Low-life at Luton

[DeepC]

I have just returned from AMS after a pleasant weekend in Holland. I would have liked to be in work by 10:00am so I had got up fairly early 05:00 english time to drive to Schiphol (from Gouda). I got the 8:35am EZY service which arrived at about 8:50. I had parked my car in Mid-Term so I waited for the bus and by this returned to my car. Walking towards my car I was pleased to see that my tyres were still inflated (a problem with old Alloys that need relaquering). Yippee, I thought. I'm going to get to work on time! WRONG! Some low-life idiot had smashed my passenger side window and nicked my CD player, CD Collection and Car Sevice History.

The reason I am posting this is not just therapy but asking for advice. It must have happened to other people (not counting the owner of the brand spanking new Audi next to mine which had also had the window smashed). My car insurance was typically helpful. "Sir, You pay us £100 excess and we pay for your goods up to a value of £100. But by claiming that you will lose two years no claims bonus". Thanks, but no thanks.

Luton Crime desk was very helpful. Autoglass similar if a touch busy in their local units.

I am now left with either a bill for over £500 to replace my CD collection or trying to recover the money elsewhere.

Two options, What are the chances of it being covered in any way shape or form on my house insurance? Secondly, is TBI in the habit of making goodwill payments?

Any thoughts?

DeepC

[You want it when?]

Hate to say it but if you left the CDs in view then scroats will take 'em. Strange that they nicked the service book though - I guess some ringer is goign to find itself with a full service history.

Glass replacement should not affect the insurace premuim, claiming for the HiFi and CDs would.

House insurance is probably your best bet. Good luck.

[DeepC]

To be fair...

The CDs were not on open view they were in the door pocket of my VW Polo. When the door is shut there is very little that can be seen of the contents of the pocket.

I only wish it had a full service history! The problem comes when trying to explain to any potential owner why I do not have the instruction manuals etc...

I'll check my home insurance policy when I get home (which if I know anything of the nature of airport car breaks might itself be broken into)

DeepC

[mad_jock]

Unfortunately the vechile documents were proberly worth more than the CD's etc to the scrotums who broke into your car.

You may have more problems in the future when said scrotums use the documents to sell on a stolen car.

It really gets on my tits hearing about things like this.

MJ

[newswatcher]

Deepc, would the parking firm be liable? Do they describe the car park as "secure"? If they do, and you can prove that there is a history of theft (ask the police!), then it may be possible to prove it is NOT secure, and you may be able to "threaten" them with the small claims court. It's amazing what effect this can have!

At what stage did you see any "liability" notice. You should generally be aware of this, before you contract to park there. That is, such notice should be clearly visible, before you take your ticket at the entrance.

If they "advertise" the presence of CCTV and regular security patrols, then this may be deemed as "reasonable". Is the whole parking area covered, or are there some notable gaps in CCTV cover? I don't think they can advertise it as secure, if there is only limited surveilance of the perimeter. Did you ask them if you could view with them, the CCTV film covering the area where you parked your car? They may say it was faulty, but if this fault had occurred some time previously, again you may be able to take some action.

I am sure FL will have more concrete advice to give!

[LTNman]

I used to be on the Passenger Services sub committee at the airport representing passenger’s interests until the airport had the committee disbanded due to awkward questions being asked.

One of my pet subjects was the lack of security and CCTV cameras in the long term car park which has now been renamed the mid term car park. The car park was certainly a crime hot spot some two years ago which was a subject that the airport authority were keen on not being in the minutes of the meetings.

Since then improvements have been made as a wire fence has been installed from the entrance by the Ibis hotel roundabout to the barriers. The barriers have CCTV cameras monitoring the entrance so everyone should be monitored but whether they work is another story. As for the rest of the car park I am not aware of any cameras.

[DeepC]

LTNman

How long do they keep the tapes? The police are supposed to have got the airport to check them. But if the police asked the question: "was the car covered by CCTV?" the aiport could say no. If the police asked them to check for cars entering and leaving on friday, saturday and sunday. Especially cars that only stay in the carpark for a short time (hours rather than days) they may have a few leads.

I am absolutely gutted about the CDs. Some of them were irreplaceable. I know that leaving them in there was not a good idea but they were hidden from sight.

I've read the terms and conditions of the car park and there are two things that stand out. They deny any responsiblility for the express and long term self park car parks (I was parked in neither of them so presumably they are prepared to except some responsibility for the other car parks). They try and limit their liability to twice the car park fee paid. So in my case less than £60.

DeepC

[LTNman]

I have no idea about how long tapes are kept or whether the cameras are actually taped.

Anyone passing the barriers on foot should stand out but if they travelled in by stolen car and carried out some car break-ins then left in another stolen car taken from the car park car or travelled in or out by airport bus then you have no chance as you don’t even know what day your car was broken into.

Stolen and non-taxed cars are logged on number plate recognition cameras, as both the airports approach roads are covered but this isn’t going to help you.

The impression I got from my meetings was that the airport authority wanted maximum income but at minimum cost and were not prepared to kit out the car parks with effective CCTV.

For future reference Airparks Ltd has secure off airport parking.

[Paracab]

A few years back I managed to lose my car park ticket for that car parkand had to sit throught the security tapes showing me driving my car in when I originally parked, so those tapes are obviously kept for a period of time, exactly how long I'm not sure.

[SLF]

:( Commiserations, DeepC, but as regards your service history, if you were using a main dealer, they'd probably give you an electronic copy. Failing that, you still have your service bills, I hope...

[DeepC]

Service Bills,

Some but not all. Some were in the same folder that the service history was in. As was the serial number for the CD player!

I'll try and get electronic copies from the main Dealer. Cheers for reminding me of that route.

After the event it is quite simple to see how stupid I have been!

Home insurance has come up trumps for the CDs. Now drafting a letter to Luton Airport to tr and recover some of my losses that way.

DeepC

[DeepC]

Interesting reply from Central Parking Services after I sent them a letter along the lines of "I am a regular customer and I would be much obliged if you could see yourselves clear to compensate me for my outstanding losses of £275"

Their reply (whilst containing a 7 day parking voucher) declined my request for compensation on the terms of their 'terms and conditions' which were attached.

The reason the 'Terms and Conditions' are in inverted commas are that they bear very little resembelance to the Car Parking Terms & Conditions (The "Terms") that can be accessed via their website at time of booking. Whereas the terms on the website do not totally absolve them of liability but seek to limit it to a set figure, the "Terms & Conditions" attached to the letter start with the sentence "Users of the Car Park do so entirely at their own risk".

I'm just in the business of writing a letter pointing out the discrepancy.

DeepC

[LTNman]

You should thank the airport for giving the criminals another opportunity to break into your car if you use the voucher!!!