A holidaymaker was left stunned after his car was “written off” after it suffered nearly £16,000 of damage while in the care of Manchester Airport‘s Meet and Greet service.
Ioan Williams, from near Caernarfon in North Wales, had flown out from the airport on August 9 for a trip to Alicante with his children Ela and Sion, leaving his pristine white Range Rover with the service. However, upon their return a week later, he was informed of an incident involving his vehicle.
Expecting a minor issue, he was shocked to find the driver’s side wheel at an abnormal angle. The repair cost was quoted at a staggering £15,800 – effectively writing off his vehicle.
While both the airport and his insurers are cooperating over the matter, Ioan expressed frustration at the lack of apology or compensation offer. He said: “I left the car with them on the 9th of August.
He told North Wales Live: “This is the official meet and greet at Terminal 2 and a camera goes around your car before you get into the car park to assess if any previous damage. My car didn’t even have as much as a scratch on it.
“I dropped my keys off inside the terminal where they gave me a receipt. We then went away on our holiday.”
Ioan, 44, returned at 1am on August 16. He said: “I went to get some coffee while my friends who also parked there went before me.
“When I arrived at the pick-up for meet and greet, I saw my friends putting their luggage into their car. I went to scan my barcode to access my keys. But it said seek attention.”
Initially informed of a delay due to early arrivals, Ioan was soon confronted by a startling scenario when a van pulled up with three men asking for a word outside.
Ioan recounted: “I instantly knew something was up and thought that my car had been stolen but he said one of ‘our drivers have kerbed your wheel’. I thought ‘oh god’ and said ‘I hope you’re going to paint it’.”
The man’s response was telling, as Ioan detailed: “To which he replied ‘I think you need to have a look at it’. When we walked up to the car I noticed that the angle of the wheel wasn’t right and obviously been involved in a high impact and I stated this to him. He agreed and said that the driver has been dealt with but there weren’t any cameras in that area.”
“It was clear the vehicle was beyond use. The car was obviously not drivable as something had snapped. They paid for a taxi home for us and I had to leave the car there. I wasn’t home until 5am.”
Ioan said the airport’s insurance company “have been cooperating with me”. Reflecting on the aftermath and the emotional value of his car, Ioan added: “The cost of the repair came up to £15,800 to fix, making the car a write off.
“I loved that car, I bought it for myself for my 40th. Although I’ve been paid out for the car, it’s not the point I didn’t want to get rid of it.”
Frustration was heightened when Manchester Airport only offered a refund of the parking fee, with Ioan commenting: “Manchester Airport refunded the £149.99 I paid to park there. But I haven’t had an apology email/letter from them or an offer of compensation whatsoever. I’m there quite often but I’ll never use their meet and greet service again.”
However, after being contacted by North Wales Live, Manchester Airport sent Ioan an apology for the inconvenience caused.
When approached by the Express, A Manchester Airport spokesperson declined to comment on the speciifics due to the nature of the ongoing process, but confirmed they had been in touch with Mr Williams to apologises. It is understood the incident is currently being handled by insurers.