I used a 'meet and greet' service at Gatwick airport and was left lumbered with a £600 bill - then they called ME a liar

A woman was lumbered with a £600 bill after a 'meet and greet' parking company failed to collect her car from a short stay car park at Gatwick airport.

When Jo Timson jetted off to visit friends in Malaga on February 3, she was hoping for a relaxing getaway after the breakdown of her marriage.

But when she returned to the UK she was greeted by a nightmare, after firm Drive, Park and Fly failed to collect her car from the airport.

Furious at being duped out of the £78.99 fee, Jo then discovered she could be facing a £600 parking ticket - a bill over six times the amount she paid for her holiday. 

Standing in the Gatwick Parking Office after the ordeal, Jo broke down explaining she felt humiliated, embarrassed and 'a complete fool'.

Explaining how she originally found the company, Jo revealed she was directed to them via a search engine after booking her flights to Malaga. 

'When you look at their [Drive Park and Fly] wesbite, it looks like a legitimate bookings site, five star reviews - everything seemed fantastic,' she said.

After confirming her booking, Jo rang Drive Park and Fly half an hour before she arrived - just as she had been instructed.

But when she reached the short stay car park located in the North terminal, no one was there to greet her or collect her car.

According to Jo, when she phoned the 'meet and greet' company they instructed her to leave her keys in a designated spot so she wouldn't run the risk missing her flight. 

‘I should have thought something, perhaps was off. But I didn't have a clue. I'd never use this kind of thing before,' she said.

‘Other people parking were saying we have been told the same. There was nothing to suggest it was anything other than legit.’

However, shortly after landing it dawned on Jo that something was awry.

When she hit the tarmac at Gatwick airport at around 1.30am on February 9, she attempted to phone Drive Park and Fly to inform them she was at baggage claim.

But 12 phone calls later and the company did not answer, leaving her vulnerable and alone late at night.

'Again it was an unsociable time of day, so there was no public transport to get me home,' Jo said. 

Eventually, she managed to get through to Drive Park and Fly, who revealed they never picked up her car at all.

For the entire week, the 58-year-old had been trying to get away from the aftermath of her broken marriage, her car had been left in the short-stay car park.

The meet and greet parking company claimed the 58-year-old had not followed their guidance.

However, Jo affirmed she followed their instructions to a t, and when she told this to the Drive Park and Fly operator she claims he called her 'a f****** liar'.

‘I didn't know at the time but there were lots of people around suffering the same fate as me,' she said.

'It could have been worse some people's cars weren't there [and] they didn't have a car at all. 

‘But with everything going on in my life I just felt I had been lumbered with more bad luck.’

Upon arriving back to the short-stay car park, Jo saw her car hadn't been moved an inch away from where parked it.

However her keys had been moved onto the front wheel, in glaring view for all to see.

‘Anybody could have stolen my car. I could tell something was wrong even though it hadn't been moved,’ she said.

Jo had already paid Drive, Park and Fly £68.99 and covered the £10 parking tickets to allow them to valet her car.

But now the realisation dawned on her she would also be lumbered with quite the parking fee.

At around 2.30am, an emotional Jo headed down to the Gatwick parking office to recount what had happened.

‘I got half way through telling the story and he said: "I will stop you there",' she said. 

'He recanted what had happened to me verbatim and told me its happening all the time.' 

'He [the Gatwick parking employee] told me "We are powerless to stop them",' Jo revealed. 

Initially she was facing an eye-watering fee of £600 because the 'meet and greet' parking company failed to collect her car - a service she had paid for.

The parking bill was then reduced to £300, but with no credit card to hand, Jo had to phone friends to lend money. 

'I stood in Gatwick car park on my own. I felt vulnerable with my marriage break up, my emotions were heightened anyway.'

'I just felt humiliated, and when I stood [in the Gatwick parking office] I became upset I just felt completely embarrassed. I felt a complete fool.'

Jo turned to Sussex Police however she was told the incident was a civil matter.

She has also reported the matter to Trading Standards, who have not yet responded to her report. 

'You have no where to turn when it happens - no one wants to know,' she said.

'It's another smack in the face. Who do you turn to when things like this happen when nobody is interested in what's happened to you?' 

A spokesperson from Sussex Police said: 'Sussex Police supports West Sussex Trading Standards which is lead agency to investigate these matters.' 

MailOnline has approached Drive, Park and Fly and Trading Standards for comment.