograph taken on arrival on 28th December 2015, in which the damage highlighted in your claim is there on arrival.

As there is no indication that this damage to your vehicle occurred under the Terms and Conditions of the Meet & Greet service we are unable to accept liability for the damage to your vehicle."

The photo they sent of my car entering the car park shows that it was clearly without damage. To clarify, the dispute is about a damaged bumper, bent tow bar electrics and a dent at the bottom of the boot lid which causes the boot to no longer open.

dropbox.com/s/y2bayv84iysoebw/133073066724.jpg?dl=0
(sorry forum won't let me post links or images even though I've been registered here for 10 years)

I asked them if they looked at the same photo but told them not to bother replying as I'd be dealing with STAL instead whom my contract is with.

STAL told me 2 days ago they'd call me back yesterday but didn't. I then sought legal advice and it was recommended I'd try once more and then send a letter before action.

This time they did call me back and oh quel surprise they told me that 'empark have reviewed the case and are reopening it'. Reopening it? I didn't know they had closed it already...
In short I was told that the damage would be settled.

Let's wait and see. I have zero doubt that I'd win a small claims court case if need be, it just remains to be seen how deeply empark will ride themselves into the muck first.

Let this be a warning to anyone planning to leave their car with empark meet & greet at Stansted... I've been treated with utter contempt by empark. If you;re in a similar situation just go direct to STAL and don't be fobbed off. You do not have to deal with empark if your contract is with STAL.

I'm planning to report empark to trading standards once this is all done with.

Mercdriver

Give them a payg disposable number or you will be bugged by accident calls for months on end. Don't give them your landline number of you can avoid it...who knows what their claims handling company will do with the information!

stoem

Thanks for the tip. I never give out my landline and my 'block caller' feature works a treat :-)

riserdrummer

HAving a similar issue. On returning to my car at Stansted, the interior fusebox cover had been knocked off - no mean feat as it's on pretty securely. When I noticed it, it had been wedged back in place with some scrap paper, and when I removed this, it would not stay in place. On investigation, the plastic lugs that secure it to the car had sheared off completely, so it must have been given a very hefty whack somewhere. I had the usual apologies from the duty manager, loads of pictures, a form completed and sent in..... then nothing. I emailed them today to complain about the lack of action, and had the usual response:

"We are unable to accept that the damage was caused by the negligence of Empark UK Ltd. Our drivers do not recall the panel in the drivers foot well whilst driving your vehicle. They have also expressed that at no time whilst driving your vehicle was the panel touched."

This email was returned so quickly there would not have been any time for them to do any investigation. I'm clearly being fobbed off by a company whose policy is to deny any responsibility, no matter how clearly the damage is their fault. Having worked in Customer Services for a number of years, this is utterly unacceptable and most likely a breach of Trading Standards Code of Conduct.

I am escalating it to the board, but wanted to know if there's any official ombudsman covering their services? It's not the money (because the part I need to replace is relatively inexpensive compared with the stories above) but there's a principle involved here that needs resolving before others fall foul of these cowboys.

stoem

Sorry to hear about your problems riserdrummer. I can't really help with that and I am afraid to say that proving that the damage to the fusebox wasn't present already will be really tricky (obviously I am not saying it was damaged!).

I also wanted to give everyone a bit of encouragement.

I had the damages to my vehicle settled by Empark after I made it clear that I would only be dealing to STAL. STAL clearly exerted pressure onto Empark as they miraculously reopened my case and decided that they were at fault after all!
I guess my case was just too clear cut for them to deny it and I had made it clear I would take legal action. Household legal insurance which deals with product and service disputes is a great thing to have up your sleeve.

Empark did initially, as always, deny any responsibility especially as I had the tiniest of dents already in my tailgate and they put this forward to deny the fact that my car was returned with a much bigger dent, scratches in the bumper, a broken break light and bent towbar electrics.

Nice try.

They ended up paying for a repair to bumper, tailgate and break light and it cost them in the region of £700.

So don't be fobbed off, and let me emphasise again that your contract is not with Empark (at Stansted at least) but with STAL.

riserdrummer

stoem, I've just received a reply - after many emails, and no doubt a considerable admin cost to Empark. I was copying the CEO in n everything, and in the end emailed him directly, bypassing 'Tracey' and getting everything laid out

They have agreed to pay for the damage, but as a 'goodwill gesture' without admitting liability.

Thing is now, they want me to get three quotes from garages and they will pay a garage direct. The damage was to an interior trim panel, which I have - in exasperation - bought and replaced myself, becuase it covered part of the wiring loom and therefore I was driving with exposed electrics. The part and delivery wasn't expensive (a shade over thirty quid) but I'm now waiting to see what they will do abut sending me the cheque. It's not the money, it's the principle (easy to say because it's not £700 like yours) and if it costs them to process the many complaints, then I think that they need to understand at some point that a more helpful approach would actually be cheaper for them in the long run.

riserdrummer

Success! I have agreement that they will send me a cheque directly!

This feels like far more of a victory than it really ought to....

stoem

wow good news - well done!

I too was asked to obtain quotes. I got one from my preferred garage, the next one charged a fee to issue a quote so Empark went with the first one and paid my garage directly.