A couple from Radlett, Hertfordshire, are confronting significant distress and financial loss after an official airport parking service employee crashed their £70,000 Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV at London Luton Airport. The incident took place late on March 5, shortly after Dr Jeremy Bliss, a north London dental practitioner, and his wife Tracey returned to the UK with two of their daughters following a five-day holiday in Alicante, Spain.
The Blisses had entrusted their immaculate 2022 Jaguar I-Pace to APCOA’s official priority parking service at London Luton Airport, expecting professional care. However, upon collecting their vehicle, they found it extensively damaged, smashed through a metal fence and declared a total write-off. The couple shared photographs and footage revealing severe front-end damage that experts estimated would cost around £50,000 to repair.
Dr Bliss expressed his frustration to MailOnline, saying, "The whole thing has been a nightmare. We chose to use the official priority service because we thought it was more reliable and they would take better care of our car - but we never thought something like this could happen."
Mrs Bliss recounted the immediate aftermath of the accident. She said that upon returning to the priority parking office, they were told their car had been crashed but received little information or cooperation from staff. "We had just flown back and went straight to the priority parking office. Jeremy went in to get the keys, while I waited outside with my daughters – but he was in there for quite a while, which I thought was a bit strange," she said. "Eventually he came out and said to me: 'They've crashed the car.' I was just stunned, and we were so exhausted as well. It was late at night and we just wanted to get home."
When Mrs Bliss sought explanations and requested to see the vehicle, staff initially resisted. Eventually, a deputy manager accompanied the family to the parking site where they found the car crushed into a fence embankment. She said, "I'd looked after the car like a newborn baby and just couldn't believe what I was seeing."
According to the Blisses' account, staff members had tried to close ranks by encouraging the family to take a taxi home without inspecting the vehicle or speaking with the driver involved. They were told the driver had been sent home after claiming to have banged his head during the collision, but the company did not perform a breathalyser test or provide further details. The family remains unsure of the circumstances surrounding the crash even eight weeks later.
An examination by repair experts noted that the external pedestrian airbag deployed upon impact, but the driver's airbag did not, likely because the car was airborne during the collision, spinning 180 degrees before crashing. The Blisses were further distressed by APCOA’s lack of communication or apology. Attempts to engage with the parking service’s operations manager and senior executives, including the UK and Ireland managing director, Kim Challis, received no response.
The financial consequences have been significant. The vehicle's current market value was assessed at just under £30,000 by APCOA’s insurers, well below the outstanding finance balance, leaving the Blisses with a £14,000 shortfall. Additional expenses, including a £70.99 parking fee and further costs, add to their losses. Mrs Bliss said, "We immediately cancelled our forward bookings with them... I would never recommend or use them ever again."
In response, APCOA issued a statement to MailOnline, acknowledging the rarity of such events and apologising for the inconvenience caused to the Blisses. They noted they provided a hire car within 48 hours and conducted an internal investigation. The company confirmed a full refund for the parking charges would be issued once the case is closed and that an offer had been made by their insurance company.
A London Luton Airport spokesperson also commented, saying: "Whilst thousands of passengers take advantage of our on-site Priority Parking service every week, incidents such as this are extremely rare. We take our responsibilities with passengers' vehicles seriously and we are continuing to work closely with the Meet and Greet service provider and the insurer to resolve this matter as quickly as possible."
The couple’s experience highlights the challenges faced when dealing with significant damage and loss through a service presumed secure by many travellers. The Blisses remain without full clarity or compensation and continue to await resolution over two months after the incident.
Source: Noah Wire Services