Parking Scam at MEL

[vetrade]

A friend usually parks her new Merc at Andrews Airport Parking near MEL airport but last week they were full so she parked at nearby "Parking Port" on their recommendation.
When she picked up her car one of the engine warning lights was on when she started it but went off after a few kms. Then it dawned on her that the odometer was showing about 500km more than it should have. She took the car to her Merc dealer to get it checked and they think it has been used for burn-outs so it seems someone at the parking place has been "borrowing it". So now she's off to the police to report it.

Might be worth keeping in mind if you are tempted to park at the same place.

 

[RooFlyer]

Wow. Would love an update when she gets through with the police etc.

 

[harvyk]

Just like the scene from Ferris Bueller's day off!
I wonder what sort of video surveillance "Parking Port" has. I doubt they would be able to do anything based on her feeling that 500km has been driven, but if the car was caught on video leaving the yard at any time...

 

[aussiel]

Just like the scene from Ferris Bueller's day off!
I wonder what sort of video surveillance "Parking Port" has. I doubt they would be able to do anything based on her feeling that 500km has been driven, but if the car was caught on video leaving the yard at any time...

Perhaps there were remnants of burnt rubber anywhere on the car? Still can't prove that it was Parking Port staff that were the culprits though. I wonder if the car had a GPS that records it's location and speed!

 

[Milboo]

A very similar issue was happening in Auckland I believe - one incident was someone taking a Merc out for a ride and there was an attempted hit and run. Owner was very surprised to be contacted by the police.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

A friend usually parks her new Merc at Andrews Airport Parking near MEL airport but last week they were full so she parked at nearby "Parking Port" on their recommendation.

When she picked up her car one of the engine warning lights was on when she started it but went off after a few kms. Then it dawned on her that the odometer was showing about 500km more than it should have.

She took the car to her Merc dealer to get it checked and they think it has been used for burn-outs so it seems someone at the parking place has been "borrowing it". So now she's off to the police to report it.

Might be worth keeping in mind if you are tempted to park at the same place.

What did the Merc dealership charge for a 'look'? Hope they checked thd head gasket.

Was the fuel gauge showing the roughly the same same amount? If so, the thieves must've refuelled rhe car somewhere.

If may be we worth asking the airport petrol station if they remember seeing a brand new Merc with young punks (okay I'm profiling) at the wheel.

They may have surveillance footage but it would be easier if you had a time frame to give them.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/la...e/news-story/9e75ef6c594cf3e3f14ade597553f9d3

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/la...s/news-story/ffe541a85f8693e5c776e00105eff41c

 

[Flying Fox]

Generally burn-outs leave melted rubber residue in the wheel arches and on the quarter panels around the wheels. It can be a real pain in the butt to get these marks off.

Just saying.

Sorry to your friend as I'm a big car lover and this is a real violation to me.

 

[samh004]

Just install a hidden camera, take it in again and review the footage later... eventually you'll catch them in the act and will be able to take action.

 

[kalboy]

Tolls...? surely they used citylink.

 

[Tazza_0712]

I always photograph my odometer when I drop my car off at any valet station. Just a little extra insurance, and at least some form of proof should something be amiss at pickup time.

 

[medhead]

Has the friend contacted parking port with a complaint?

Perhaps there were remnants of burnt rubber anywhere on the car? Still can't prove that it was Parking Port staff that were the culprits though. I wonder if the car had a GPS that records it's location and speed!

They would be able to review engine data. Not sure how you figure it wasn't parking port staff. Did thieves break into the parking area steal the car and then conveniently return it? Staff have access to the keys, staff are very much in the sights for any use of the car.
This isn't the usual thing where car dealer service centres send the apprentice for lunch in your car.

 

[anat0l]

I would assume your friend has made her displeasure known to Andrews as well? Or will she wait until a police report is formulated?

I wonder how likely it will be that someone actually will get pinned for this. If there was no footage and some people are not prepared to go through the interesting investigative steps expressed above, then not much might happen.

I wonder if Andrews has experienced any similar kinds of complaints in relation to their parking services.


I guess if it had been some external thieves, you'd think the more likely thing to do would be to steal the car, but then again with high end cars like this and if a theft were really reported, it'd be much easier to trace the culprit let alone flog the car. So that's why they may not have stolen it.

 

[Melburnian1]

If word got out about such practices, anat01, it would be extremely bad for business.

 

[vetrade]

Update:

Not surprisingly the parking people used the Sergeant Schultz defence - "We know nuthink"
In the absence of damage to the car (the original suggestion of "burnouts" has now been changed to "hooning / joyriding" so no physical evidence) and, not being able to identify a specific person as being involved (multiple staff), the police have little to go on. The odometer reading is the giveaway but, not surprisingly, the owner has no proof of what the exact reading was when the car was left. And, of course the car wasn't actually stolen - she left it and the keys there voluntarily. Can't imagine resources will be put into it given all that.

Seems it won't amount to anything unless someone else subsequently reports similar problems.

 

[drewbles]

Interesting that they recommended Parking Port rather than another company they own (Busy Beaver). Perhaps they were full too.

 

[vetrade]

I would assume your friend has made her displeasure known to Andrews as well? Or will she wait until a police report is formulated?

Yes, she rang and reported it to Andrews and they didn't have anything to say - not surprising given that their business didn't do anything wrong. They may well have thought they were helping her out with a suggestion since they were full.

 

[medhead]

I guess if it had been some external thieves, you'd think the more likely thing to do would be to steal the car, but then again with high end cars like this and if a theft were really reported, it'd be much easier to trace the culprit let alone flog the car. So that's why they may not have stolen it.

An external thief who took it for burnouts/hooning would torch the car afterwards. It would be very short term, e.g. overnight. Not worried about it being reported in a short time frame.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Update:

Not surprisingly the parking people used the Sergeant Schultz defence - "We know nuthink"
In the absence of damage to the car (the original suggestion of "burnouts" has now been changed to "hooning / joyriding" so no physical evidence) and, not being able to identify a specific person as being involved (multiple staff), the police have little to go on.

The odometer reading is the giveaway but, not surprisingly, the owner has no proof of what the exact reading was when the car was left. And, of course the car wasn't actually stolen - she left it and the keys there voluntarily. Can't imagine resources will be put into it given all that.

Seems it won't amount to anything unless someone else subsequently reports similar problems.

Does your friend remember the fuel gauge reading when she left it there vs what it was when she collected it ie was there a discrepancy?

Would love to see a sting with a hidden csmera and GPS. This is the type of story ACA would love so may be worth contacting them.

Interesting that they recommended Parking Port rather than another company they own (Busy Beaver). Perhaps they were full too.

Perhaps they were in on the scam too and the Andrews Car Park may not have even been full. Someone there could've been doing the deed using Parking Port as the 'Patsy'.

Andrews could've copied the key from the last time your friend left the car there previously.

 

[travelislife]

Perhaps they were in on the scam too and the Andrews Car Park may not have even been full. Someone there could've been doing the deed using Parking Port as the 'Patsy'.

Andrews could've copied the key from the last time your friend left the car there previously.

Personally I think this is speculating a bit far. Probably just opportunistic joy riding by a staff member in a nice car. Not good. But organised copying of keys between businesses sounds a bit far fetched.

I would have thought checking CCTV footage of the car park entry/exit would be the easiest thing to do.

 

[vetrade]

Does your friend remember the fuel gauge reading when she left it there vs what it was when she collected it ie was there a discrepancy?

Would love to see a sting with a hidden csmera and GPS. This is the type of story ACA would love so may be worth contacting them.

Perhaps they were in on the scam too and the Andrews Car Park may not have even been full. Someone there could've been doing the deed using Parking Port as the 'Patsy'.

Andrews could've copied the key from the last time your friend left the car there previously.

The fuel gauge wasn't obviously different.

As for other suggestions I think the "conspiracy theories" are pretty unrealistic. The most likely scenario was that it was an opportunistic staffer.
FYI you can't copy a Merc key.