Gatwick meet and greet parking

This is a small article to advise holidaymakers to check very carefully the small print when booking Gatwick meet and greet parking.

Trading Standards have received a number of complaints from Customers who have suffered thefts from their cars, damage to their vehicles and excessive mileage added to their cars’ odometers while in the care of some companies.

The advice given when booking Gatwick Parking is:

• Check the company websites and make sure you know who you are dealing with. Legally, companies need to provide their name, address and company number on websites. If contact address details are missing, be extra cautious and consider booking with a different provider.
• If the cost of the booking is more than £100, consider paying with a credit card as this will give you extra protection should things go wrong.
• Most reputable companies will complete paperwork highlighting any damage to the vehicle at the time you drop it off. Trading Standards advises customers to take pictures of all 4 sides of their vehicle when they drop it off to help avoid any disputes regarding damage to your vehicle when you return from holiday. 
• The majority of meet and greet companies will have parking facilities which are relatively close to the airport. Make a note of the mileage reading on your car when you drop it off, that way you will know whether or not it has been driven further than you expected. 
• Lastly, do not leave any valuables or money in your vehicle whilst you are on your travels.

Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services with responsibility for trading standards said: “It’s important to say that the majority of people suffer a stress free experience when dealing with official and regulated meet and greet firms.

“There are so many things to arrange when you are going on holiday that it is easy to look at car parking online and concentrate on price or availability rather than reading the small print.

“If you look closely some companies offering ‘meet and greet’ services do not have full contact details on their websites so you have no way of making contact if you have a complaint.

“In some cases claims of secure parking can actually mean a field or a street near to the airport.

“We advice people to use a secure ‘meet and greet’ service provided by our ‘Buy With Confidence’ trading standards approved business and Approved Operator by Gatwick Airport”

New Valet Parking at a Parking & Ride Price

Even in this day and age of our carbon footprint being followed by political and corporate institutions we still need the automobile. If you have a family or possessions then it is the only comfortable way to get from A to B. Getting to the airport for example, with a family and luggage is not an option by public transport. For all those that have flown from an airport, you have probably tried a number of options for parking your car. If we are talking of comfort then why use a park and ride operator that takes up to an hour to get you from the car park to the airport terminal and then back again on your return from holiday. Valet parking is a huge step up in comfort but of course it carries the price tag. Unlike a bus carrying huge numbers of people it takes money and manpower to personally collect, store safely and deliver your vehicle on the terminal forecourt. New Airport Meet and Greet Parking Company at Gatwick (AMAG Parking) offer a premium service at a budget price. With the increasing popularity of Airport Valet Parking the long established firm of parking operators Tudor Rose came up with the idea of enticing new Customers to an elite service without hitting their pocket. In spite of the phenomenal growth in airport valet parking over the last 4/5 years it has not stopped the industry from being tainted by bad practices and rogue operators. All of these have been well documented in the various media. This has created a lot of confusion and suspicion where Customers want to take advantage of what valet parking has to offer but have difficulty in selecting a good operator. Tudor Rose believe that by tempting the disillusioned back into the fold a lot of the credibility will be restored. Tudor Rose has been in the business of valet parking at Gatwick for over 20 years. One of the founders of this great service Tudor Rose has helped over the years to make this elitist and normally expensive service an option that everyone can afford. With the introduction of the Approved Operator Scheme by Gatwick Airport Ltd, Trading Standards, The Chief of Police, The Home Office and the Safer Parking Scheme (ParkMark), this will undoubtedly rid the industry of the undesirable element but at the same time have the effect of pushing prices back up to unaffordable levels. Tudor Rose has introduced its budget service for Gatwick meet and greet parking to offset these market influences and hope to maintain the current growth trends in the industry. Customers get all of the products associated with their premium service. There is no doubt that when comparing your parking options at Gatwick, Airport Meet and Greet Parking is a service well ahead of its alternative options. However, there are still a number of bad operators out there and we can only hope they will put their house in order. In the meantime, be wise and only use an Approved Operator and one that’s been around for a long time. Remember, Approved Operators only are allowed to use the terminal forecourts at Gatwick.

Gatwick Airport Hotels with Parking

There are many advantages to staying at a hotel the night before you fly off to some distant destination. Not least is the fact that you can be assured you will be on time for your check in and boarding. At the time of writing this short blog gales and winds have caused havoc across the road and rail network causing mass disruption and traffic chaos. It's not just the fact that you may miss your flight but it's the associated stress and worry it causes. Not a great way to start your holiday as the whole purpose of a break is to get away from the daily stress we have to endure. Finding the right hotel for your specific requirements is another matter and Gatwick Airport offers an entire range of possibilities to suit your needs and pocket. So here are some questions to help you search for the right hotel; Q.1 What time do you intend to arrive at the hotel or do you want to spend some time at the hotel to help you wind down and relax? A.1 Choose a hotel that has leisure facilities and/or a bar depending on your needs. Q.2 Do you want an evening meal in the hotel and how much money are you prepared to spend? A.2 Fine dining or plain good wholesome food that is the question. Sometimes a good pub within walking distance is great. Q.3 Do you have a family and do you require a family room? A.3 Some hotels do not offer family rooms and others may charge a premium. Q.4 Do you require leisure facilities? A.4 A gym, swimming pool or sauna is great but make sure they also offer an early check-in so you have plenty of time. Q.5 What is your budget - do you want to keep the price below or above £100? A.5 A good many Hotels or Guest Houses offer accommodation below £100 including parking. Use the search engines like ‘Google’ to find the right one. Q.6 Is your priority a comfortable bed and a good night's sleep? A.6 Essential to start your holiday. Choose a hotel away from the bustle of the airport and busy roads. Q.7 Do you want breakfast before you leave the hotel or will you have it at the airport whilst waiting to board the plane? A.6 Having breakfast at the airport kills time after check-in and there are some good restaurants offering reasonable prices. Q.8 How important is the time factor in getting to the check-in desk on the morning of your flight? A.8 This is important as some hotels do not offer parking on site. Check first with the hotel. Q.9 Do you want to hang around in the morning waiting for buses or would you like to get to the airport in 5 minutes? A.9 Having to drive to a car park and transfer to buses on the morning of your departure is time consuming and stressful. Look for a hotel that offers direct transfers to the terminal. Q.10 Do you expect to pay extra for your transfer to the terminal? A.10 Most hotels will charge extra for a transfer between £3 and £5 one way. If you have a family this can add quite a bit to the overall cost. Q.11 Do you have a car and do you need to keep it somewhere safe for the duration of your holiday? A.11 Only use an operator that is part of the ‘Approved Operator’ scheme. A list of these can be found on the Gatwick Airport web site. Q.12 On your return from holiday do you mind having to wait for a bus, transferring your luggage and taking you back to a car park to pick up your car? A.12 This is time consuming and stressful especially if you are tired or have a family. There are better, alternative options. Q.13 Do you want a Gatwick Parking Service where your car is brought to the airport terminal. This enables you to drive directly home saving you valuable time especially after a tiring flight? A.13 Valet Parking or Meet and Greet Parking is available at most airports and is considerably more convenient and less stressful than park and ride operations. Q.14 Do you expect to pay extra for a Valet Parking Service? A.14 The present market place is extremely competitive and ‘Approved Operators’ are keen to win business off park and ride operators.

Gatwick Parking

Booking Agents or Book Direct.

 

We have all seen the advertisements for Comparison Sites which cover a wide range of products from insurance to airport parking. With the power of internet marketing becoming ever more powerful it is no surprise that the numbers of comparison sites are increasing year on year. Some web sites call themselves comparison sites and others as agents for the various company products they are selling but they are both ultimately the same.

Comparison sites are what it says on the tin, they offer the opportunity for you to compare prices on your chosen product and in some cases but not all, explain the advantages over one product to another. This is great for products like insurance or banking but does it apply to other businesses like airport parking?

What are the real advantages of buying through comparison sites compared to buying local or going direct to the product company? As with the example above we shall look at airport parking and explain the differences between booking through an agent and booking direct.

Depending on the agent or comparison site the Customer will have a choice of a number of parking operators to choose from. If we take Gatwick Airport Parking as an example these prices range from £35 upwards to over £100 for a weeks depending on the quality of the service. We will assume that the lower price range would offer a park and ride service ( transfer by bus )  and the higher price would be a valet parking service or meet and greet at the airport terminal. However this does not always apply as some agents offer a meet and greet parking service as low as £40 - £50. Prices as low as this for a valet service can only be offered by un-approved operators where they are compromising on safety and security. It is most unlikely the agent will sell the product for less than the operator itself.

Most parking operators are tied to their agents inasmuch as their prices cannot be more or less than the agent selling the product. This means that the parking operator will have to take a hefty chunk of its fee to pay the agent and this can be as much as 35%. Add this to the 20% VAT element of the booking it means that the operator is only getting approximately 50% of the total cost of the booking. This substantial cut in the operator’s profit margins can only reflect itself in the ultimate quality of the service the Customer receives. At a price range of £35 to £50 this means that the profit is small or non-existent or where the parking is not subject to adequate insurance, has no planning permission or even VAT.

The recently introduced Approved Operator Scheme at Gatwick will inevitably create a bigger divide in price between park and ride and valet parking. Airport Access Charges have been introduced for every vehicle that enters the forecourts. This again will create a greater burden on the Operator as it is them that will have to absorb the costs and not the commission agent.

Most of the Gatwick Parking operators have their own web sites in spite of the fact that most of their traffic is derived from the Agents. The Agents are superior marketers and this is readily demonstrated by typing in a keyword such as ‘Gatwick Park’ in a search engine such as ‘Google’. The first page is entirely made up of agents or comparison sites and sole operator sites are found further on.

If you look at price comparison web sites for airport parking and then compare them to sole operator web sites you will find an enormous difference particularly if the sole operator is an approved operator.

The sole operator’s web site goes a long way to explaining its service and the industry surrounding it. The agent’s web site is a long way short of descriptions and will simply show icons to indicate what is offered with no actual detail.

If you are a new Customer and you are booking direct with an approved parking operator at Gatwick then you will find the operator working hard to please you and to tempt you back again and again. Very often the operator will offer discounts for your next trip.

Gatwick Parking

Commission Agents Vs Sole Operators

Most parking operators have their own web sites and it has to be accepted that they would rather not pay agents fees if they could achieve the same sort of traffic without them. However, the agents are marketing experts and you will see this just by typing in the term ‘Gatwick Parking’ in your chosen search engine. The first page of results is entirely made up of Agents or comparison sites. Move on to subsequent pages and you will see more actual ‘Operators Web Sites’.

Sole operator web sites offer many advantages to the Gatwick Parking Customer. They explain in much greater detail every aspect of their operation including security, location, terms and conditions, operational procedures and complaints procedures. They supply landline telephone numbers, VAT numbers and 24 hour phone numbers in an effort to provide total peace of mind to the Customer. They will tell you exactly where your car is parked for the duration of your holiday or business trip. By contrast, comparison sites use ‘call to action’ methods on their landing pages.  They use a series of icons to inform you of the security, service offered and others. They will indicate an icon of a barrier where the said car park has an entry barrier or a CCTV icon where CCTV is being used. This in no way indicates the true nature of the barrier i.e., always closed or CCTV ( total or partial coverage) and in some cases there is no barrier or CCTV at all.

Gatwick Airport has recently introduced an Approved Operator Scheme. After achieving certain awards from Trading Standards and the Safer Parking Scheme operators are invited to join the scheme. Only 8 operators have achieved Approved Status. These approved operators have their car park sites inspected every year in order to remain within the scheme. It is the actual operator that receives the award not the agent or comparison site.

An approved operator will deal with you the Customer for the entire length of your booking from the time you make it to the time you return from your holiday and your car is delivered to you. They will keep you informed of any changes as a result of airport security alerts, traffic issues and any other issues. They have one very special item on their agenda and that is to provide you with a service that will keep you coming back time after time and for you to recommend them to your friends.

The Gatwick parking operator may not be so good at marketing but he does have your very best interest at heart.

Most sole operators will offer discounts on return bookings or ‘loyalty’ discounts the more times you use them even if this is over several years.

Good operators will have landline telephone numbers so any queries or requests can be dealt with just by lifting the phone. Good operators have 24 hour mobile contact or emergency contact. After all, you’re going to leave your prized possession in the hands of someone else so wouldn’t it be nice to have total peace of mind so that you can really enjoy your holiday!

So for your parking at Gatwick always choose an approved operator and preferably one that’s been around for a long time.

 

Gatwick Airport Parking

30th September 2013

Hello all

It's been some time since I have updated everyone on Gatwick Parking events. What with the holidays and a busy summer I have had little time to catch up on all events.

A lot has happened this summer not least the new Surface Access Charges that Gatwick Airport have imposed. All Approved Valet Parking Companies at (Meet and Greet) will have to pay a £6 fee for every Customer they meet or greet on the Terminal Forecourt. All unapproved operators have been pushed into the multi-storey car parks for their meet and greet which are subject to the current parking rates in force.

The general public will still be able to drop off their passengers on the forecourts but pick up is also being pushed into the multi-storey car parks. This applies to all taxis and passenger service vehicles.

Implementation of this scheme was on the 10th July for all Gatwick Meet and Greet Parking Operators. Forecourt transactions seem to have settled in reasonably well although it seems that a number of Valet Parking Operators and Taxis have failed to get the message and continue to abuse the new regulations. Traffic Wardens and Marshalls are doing their very best but it would appear that some of them are unaware of who can use the forecourt and those that can't.

There are mixed reports of the use of the multi-storey car parks with the majority stating that there has been an element of confusion for the Customers in finding the meeting points. Access to the MS car parks have shown an increased volume and this has slowed the pick up and delivery times for those operators using them. The traditional drop off and pick up on the forecourt remains the favourite option for most Customers.

Meet and greet parking at Gatwick is growing fast in popularity as indeed at all other UK Airports. This coincides with a reduction in Customers using Park & Ride operations. It is not co-incidental that some of the well established park and ride operations are investing in or expanding their valet parking sector.

There is no doubt that the Approved Operator Scheme will go a long way to reducing the number of rogue activities within the valet parking industry at Gatwick. This has given a kick to some operators to get their house in order and will no doubt serve to improve the credibility of the industry which in recent years has been somewhat soured by those operators who have less than desirable practices.

If you are going to use a valet parking company at Gatwick then it is wise to use someone you know or you have used before. For new Customers to the world of Gatwick valet parking there are a few golden rules.

• Use a company that has been established for a long time.
• Use a company that has close proximity to Gatwick North and South Terminal.
• Company number and VAT number should be declared on their web site.
• Company should have a landline telephone number that should be in operation during office hours.
• You vehicle is collected by the valet company at the airport but do you know where your car is being taken? All valet parking companies should publish the location of their car park or storage area on their web site.
• Web site photos should portray true facts and images of a valet parking company's operation and not images downloaded from the internet displaying false information.
• Beware false claims on web sites. It is a fact that more than 75% of  web sites offering valet parking services at Gatwick are making false claims of CCTV, barrier Control, perimeter fencing and so on.

Finally, you should know that out of 40+ operators at Gatwick Airport offering meet and greet parking services only 8 received the Approved Operator Status. All others failed to meet the criteria as laid down by Gatwick Airport, Trading Standards, ParkMark and West Sussex County Council.

To find out who the Approved Operators are just go to the Gatwick Airport web site, click on 'Parking' then 'Useful Links' and then 'Approved Operator Scheme'.

Gatwick Airport Parking

Please book with us at www.tudorrose.co.uk. The nearest and the oldest parking at Gatwick Airport.

Looking for Gatwick Parking

Always on impasse when we want to book our airport parking, especially if you fly from Gatwick Airport.


Booking your Gatwick Parking can be very ‘trying’ for your nerves. If you don’t have friends or relatives to recommend you a reputable and reliable car park you’ve got to go through the tedious search online.

Not the search itself is what gets you but how do you chose the right Gatwick Parking ,the one that offers you the peace of mind that your car is safe and to be good value for money as well.

A lot of companies just flourished overnight at Gatwick. If you browse the internet for Gatwick Parking you get a lot of companies who offer you ‘the best deal’ then others.

A lot of them will enchant you with their well structured website, to the point content and REALY good prices. But in this day and age almost anyone could make a good website but what lies behind the ‘SO GOOD WEBSITE’ will make you wonder.

We tend to take at face value all that is said to us, either over the phone or online when we make a booking, but who checks all this car parks at Gatwick to assure you that they are true to their word?!


Airport Valet Parking Contractors Association will do that for you. AVPCA is an Association of valet parking contractors that have come together to protect their industry from the increasing number of rogue operators and bad practices.

In particular, the Association has been formed as a result of the increase in professional looking web sites, offering discounted services but regretfully lacking in solid investment into premises, insurance, staff training or have little call for Customer Relations.

Their aim - Protecting customers against rogue airport parking firms and bad practices in airport parking.


Planning Permission
To ensure that all their members have principal places of business that has the correct planning permissions for the operation of airport parking.

Arbitration Services
If a dispute does arise all the members have signed up to their arbitration and dispute resolution charter giving a complete peace of mind.

VAT Registered Businesses
Making sure that all members are correctly registered for VAT ensuring that you receive correct bills & invoices, assisting you in your accounting processes.

Land Line Telephone Number
It is a requirement that all members have registered telephone landlines. They don't accept those operators who only use mobile phones.

Registered Business Offices
As part of their due diligences to protect you, the customer, they check that all their members have registered offices at companies’ house and they visit those offices.

Up-To-Date Financial Accounts
To ensure you are not dealing with a "fly by night" firm all members are required to supply audited financial accounts showing they are solvent.

Certified Accountants
In addition to checking the solvency of their members they also check out their accountants to ensure that accounts are provided by reputable companies.


Criminal Records Bureau
To protect consumers AVPCA runs checks on all our members to ensure that they are in turn checking the CRB records of all of their staff.

Interaction With Local Police
In order to best protect our customers, their members interact with Local & Airport Police wherever possible. History shows that Rogue Traders cannot afford to embrace the Local Police and use the help and advice available to protect our customers.

Full Liability Insurance
In the event of an accident you need to know that all our members have the required amount of insurance cover. They run these checks an all their members for your peace of mind.

Mobile Gadgets – bless or a curse?

We leave in a day and age where we rely more and more on technology, even for the smallest task or chore. With so many companies, on all service sectors creating a web site or an application designated for smartphones or tablets is no wonder we became dependent on our gadgets.

Whether we are on a train, car or just down in the park with our kids we all carry our phones or Ipads. We tweet, check our friends on facebook or just to find the nearest ‘Italian restaurant’, our best friend gadget is there to help.

Annoying as it may be, we do sometimes (some more often then others) leave things to the last minute.

And no exception makes your airport parking. We are so excited with the prospect of getting away from the miserable weather or the stressful job, that where we will park our car comes last on the list - if is not forgotten altogether.

To park at the airport car parks is one of the alternatives. But even if you are lucky to find a place – especially in the summer, the cost for a meet and greet service or valet parking is astronomical, whether you’re talking about Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester is the same.

The alternatives are the car parks around the airport that offer the meet and greet / valet parking service. But if you’re already on the way to the airport and not familiar with the airport parking companies - what do you do, how you can find a reputable company that can book you at short notice?

What many of us will do, pick up our phone and google - Airport Parking.

With this in mind, Tudor Rose Valet Parking at Gatwick Airport created a mobile web site.
Not only to help you book your Gatwick Parking on short notice but enabling you to navigate through the web site pages easily. In just one click you can call their office to make your booking or you can follow their step by step directions for Gatwick Airport Terminals or Tudor Rose Car Park site.

If you had booked your car with Tudor Rose Airport Parking but you forgot to print off the paper with instructions on what to do; No need to worry or panic, with just one ‘tap’ you can access the Terminal or Car Park Directions and go through the procedure.

No fiddling with papers while you’re driving, no need to dig out in your bag for pen and paper to write down instructions.

The driver’s mobile number is easy to access, just tap on the number and you’ll be put through straight away.

A mobile web site from a Gatwick Parking company is more then welcome and comes very handy for all its travellers.

20 years of Success.. Thank you all..!

We are so glad to say that we have completed 20 years of our business and we are so thankful to all our clients for making this successful. Please have a look on our new video of the parking service. We hope that you all having a very good day. :)

Car safety on Airport Car Parks

Your car is a huge investment. They enable you to socialise, commute to work and take your children to and from school. Having a car stolen can have an extremely detrimental effect on people’s lifestyles, and is very upsetting and stressful.

Second to your home, the chances are your car is the most expensive thing that you own. Even though cars are insured, the majority of car owners take every action possible to keep their vehicles safe. This includes parking them in safe, well lit areas in recognised parking spaces.

When you go away on holiday, the chances are that you’ll leave your car in a car park for its duration. When you leave your car for one or two weeks, you’ll want to make sure that it’s in a safe, secure and recognised car park. Here are some ways you can make sure that your airport car parking is safe:

Ask friends and family members for recommendations

One of the best ways of finding a good airport car park is to ask your friends and members of your family for any recommendations they may have. Ask them which car parks they have used in the past, and what experience they had with them. This will give you an indication of how safe the car park is, as well as the quality of other services the car park may offer.

Check travel forums

If you can ask any of your friends or family members for recommendations, consider asking questions on a travel forum. You will be able to read honest opinions and recommendations from people who have used the car parks you’re interested in using. This will enable to compare airport car parks and choose the best and safest options for you.

Airport parking is generally on- or off-site. While both offer provisions for the safety of your vehicle, each also has various benefits and drawbacks:

On-Site Parking

On-site parking is often seen as the safest option when leaving your car. These car parks are within the airport boundaries where they are constantly monitored by CCTV and security staff. However, on-site car parks can be very expensive.

Off-Site Parking

Cheap airport car parking is generally offered in off-site locations but, just because it’s less expensive, it doesn’t mean that they scrimp on security. Many of these car parks have the ‘Safer Parking Award’, showing you that they are extremely secure. Car parks with this award have been vetted by the police to make sure that there are measures in place to deter crime and anti-social behaviour and that both you and your vehicle will be safe in the facility. Companies are also assessed annually to make sure the standards of safety and security and being upheld.

Gatwick airport parking

Gatwick Parking

For many people parking at Gatwick airport is an expensive extra which comes as a necessity rather than a choice.

If you are on a slim budget and looking around for value for money then off-airport Gatwick parking is the best option. The down side to park & ride off-airport car parks is that they have longer transfer times which once you arrive at the car park, can take up to an hour to get to the airport in a bus or coach. This is unnecessary travelling time and only adds to the general hassle of getting to your destination. In most cases you will pass your car keys over and the operator will park your car for you.

Gatwick Valet Parking or Gatwick  Meet and Greet Parking is not generally the ‘more expensive’ option of parking at Gatwick but without doubt  is the most convenient and quick way of getting to the check-in desk.

However, passing your valuable car over to someone else to be driven somewhere off-airport is not in everyone’s interest.

As much as every where you need to pay attention to the small print. Make sure that you know where you car will be parked, if drivers are insured to drive your car. basically what happens with your car.

If you source all the available information from the Gatwick Parking Suppliers and compile it you will come up with some surprising results which shows that you don’t have to pay a fortune to receive a quality service.