Fark 'N Ply

The Perfect Man and I used a well-known company to park our car while we were on vacation. They're great. For about double the price, they'll actually park the car for you and then bring it back from the parking lot when you get back from vacation. It's safe and secure because they have a "well-lit, fenced-in compound".

Of course we still took precautions. We removed any valuables from our car. We only had our cell phones with us so we could each call our children once we got back home. Those we hid from view so that our car wouldn't be broken into. The Perfect Man hid his cell phone in the centre console. I hid mine in the pocket on the door.

So, the compound is well-lot and fenced in. We hid our only valuables from view. Everything is perfect. Right? Would I be positing about it if it were?

When you use valet parking, "Fark 'N Ply" has this policy: They bring your car to the check-out area, they leave the keys in it and the engine running, they leave all the doors unlocked and then they walk away from it. That's right. No security personnel to watch over your car while you're still enroute on the shuttle bus. Not even a security camera, monitored or otherwise.

The Perfect Man's cell phone was missing from the car. We tore that car apart for about 15 minutes looking for it. I should note for the record that, while the Perfect Man and I were tearing the car apart, emptying compartments, moving seats, and searching the trunk, no one tried to stop us or questioned us to see if we were the proper owners of the car.

I kept reassuring the Perfect Man that this was a reputable company and they would stand behind their service. We met with their manager and she told us no less than seven times that they have a "no liability" policy and she showed us where that was printed on their exit receipt and on their claim form. She showed us that at least three times. Then she offered us a "good faith" offer of $100.00 toward the replacement of the cell phone. The cell phone that's about three months old. The Perfect Man and I said we were not agreeing to anything and we left and said we'd be in touch.

We cancelled the cell phone service and the phone company confirmed that no charges had been made on the cell phone, which confirmed to us that the cell phone had just been taken from the car.

We replaced the cell phone and sent the bill to the manager and told her that our position is that we did not sign a waiver and if we did inadvertantly sign a waiver - we had no knowledge of the waiver or what it meant. Also, their employee acted negligently when they left the car open and running. We said we would not accept less than replacement value for the phone.

I'll let you all know the outcome.