Valet Parking Problem

[Litty8]

On our last day at a VWL, I was loading the car with a bellman when we noticed a new ding on the passenger door. I asked the bellman if he would mind getting me a supervisor so I can report it.

The first thing he says, is "let me warn you that they are not Disney employees. They are from an outside company". I spoke to the supervisor and he said he pulled my ticket and they noted some scratches on the side door when I brought my car in. However, since I had another scratch on the same door, there is no telling which one was being marked. Therefore, he said I have no claim even though I know it was a new mark.

When I asked if I could speak to his boss the answer was he isn't here right now. Then I said can I have his name and phone number, and his answer was, I need to see if I can reach him and see if I can give that information out. I asked if I can file some claim or complaint so I have something in writing should I try to follow up after returning home. Again, I was told no because there is no evidence of this happening while in their possession.

I was frustrated and had the whole family waiting for me, so I left. I managed to get the name of the company he worked for but that is all. I'm sure nothing will come from it but I sure wish that Disney would take over this responsibility at their resorts! At the very least I would think they would speak to me with more respect and in a pleasent manner.

 

[wdw1972]

Disney made the conscious decision to outsource the valet parking, not too many years ago. I imagine the private company will act the same way any valet company would - but I was surprised to hear they'd noted scratches on their paperwork. Valet parking can be a convenience (I don't really think so, because having to wait for your car to be brought up is a huge negative in my eyes - it just lets you be lazy by someone else parking & retrieving the car) it has alot of risks. Unless you have series of full-car photos with date/time and the valet parker included, there's no way to "prove" the damage wasn't there before you turned over the keys to your car. Most of the time nothing goes wrong, but when something does - the burden of proof is on the car owner and unless it's major damage they can't prove anything.

While Disney may have been more "polite" if they still did the valet parking, they're not likely to pay for the car repair in this case or similar situations.

 

[Disneyhappy]

Cell phones with cameras and/or video can help with this. Earlier this month, I had my son video the outside ofthe car when we arrived. The funny thing is that they actually noted it on their part of the ticket.

 

[Alexander]

...Valet parking can be a convenience (I don't really think so, because having to wait for your car to be brought up is a huge negative in my eyes - it just lets you be lazy by someone else parking & retrieving the car) it has alot of risks....

Have you ever self-parked at the Grand Floridian? Oh my! It is totally worth the wait. I swear it is a 3 mile hike to the self-parking lot!

I don't necessarily think the valet parking is for lazy people, we are on vacation and like to be treated as such. It is something we see as kind of cool, and would never have the opportunity to have it done elsewhere. It is really nice to have a nice air conditioned car pull up and you just hop in.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

the issue could also be a guest parks there car next to you, and dings you. That's not the Valet's fault. Major damage, yes I'd push further, but a ding, I'd just let it go.

 

[graygables]

the issue could also be a guest parks there car next to you, and dings you. That's not the Valet's fault. Major damage, yes I'd push further, but a ding, I'd just let it go.

The last trip I have my van, it came back with a ding and I didn't even give it a second thought. Dings happen, it's a car, no big whoop.

 

[gkrykewy]

The last trip I have my van, it came back with a ding and I didn't even give it a second thought. Dings happen, it's a car, no big whoop.

And if it's an SUV, its resale value is essentially zero now anyway

 

[toocherie]

a friend of mine was in Las Vegas for a convention in May and valet parked his car. On the morning he was leaving, he was called by the manager of the hotel to please come to the main office . . . . turns out some of the valet parkers had decided to have some fun with his car (a Mercedes CLK convertible) and totalled it against a column in the parking garage!!!!

It reminded me of that scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. . . . .

I think we become complacent about things like valet parking and don't realize that damage can occur--intentionally or not . . . .

 

[Litty8]

Thanks all. We do like to be treated special on vacation and since I can call the valet from the room, the car is waiting for us when we get to the front door. I didn't expect to get much help, but it would have been nice to have someone speak nicely to me about it.

 

[DebbieB]

the issue could also be a guest parks there car next to you, and dings you. That's not the Valet's fault. Major damage, yes I'd push further, but a ding, I'd just let it go.

A guest should not be parking in the valet lot. I work in insurance. When you turn a vehicle over to valet, it is considered in their "care, custody & control". That's why they should have garagekeeper's insurance.

 

[dianeschlicht]

That is exactly why my DH refuses valet service. He hates the thought of turning his keys over to someone he doesn't know.

 

[tgropp]

the issue could also be a guest parks there car next to you, and dings you. That's not the Valet's fault. Major damage, yes I'd push further, but a ding, I'd just let it go.

The valet parking is in a separate area which usually has a lift up gate to enter it. I doubt if it was a guest parking there