Leaving your Cali at the airport

[Mr Q]

Were off to Lanzarote for a week for some winter sun. Planning on leaving my beach at the airport long stay car park while we're away.
Our insurance policy states we have to let them know if the van is left unattended for more than 48 hours away from home. Just phoned our insurer and they want £45 to make the change from driveway to airport car park for a week. Anyone else encountered this issue?

 

[sidepod]

Tell them you're cancelling the policy.

 

[Rich20]

Disgraceful. It would be in secure parking. You are doing what they ask, not amending your policy.

 

[snowy55]

Were off to Lanzarote for a week for some winter sun. Planning on leaving my beach at the airport long stay car park while we're away.
Our insurance policy states we have to let them know if the van is left unattended for more than 48 hours away from home. Just phoned our insurer and they want £45 to make the change from driveway to airport car park for a week. Anyone else encountered this issue?

Which insurance company?

 

[Meoncoast]

how much is a taxi

 

[WelshGas]

Bet it's Comfort.

 

[Mr Q]

It's Caravan Guard wish I'd went with Comfort. Airport is 120 miles away.

 

[WelshGas]

It's Caravan Guard wish I'd went with Comfort. Airport is 120 miles away.

Comfort would have probably charged the same.

 

[Mr Q]

A quick update on this. I paid the insurance fee of £49 to store the van at a different location for a week. I was fuming.

When I got back I phoned my insurer to let them know the van was back at home in the driveway and I was refunded £33. So not too bad only cost me £16.

 

[bvddobb]

Still weird. The van is not unattended when it is in a secure, guarded car park. So, why would you have to notify them that it is left unattended and pay an extra fee? Never heard of such a thing. Would be different if you left it in the street somewhere, but on a guarded car park? Weird.

 

[Stuart]

The funny thing is if you did leave it on the street unattended for weeks then you wouldn't really need to tell them as there's no evidence of how long it was left there!

 

[suzanne1]

We have just cancelled our insurance with Comfort (we had been with them for 5 years) as they have changed their terms and will not cover the Cali if it is in a secure car park for longer than 48 hours- useless if you occasionally stay in apartments on your travels or park it at the airport for a long weekend!

 

[DM]

We have just cancelled our insurance with Comfort (we had been with them for 5 years) as they have changed their terms and will not cover the Cali if it is in a secure car park for longer than 48 hours- useless if you occasionally stay in apartments on your travels or park it at the airport for a long weekend!

I had a long conversation about the airport question with Comfort when I took the policy out. The advisor I spoke to was adamant that if it was for a 'short period' then they would not charge extra as long as they were advised beforehand. Has anyone actually tried to get permission for a short airport stay from Comfort?

 

[Wolfie]

Comfort still have the 48 hour rule, which they stated every time I 'phoned. As far as the airport issue goes they may be softening regarding paying a fee. When I asked, they said that as long as they knew about it and it was a UK airport and it wasn't 'meet & greet' parking (by which they mean you leave your keys with the parking company) then they wouldn't charge. However, if the Cali was left at a foreign airport then there would be a charge. I haven't tested it out yet, so it would definitely be worth checking.

 

[Aubisque]

I just got this from Comfort on this topic :

"If you would like your leave your vehicle unattended elsewhere for more than 48 hours you would need to make us aware of that.

If the vehicle is on a campsite and you are with the vehicle on holiday, this exclusion would not apply as you haven’t left the vehicle unattended. If you left the vehicle on a campsite unoccupied for over 48 hours, so parked up and went on a 3 day excursion for example – that’s when you would need to advise us.

If you would like to keep your vehicle in approved airport parking, we accept this so would just note your policy as and when required."

I wonder who the airport parking approval authority is....

 

[ArunAlec]

I would think the "approved airport parking" is the car parking options provided by the airport and normally located adjacent to the airport rather than the offsite companies.

 

[Joker 1299]

I just got this from Comfort on this topic : If you left the vehicle on a campsite unoccupied for over 48 hours, so parked up and went on a 3 day excursion for example – that’s when you would need to advise us...

So what do they do when you advise them? Send round an armed guard to watch over it? I don’t think so. It’s the most ridiculous clause I have heard of. Unfair Contract Terms Act springs to mind

 

[Speleo62]

More on comfort’s48 hr rule and what to be wary of.. we came home from weekend away to find our neighbour had blocked our shared drive with builders rubble so we weren’t able to get the van down the drive and on to our hard standing at the back of the house. The skip hadn’t took turned up and wasn’t coming till mid week. Van had to stay on road outside. Rang comfort to advise that there was a possibility that it would be more than 48 hrs to be told that the van would not be insured if left on the road. If it was on someone else’s driveway or even at an airport it would be. They look at google to see if you have a driveway. So beware. If you go to visit someone and don’t use the Cali and leave it parked on a road for more than 48 hrs. It is not insured at all. Comfort was cheap but will reconsider going with them next year.

 

[SimonB]

I'm with LV and plan to leave the Cali at Heathrow in the Autumn. Thanks to some excellent advice from @WelshGas we are booked into a secure parking area where we keep the keys. I rang LV to check that they were OK with this, and they are fine.

Big fuss at Bristol airport recently. A so called "Meet & Greet" unofficial parking company couldn't find where they had left customers cars or put their keys when they returned from holiday. One customer activated his tracker and found his car in a lay-by 18 miles away.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/passenger-stranded-bristol-airport-middle-1443046

 

[Moose]

We are with Comfort and as long as you give notice re secure parking at airport we have not had a problem or been charged, longest left so far 3wks.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I'm with LV and plan to leave the Cali at Heathrow in the Autumn. Thanks to some excellent advice from @WelshGas we are booked into a secure parking area where we keep the keys. I rang LV to check that they were OK with this, and they are fine.

Big fuss at Bristol airport recently. A so called "Meet & Greet" unofficial parking company couldn't find where they had left customers cars or put their keys when they returned from holiday. One customer activated his tracker and found his car in a lay-by 18 miles away.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/passenger-stranded-bristol-airport-middle-1443046

Anyone who uses meet and greet or some dodge low price car parking company need their heads testing.
I Always pay to stay at the airport car parks, more secure, more convenient and you always keep the key with you.
£50-60k Cali and people try and save £30 on parking. I don’t get it...???

 

[SimonB]

Anyone who uses meet and greet or some dodge low price car parking company need their heads testing.
I Always pay to stay at the airport car parks, more secure, more convenient and you always keep the key with you.
£50-60k Cali and people try and save £30 on parking. I don’t get it...???

Completely agree, and when the parking company call themselves "Absolutely Secure Airport Parking" you can't help but think that is exactly what they are not.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Completely agree, and when the parking company call themselves "Absolutely Secure Airport Parking" you can't help but think that is exactly what they are not.

Alarm bells should ring if they are called:

Lay-by Secure
Urban Parking
Asifs Meet & Greet

 

[Speleo62]

Secure parking is ok. It’s if you leave it parked outside on the road for more than 48 hrs for any reason, even if parked outside your own home that it will not be insured. Using a meet and greet service also is a no no.

 

[Bellcrew]

Secure parking is ok. It’s if you leave it parked outside on the road for more than 48 hrs for any reason, even if parked outside your own home that it will not be insured. Using a meet and greet service also is a no no.

Meet and dent service?