Along with car hire prices hitting the pockets this summer, due to a shortage of cars, it has been flagged-up that a car parking scam has been going on.
With many holidaymakers heading to Alicante-Elche and Corvera airports from Manchester, motorists have reported lost keys, and cars stuck in boggy fields on their return from holiday.
Holidaymakers have had their cars damaged, stolen and driven thousands of miles amid a rise of rogue airport meet-and-greet firms, police report.
Motorists using companies operating near Manchester Airport include an owner revealing his car had been driven more than 3,000 miles!
Many car parks have no affiliation to Manchester Airport, which urged people to do their research, before handing over keys.
Cheshire Police said more than 55 incidents had been reported since January at car parks in Lode Hill and Moss Lane, in Styal.
Another owner told police their car bonnet had been stolen, and in April, 150 people said they returned from holiday – and their car keys were missing.
Inspector Andrew Baker, from Cheshire Police, said many of the owners had made their bookings through online comparison sites, believing they were secure.
“In reality, many of these car parks are simply muddy fields on land bordering the runway and have no affiliation to the airport whatsoever,” he said.
Police said while many of the businesses were not operating illegally, some of the activity on their sites was illegal and some of their services were questionable.
A search of one of the Styal sites was reported to having led to cannabis and drug paraphernalia found. Two men were arrested on suspicion of supplying class B drugs.
A Manchester Airport spokeswoman said: “Passengers should do their research before handing over keys.
“In addition to our own official parking products, there are a number of reliable and reputable third-party providers located near the airport.”
And it’s not just Manchester where incidents have occurred. One car owner visiting Murcia arrived in Spain – only to be told his car wasn’t in the parking compound.
After waiting a number of days for the return of his vehicle he was told the car had been taken to another area and apologised for the inconvenience.
