Get This... Valet Gave Me Wrong Car in NYC. Did not notice for 30 min.
Jan 8, 2015, 11:15 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: MR LT Titanium, SPG LT Plat & Plat 100, SWA A+ & CP
Posts: 1,093
Get This... Valet Gave Me Wrong Car in NYC. Did not notice for 30 min.
[Edited... accidental double post]
Get this one… I am at a SPG hotel in New York City and valet park my rental car. I get out of my morning meeting and hustle back to the hotel to get my car and head to another meeting two hours away. Very stretched for time and had it planned perfectly. I thought.
Car guy brings me my car, hands me my keys, and I drive away with my coworker. The car I received was the exact make, model, color, and and interior of my "real" rental car. After about 30 minutes of schlepping through New York City traffic, I looked down and noticed that I have more gas than what I thought I had. Then I noticed that the radio was set to different stations. Then I start thinking that I am crazy. Then I look at the windshield in notice that there is a toll pass fastened to the windshield. Then I look and realize that the car is registered to a different state. Then I yell out to my buddy, "holy %*#%… They gave me the wrong %#^*+=# car!".
You may ask… How would you not know?. Well, I will tell you. Same make, model, color, rental car company, interior. No personal belongings. The knuckleheads never looked at my ticket number nor the license plate number and gave me somebody else's rental car which just happened to be from the same rental company. I'm lucky I noticed soon as I did. I could've been hundred miles away.
Needless to say, I was very upset. It burned over 90 minutes of time rendering half my trip absolutely useless as I missed meetings. Not to mention I burned the guy's gas and may have hit an ezpass toll.
I love SPG and I rarely complain… Things happen. However, this one really ticked me off as someone was too lazy to check the ticket. It's really not the hotel's fault, it was the folks in the contracted garage. Valet was very apologetic. I talked to a manager hopefully I'll see (at least) my parking removed and be thrown some points.
I Believe on the skrew up scale, this trumps a mouse in the room.
Also… While somewhat infuriated, things to happen. I put in a call to my ambassador to follow up. Had little time to talk… Had to leave.
Get this one… I am at a SPG hotel in New York City and valet park my rental car. I get out of my morning meeting and hustle back to the hotel to get my car and head to another meeting two hours away. Very stretched for time and had it planned perfectly. I thought.
Car guy brings me my car, hands me my keys, and I drive away with my coworker. The car I received was the exact make, model, color, and and interior of my "real" rental car. After about 30 minutes of schlepping through New York City traffic, I looked down and noticed that I have more gas than what I thought I had. Then I noticed that the radio was set to different stations. Then I start thinking that I am crazy. Then I look at the windshield in notice that there is a toll pass fastened to the windshield. Then I look and realize that the car is registered to a different state. Then I yell out to my buddy, "holy %*#%… They gave me the wrong %#^*+=# car!".
You may ask… How would you not know?. Well, I will tell you. Same make, model, color, rental car company, interior. No personal belongings. The knuckleheads never looked at my ticket number nor the license plate number and gave me somebody else's rental car which just happened to be from the same rental company. I'm lucky I noticed soon as I did. I could've been hundred miles away.
Needless to say, I was very upset. It burned over 90 minutes of time rendering half my trip absolutely useless as I missed meetings. Not to mention I burned the guy's gas and may have hit an ezpass toll.
I love SPG and I rarely complain… Things happen. However, this one really ticked me off as someone was too lazy to check the ticket. It's really not the hotel's fault, it was the folks in the contracted garage. Valet was very apologetic. I talked to a manager hopefully I'll see (at least) my parking removed and be thrown some points.
I Believe on the skrew up scale, this trumps a mouse in the room.
Also… While somewhat infuriated, things to happen. I put in a call to my ambassador to follow up. Had little time to talk… Had to leave.
Last edited by jb3t; Jan 8, 2015 at 1:44 pm
Jan 8, 2015, 11:27 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SFO/DTW
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Too funny...so I am assuming your car is with the other guy then?
Jan 8, 2015, 11:35 am
#3
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Get this one… I am at a Sheraton in New York City and valet park my rental car. I get out of my morning meeting and hustle back to the hotel to get my car and head to another meeting two hours away. Very stretched for time and had it planned perfectly. I thought.
Car guy brings me my car, hands me my keys, and I drive away with my coworker. The car I received was the exact make, model, color, and and interior of my "real" rental car. After about 30 minutes of schlepping through New York City traffic, I looked down and noticed that I have more gas than what I thought I had. Then I noticed that the radio was sent to different stations. Then I start thinking that I am crazy. Then I look at the windshield in notice that there is a toll pass fastened to the windshield. That I look and realize that the car is registered to a different state.
Car guy brings me my car, hands me my keys, and I drive away with my coworker. The car I received was the exact make, model, color, and and interior of my "real" rental car. After about 30 minutes of schlepping through New York City traffic, I looked down and noticed that I have more gas than what I thought I had. Then I noticed that the radio was sent to different stations. Then I start thinking that I am crazy. Then I look at the windshield in notice that there is a toll pass fastened to the windshield. That I look and realize that the car is registered to a different state.
Jan 8, 2015, 11:48 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Posts: 2,432
As compensation, they owe you a car. Literally.
Jan 8, 2015, 12:06 pm
#5
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Jan 8, 2015, 12:30 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: SPG Plat 100, Marriott Plat
Posts: 267
Wow, I mean, I've been given the wrong skis at a ski valet...but the wrong car?! Let us know what the valet said when you returned the car!
Jan 8, 2015, 12:31 pm
#7
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This is hilarious. To be honest, when I rented cars, I would often forget what I drove in including the color. 
I would often have to ask valet which car was mine.
I would often have to ask valet which car was mine.
Jan 8, 2015, 12:38 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Hope the other guy didn't need to drive to the airport to return the car while OP was driving away! 
Jan 8, 2015, 12:56 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: SPG Plat 100, Marriott Plat
Posts: 267
Haha, I was just thinking how if I'd been handed a completely different make/model/color/interior, I still wouldn't have noticed!
Jan 8, 2015, 1:43 pm
#10
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Follow up... While initially upset as this situation essentially has caused me to make another 3hr trip (one way) to the area (did I say that I HATE driving to NYC but like the .99 cent slice of pizza?), I have to say that it's a pretty funny situation and the story is one that is worth more than the cost of the parking. Also, its really not the hotel's fault as its the folks at the garage that hit the snooze button.
Whats funny is that about 100 miles outside of NYC (after I was given the correct car) I realized that I never checked the trunk to see that the valet actually put my luggage into the CORRECT car. THANKFULLY he did. That could have been the icing on the cake.
Whats funny is that about 100 miles outside of NYC (after I was given the correct car) I realized that I never checked the trunk to see that the valet actually put my luggage into the CORRECT car. THANKFULLY he did. That could have been the icing on the cake.
Jan 8, 2015, 2:14 pm
#11
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,745
Serious, though likely naive question: why didn't you put the burden on the car service to bring your car to you? It feels as though you "paid" in inconvenience and it got off unscathed.
Jan 8, 2015, 4:30 pm
#12
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Follow up... While initially upset as this situation essentially has caused me to make another 3hr trip (one way) to the area (did I say that I HATE driving to NYC but like the .99 cent slice of pizza?), I have to say that it's a pretty funny situation and the story is one that is worth more than the cost of the parking. Also, its really not the hotel's fault as its the folks at the garage that hit the snooze button.
Whats funny is that about 100 miles outside of NYC (after I was given the correct car) I realized that I never checked the trunk to see that the valet actually put my luggage into the CORRECT car. THANKFULLY he did. That could have been the icing on the cake.
Whats funny is that about 100 miles outside of NYC (after I was given the correct car) I realized that I never checked the trunk to see that the valet actually put my luggage into the CORRECT car. THANKFULLY he did. That could have been the icing on the cake.
Jan 8, 2015, 5:13 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2003
Location: ICN
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Posts: 511
I have a pretty unique car (BMW ActiveHybrid 7) so I think I would know pretty quickly. But for a rental, I might have been confused as well although usually my assumption is that people are idiots so I tend to keep an eye out for this type of mistake. Yes, life is exhausting for me sometimes.
Jan 8, 2015, 5:21 pm
#14
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Jan 8, 2015, 5:28 pm
#15
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I have a pretty unique car (BMW ActiveHybrid 7) so I think I would know pretty quickly. But for a rental, I might have been confused as well although usually my assumption is that people are idiots so I tend to keep an eye out for this type of mistake. Yes, life is exhausting for me sometimes.