One member was in for a rude shock at the end of a recent trip when picking up their car at the airport. The car had been driven 500km since it was dropped off, and a mechanic believes it had even been driven recklessly while the owner was away. This member believes that an employee at an off-site Melbourne Airport carpark “borrowed” the car without permission.
The matter has been taken to the police, however it seems very difficult to prove. There is little physical evidence, and with multiple staff working at the carpark, police have few leads. It is also difficult to prove that the car was stolen, because the owner voluntarily handed over the keys.
The main giveaway was an unexpected change in the car’s odometer reading. However, the member did not think to take a photo of the odometer before dropping off the car. This would have been a valuable piece of evidence.
In addition to taking photos of the odometer when dropping off a vehicle, some members suggest installing GPS tracking and recording devices. These measures would make it much easier to prove that the car was used without the owner’s consent.
While these kinds of events are not common, similar incidents have been reported in the past. In some cases, the “borrowed” vehicles were even used to commit crimes.
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