Missold but can't cancel

Cristina1983

Hi all,  

Looking for advice on whether you think I should be able to get a refund on some airport parking I recently purchased.   I bought the parking at the same time as my flights through Ryanair and a company called looking4parking.  The parking is not the official airport parking and T&Cs said it can't be cancelled.  However it did not say anywhere prior to paying that we would have to leave our car keys at the parking lot.  We really don't want to do this and would not have purchased the parking if we had known this was the case.

Ryanair say it is nothing to do with them and to contact looking4parking.   

Looking4parking say they can't do anything because it is non-cancellable and the company they purchased the parking from won't let them.

Not sure where to go from here. Parking is for beginning of June and we booked in March so not like it is a last minute cancellation. 

Do we have any rights here?

Thanks in advance 

pramsay13

It's fairly common to have to leave your keys. Funnily enough the last one we used we had to keep the keys but I think that's the first time I've ever encountered that.
If it's such a deal breaker for you why didn't you check beforehand?
I'm not sure that you'll be able to get a refund, maybe ask for a goodwill gesture of a voucher and pass it onto someone else that doesn't mind leaving their keys. 

knightstyle

Most off-airport parking require you to leave the keys.  This is either for them to move your car to a carparking spot or if you park it where it will stay there may be an emergency, another car on fire for example, requiring them to move your car.  They are insured for this.
Are they members of IAPA?  If so they may help.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Assuming online I think the question is whether your distance contract for parking is covered by:

Limits of application: circumstances excluding cancellation

the supply of accommodation, transport of goods, vehicle rental services, catering or services related to leisure activities, if the contract provides for a specific date or period of performance.

These are exempt from the right to cancel, the bit in bold may cover them not to cancel but I'm not sure.

Penguin_

When you go on their website & enter a search it brings up loads of different options. When you click more info on one of the deals, the following comes up:

Essentials

• Opening times: 24 Hours / 7 Days
• Estimated journey time to airport: 10 - 12 Mins
• Bus frequency: Every 15 Minutes
• Distance from airport: 5 Miles
• Your keys will stay with the car park whilst you are away.

Manxman_in_exile

Assuming this was a distance purchase (eg online) you would normally have 14 days in which to cancel for a full refund.  But if looking4parking didn't provide* to you the information about your right to cancel as required by The Consumer Contract (Information, Cancellation and Addiditonal Charges) Regulations 2013, the cancellation period is basically extended by 12 months - in which case you can still cancel.

The relevant law is in Part 3, sections 29 - 34 here:  The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (legislation.gov.uk)   s31 covers the bit about extending the cancellation period to one year if the required information is not provided.

In the event I'm wrong (not impossible!     ) I'm sure somebody will be along to correct me!  [Edit:  Ah!  I've cross-posted with others.  Perhaps @the_lunatic_is_in_my_head has corrected me... ?]

* If their T&Cs say it can't be cancelled, I suspect they can't have provided the required info.  You need to look at the legislation I quoted to see what is required, and compare it to what they've told you.

shiraz99

The company says this on their website:

"Do I have to leave my keys?

If you book a car park that provides valet parking or a meet & greet service, you will need to leave your keys. Any car park that asks for you to leave your keys will have a secure process for managing car keys and the security of your car. Car parks that need your keys and car parks that don’t need your keys are clearly marked on the website."

So I can't see how you've been missold particularly as this is a fairly common practice.

Having said that it is possible that the contract is covered by the CCAs and therefore under distance selling rules you should be entitled to a refund.

photome

why dont you want to leave your keys? if you are parking off airport it is common to leave your keys and even on airport you may need to

Ectophile

photome said:

why dont you want to leave your keys? if you are parking off airport it is common to leave your keys and even on airport you may need to

Maybe the OP is aware that for some of the dodgier parking companies, their "secure compound" is the nearest industrial estate, residential street, or bit of waste ground.

Cristina1983

Hi all, 

Thank you for your replies.  I didn't buy the parking through looking4parking's website. I bought it through Ryanair's website as an add on while I was buying my flights.  There was no mention of leaving keys in the information presented to me at the time of purchase or in the T&Cs.

It was only in the confirmation email that was emailed to me after the purchase that it was mentioned.

I've attached a screenshot if it helps (I booked the low cost not meet and greet).

It may be fairly common to leave keys but I've been booking airport parking for years (including offsite) and never had to.

Aylesbury_Duck

Who is your contract with?  The parking company, or Ryanair?  Which entity took payment and how did you pay?