Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Desperate for help (Birmingham, Twitter, car keys, NCP)

406 replies

LostCarKeys · 04/08/2023 13:06

AIBU to beg for help from strangers on the internet?

I’m on holiday in Birmingham with three kids. I parked in an NCP car park on Monday night and we’ve been staying in a car park since.

We checked out this morning to leave and head home (Brighton) via Coventry to see my Nan (90 years old).

I can’t find my car keys 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
ScribblingPixie · 07/08/2023 09:50

I can't help buy be furious on your behalf with the car park, OP. Why could they not just display a phone number for problems and lost property? I'd be complaining. I'm really glad you got your keys back though and especially that you saw your nan.

Inowseeyourtruecolorsandredflagswhattookmesolong · 07/08/2023 09:51

Ah, I see you've had a happy outcome.

LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 09:51

tattygrl · 07/08/2023 09:48

Great update, OP! I'm so pleased for you! I bet you're still knackered. Unbelievable that it's not easier to access lost property in that car park! You did it though :D

Thanks @tattygrl. I’ve slept a lot over the weekend and had a humdinger of a headache but, I feel ok today.

OP posts:
1974devon · 07/08/2023 09:51

What a day for you but so glad you found your keys. Annoying re having to still pay AA :( I'd be jnclined to send them an email as the chap didn't have to spend as long dealing with you as expected?
But alls well that ends well x

LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 09:53

1974devon · 07/08/2023 09:51

What a day for you but so glad you found your keys. Annoying re having to still pay AA :( I'd be jnclined to send them an email as the chap didn't have to spend as long dealing with you as expected?
But alls well that ends well x

I agree @1974devon, I am going to contact the AA about a partial refund but that requires energy.

OP posts:
LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 09:55

ScribblingPixie · 07/08/2023 09:50

I can't help buy be furious on your behalf with the car park, OP. Why could they not just display a phone number for problems and lost property? I'd be complaining. I'm really glad you got your keys back though and especially that you saw your nan.

A friend has sad similar @ScribblingPixie. I want to boycott NCP for being utterly shit but holding on to that anger will mess with my inner peace.

Also, I paid almost £70 to park there, I expect better but again, I just want to enjoy the fact we all got home safely.

OP posts:
ScribblingPixie · 07/08/2023 09:58

LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 09:55

A friend has sad similar @ScribblingPixie. I want to boycott NCP for being utterly shit but holding on to that anger will mess with my inner peace.

Also, I paid almost £70 to park there, I expect better but again, I just want to enjoy the fact we all got home safely.

That makes sense, good for you. Also good that the mystery was solved and you don't need to gnaw away at it.

KimberleyClark · 07/08/2023 09:58

Is there a safe in your hotel room and have you checked it?sorry if that seems a bit obvious.

User5653218 · 07/08/2023 10:00

You'd think that a car park would appreciate the importance of reuniting someone with their lost car keys, rather than just stick them in a drawer or something and forget about them.

I'd be cross too op and would want to complain, or ask for them to make improvements, but I'd also just be knackered and want to forget all about it.

KimberleyClark · 07/08/2023 10:02

Sorry,had not read your update, so glad you found your keys!

LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 10:05

User5653218 · 07/08/2023 10:00

You'd think that a car park would appreciate the importance of reuniting someone with their lost car keys, rather than just stick them in a drawer or something and forget about them.

I'd be cross too op and would want to complain, or ask for them to make improvements, but I'd also just be knackered and want to forget all about it.

One of the best tips someone shared earlier was to have a key fob with your phone number on.

While I agree with you about the shit show that is NCP @User5653218, I’m going to take matters in to my own hands and make it as easy as possible for people to reunite me with anything I lose.

Unfortunately, my high expectations of others often leads to disappointment.

OP posts:
LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 10:05

KimberleyClark · 07/08/2023 10:02

Sorry,had not read your update, so glad you found your keys!

Thanks @KimberleyClark.

OP posts:
SgtCatherineCawood · 07/08/2023 11:15

Glad you had a half decent outcome OP. I wonder if whoever found your keys even tried the button to see if they saw the indicators flash, they could have left a note and contact number on your windscreen!

ChrisPPancake · 07/08/2023 11:16

LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 09:40

I was so relieved and grateful, I welled up when I told the AA man and realised how much I’d been holding in.

So we loaded up the car and set off for Coventry. My Nan was over the moon to see us. I’ve made my peace that I might now see her again.

We set off and when we got on the M40, I realised I’d forgotten to fill up with petrol so had to use the motorway services (1.74 per litre!), then we hit a stand still as a car slightly ahead of us had caught fire. I felt like I couldn’t take any more at that stage but still, I persisted.

My day was long and difficult. Getting home after 10pm almost finished me off. And I had to turn around the DC on Saturday morning as they were going with their dad.

I feel incredibly grateful for all the supportive and helpful messages. And that we got to see my Nan and that we all got home safely, eventually.

Thank you for being there in my hour of need 🙏

Glad you found your keys and were able to get home safe and sound @LostCarKeys . Really pleased you were able to spend time with your Nan too Flowers

LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 11:26

Thanks @SgtCatherineCawood and @ChrisPPancake.

It’s a huge car park, not sure if my keys were found anywhere near my car but I know I would have made some attempts to find the owner.

Seeing my Nan was more I,portent than all the other events. It was a good life lesson for my DC.

OP posts:
LakieLady · 07/08/2023 11:34

Thank goodness that's over, OP, it must all have been beyond stressful.

I'm appalled by NCP though. You'd think that a huge car park operator like that would have a system for people to contact them in an emergency, or where you could enquire about lost property.

LostCarKeys · 07/08/2023 11:40

LakieLady · 07/08/2023 11:34

Thank goodness that's over, OP, it must all have been beyond stressful.

I'm appalled by NCP though. You'd think that a huge car park operator like that would have a system for people to contact them in an emergency, or where you could enquire about lost property.

It was indeed a horrible day @LakieLady.

NCP are atrocious. Not answering the phone for hours, not having a Twitter handle to contact them, no live chat on their website only an email facility that they say will respond to within 14 days. It’s as if they don’t want to help people…

OP posts:
Whiskeypowers · 07/08/2023 12:03

If you can show how many times you contacted the bloody useless NCP I would consider sending them the AA Bill. So much unnecessary anguish caused by a company who make millions but are too tight to provide any sort of human interface for their customers.

so glad you got to see your Nan though and arrived home eventually

HowNice23 · 07/08/2023 12:26

If the AA man just turned up as opposed to fixing anything or using any materials I'd hope that they offer you some sort of refund and yes NCP deserve a letter asking them how the fuck you were meant to retrieve your keys.

Alls well that ends well anyway - you got to see your gran and got home and everyone is safe and sound.

I think we'll all be investing in locator fobs now! And I'm certainly going to be checking that my breakdown cover is up to date and includes keys!!!!

SlayB · 07/08/2023 13:52

Good to hear OP, I saw some key rings have QR codes instead of a number to protect your privacy.
I wonder if the cleaners found them or another member of the public if so how did they hand them in? To see a person.

I think either a Tile or Apple Tag is the way forward. I actually thought I lost my phone in Coventry and my heart was pounding.
If anyone has nifty ways to protect a phone please share.

It was actually on silent in the side pockets of my rucksack so I couldn’t hear it ring and it was luck I found it when I calmed down.

So glad you saw your Nan and survived the drama getting home

nonumbersinthisname · 07/08/2023 14:09

I’m glad they keys turned up. I bought air tags as soon as they were released as the lovely brain fog that menopause gave me means that I’m forever putting my keys somewhere when out of the house and forgetting where. I used to be a very organised person and it stresses me out no end now when I lose something (usually at the bottom of a bag or in a side pocket). Those AirTags have saved my sanity and my husbands patience on several occasions!

Oh and I have an Apple Watch which tells me where I’ve left my phone. Grin

Efficaciou5 · 07/08/2023 14:15

So, the OP lost her car keys, and thanks to the kindness of at least one individual, they were found, handed in and kept safely in the supplies room. When she mentioned her keys to the cleaner, he went to the supplies room and returned them to her.

Instead of the lucky finder patrolling all levels of the car park, repeatedly blipping the remote until identifying the responding vehicle and driving off or at best looting the contents, or simply dropping the keys into a bin, The OP was very fortunate to have benefitted from the kindness of the individual(s) involved in the finding and returning of them.

Yet still, she and other posters are blaming the car park for her anxiety, for her weekend not turning out as planned, for her thoughts of her not seeing her Nan, even suggesting boycotting the car park group because she didn't manage to get through to them on the phone and because they don't have a twitter account !

The OP paid for a service which the company provided, and that service was a parking space. The company didn't steal the keys from her, nor did they refuse to accept them for safekeeping. They have no obligation whatsoever to have a twitter account or have a fixed landline with instant response to compensate for the carelessness of their customers.

Unappreciative, entitled and just wanting to point the finger of blame doesn't even touch the sides.

Perhaps if the car park operator had refused to retain the keys, she and the rest of the disgruntled posters would have thought better of them and then found someone else to blame for her own carelessness ?

Many of us use Motorway services for Fuel as we often have little choice and many of us also get home way beyond 10PM. Both of these are clearly things the OP would rather not have experienced, but neither are the fault of NCP or anyone else.

Whatever will be next ? ... Posters suggesting that she should have asked for a discount on her fuel, or that she should invoice the NCP for the difference between what she paid and what she normally pays ?

As for the AA, well, they too are running a business. They were called out, they get paid, again, the OP's self induced anxiety and frustration is no justification for a discount !

She carelessly yet albeit accidentally dropped/misplaced/lost her keys, was fortunate enough not to have her car stolen, and to have her keys safely returned.

The fact that her weekend didn't go to plan was nobody else's fault, and nobody else to blame.

This blame culture is getting exponentially worse, even more so since CV-19 lockdown. It's almost as though some people are no longer able to accept responsibility for their own actions, but just to point the finger of blame elsewhere.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 07/08/2023 14:30

Have much sympathy for OP but @Efficaciou5 makes some good points too.

Packing a spare key in the luggage might be a good idea in future.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 07/08/2023 14:37

I don't know why the OP didn't use the help button on the NCP machines. Most NCP carparks are the barrier type and the button always connects to someone.

Britinme · 07/08/2023 15:15

You can get those tiles to hang on your key fob that link with an app on your phone - maybe that's an investment for the future?

Swipe left for the next trending thread