Shocking & dismal service

My car was stored with Absolute Valet Parking beginning February and I had arranged with them that I would need my car at the airport at 11h30 when I landed in Joburg from Cape Town.

At 11h20 I phoned AVP to inform them that I had landed and was collecting my bags and that I would be out in 5-10 minutes.

At 11h32 I phoned again, as I could not see your driver with my car, and was informed that the driver is at the airport, however AVP said they would get hold of the driver and send them to where I was waiting at the arrival terminals. They informed me that they normally dropped the vehicles at departures, but would route the driver to arrivals.

At 11h44 I phoned again, AVP then told me that the driver was on the way to the airport still and that the driver would be with me in 5 minutes.

At 11h51 I tried to contact AVP again, AVP wouldn’t answer the phone, eventually AVP answered the phone at 11h54, AVP told me that they weren’t sure where their driver was as they couldn’t get hold of the driver, yet they had apparently yelled at her because she was late, not sure how one can yell at someone if you can’t get hold of them?

At 12h08 I tried to contact AVP again, again AVP wouldn’t answer the phone, eventually they answered at 12h11, they told me that the driver was 5 minutes away from the airport.

At 12h15 AVP phoned me, this time to tell me that they needed to know where I was, after I had told them numerous times that I was waiting Terminal A Arrivals, Lower 9. AVP said that their driver was circling the airport again as the driver hadn’t seen me. By this stage I had been waiting in the road for almost an hour, looking out for my car so that I could flag the driver down. The driver did not pass me.

At 12h22 the driver eventually arrived with my vehicle, more than an hour after I landed. I recorded my conversation with the driver. The driver expressly noted that she was only told at 12h00 that she needed to deliver the vehicle. And that she did not leave before then. Hence every conversation I had with AVP prior to this enquiring as to where my car was, where you they stated that the driver was on the way, was all false and essentially they **** to me.

This inconvenienced me greatly as I had to go through Johannesburg traffic which I was hoping to avoid by landing earlier, I had a 4 hour drive ahead of me and arrived an hour later than I needed to.

On top of this, when I received my car, it smelt of cigarette smoke. I asked the driver about this as well, and noted it on AVP's “job card”. I am not a smoker and do not tolerate smoking. I had to endure a 4 hour drive with this stink. I had to have my car cleaned by professional car cleaners to get rid of the smell and an additional cost.

I sent my complaint through to AVP. Their response was only an apology, they stated that their drivers are not allowed to smoke in cars, yet the car stank of cigarette smoke, they said that they would discuss the possibility of a refund for the inconvenience and additional costs I had to endure. I have followed up twice thereafter and have had no response from them.

Do not use this company!