Incheon Airport Valet Parking Service Damage Alert
As the summer vacation season approaches, the number of travelers using Incheon International Airport is significantly increasing. In this context, cases of individuals suffering damage from airport valet parking services have been reported, necessitating special caution for travelers.
According to an online community on the 8th, Mr. A entrusted his BMW vehicle to the official valet parking service at Incheon International Airport and returned home after his vacation on the 29th of last month.
However, when he retrieved his vehicle and powered on the navigation system, he discovered that eight unfamiliar locations, including restaurants and car repair shops that he had never visited, were added to his destination list.
Mr. A did not check the mileage on his vehicle before his departure, but he estimated that the fuel consumption had decreased by approximately 40 km.
Circumstances of Unauthorized Vehicle Use and Company Response
What raised more suspicion was the black box footage.
Most of the video recordings from the approximately ten days that he had entrusted the car were deleted, and some remaining footage included scenes of driving near Incheon Airport and the parking lot during nighttime.
Mr. A stated, "I left the car around 6 PM, and I confirmed that it was parked in the long-term parking lot at sunrise," adding, "There is no reason for the valet parking service to drive the vehicle at night." He also mentioned, "The smell in the car had changed, and my wife, who was sitting in the passenger seat, said that the seat position had changed, leading me to think that someone was in the passenger seat."
In response to Mr. A's objections, the company stated, "We cannot ascertain who operated the vehicle," and only left the contact information for the complaints department, stating that they could not respond further. Mr. A then revealed, "I am currently analyzing the black box video data and plan to formally report to the police directly without going through the complaints department once a decision is made."
Meanwhile, the company rebutted to The Korea Economic Daily, stating, "We have checked all closed-circuit (CCTV) systems in the long-term and short-term parking lots of Incheon Airport Corporation and verified all records of parking entry and exit gates. As a result, we found no evidence of unauthorized use by employees."
Additionally, they stated, "We have requested the location confirmation system (GPS) records of the customer's vehicle through the police, and once those records are received, we will compare them with the security infrastructure records of Incheon Airport Corporation."
Responses and Cautions for Travelers
Upon hearing this story, many netizens reacted with comments such as, "Are they playing with the customer's car?", "I check the driving records every day after leaving my car," and "I prefer to use public transportation even if it is a bit inconvenient."
Travelers using Incheon International Airport during the summer vacation season should take precautions by recording their vehicle’s mileage before utilizing valet parking services and checking whether the black box is operating.
Image sources: Relevant reference images for the article / gettyimagesbank, online community, relevant reference images for the article / gettyimagesbank
