A man who paid for airport meet-and-greet parking has been left facing a large fine after returning from holiday to find his car in a terrible state and several penalty notices waiting for him, according to Ladbible. Andrew had reportedly arranged parking through Heathrow Meet and Greet, also known as HMG Parking, before flying to Dubai with his wife.
The service apparently acts as a comparison platform, directing customers to other parking providers rather than looking after vehicles itself. The couple’s trip reportedly took an unexpected turn when the war in the Middle East left them “stranded” in Dubai for an additional six days.
According to Andrew, when they returned from the trip, they found the car in a terrible condition. The interior was a “complete mess,” the fuel tank was empty, and some change he had left for parking had reportedly disappeared. He also claimed that a phone charger was missing.
The problems didn’t end there. After returning home, the couple reportedly discovered that their car had been issued multiple penalty notices while they were away, leaving them worried about the money they could be forced to pay.
He got a heavy fine
Speaking to Sky News’ Money Problem series, Andrew claimed that he received a penalty notice from Hounslow Council. A few days later, two additional notices arrived from Slough Council over alleged parking violations. Slough Council subsequently waived its two penalties. Hounslow Council, however, apparently continued pursuing a £160 fine, despite Andrew’s claim that he had evidence to prove that he “was out of the country at the time of the offence.”
Consumer journalist and personal finance specialist Jess Sharp investigated the case after receiving complaints about similar parking services. Sharp’s investigation found that although Andrew had booked through HMG Parking’s website, his car had actually been handled by an independent company called Super Parking Limited.
The company was reportedly under investigation by Trading Standards and scrutiny from Companies House. Sharp also found that it was not officially accredited with a parking industry body. She wrote that the company apparently had no working website, social media account, or contact number she could use, and the emails she sent were returned as undeliverable.
She also claimed to discover that the company’s registered address had been changed to a default Companies House address. UK companies must maintain an appropriate registered office where official correspondence can reach someone acting for the business. If the address requirements are not met, Companies House can begin steps to strike a company off the register if the issue is not resolved.
Sharp said Andrew had grounds to challenge the Hounslow fine because he claimed the vehicle had been taken and driven without his permission. Andrew claimed he had already reported the incident to the police and received a crime reference number. Sharp advised him to include that reference in his appeal, explain the circumstances carefully, and make clear that he was not driving when the alleged offence occurred.
She added that if Hounslow Council rejected his appeal, he could escalate the matter to London Tribunals, an independent body that handles certain parking appeals. Sharp also suggested that Andrew contact his bank about a possible chargeback for the parking service and report this shady parking incident to Report Fraud.
Published: Oct 26, 2026 02:30 pm