2025-10-27 – News – www.theguardian.com
They are hostage in a repair shop and won’t be released over a debt that has nothing to do with the vehicles
A Bidfood delivery lorry reversed into my car outside my house in January. Bidfood used a fleet management company, VMS, to arrange repairs and provide a hire car. Since then, I have had no meaningful updates from VMS. The manager assigned to my case is unavailable when I ring, and promised callbacks don’t materialise. In the meantime, I have received five penalty charge notices (PCNs) for unpaid Ulez (ultra-low emission zone) charges, indicating that my car has been driven without my knowledge.
BN, Brighton
Thus begins one of the most extraordinary cases I have ever investigated. Soon afterwards, I received an almost identical complaint from NC in Hertfordshire. Her car was damaged by a lorry belonging to food wholesaler Bidfood in June.
