What would you do? Valet issue..
 

We spent the weekend in South Beach and stayed at a Sheraton Hotel. We were informed at check in that there was no self park available due to construction / renovation of the parking Garage. We were offered free valet parking and were asked to simply call 20-30 minutes before needing the car and it will be there. I was not happy with this, I do not trust Valet's. If I was making min wage I would not behave with peoples cars.

The next morning I called for the car and it was parked right in front when we got to the lobby. As my wife and I were getting in we both could smell burning clutch. (This was in our 2001 Audi A-6 Quattro) Obviously the valet had either been beating on the car dumping the clutch or could not drive stick. I went with" A".

I got back out of the car and walked to the valet stand and asked who drove up the car. The response was that the guy was someplace inside. I pointed in the face of the guy nearest me and said, "Tell him its not cool the beat the ***** out of customers cars" and walked away not waiting for a response.

The car was not beat on after that... well at least when brough back up for me to drive. In hindsight I probably should have got the manager involved but did not feel like spending 30 minutes of my life fighting over it.

I was a valet at a nice hotel in Austin many years ago, I'd never give a nice car to a valet. I thought the 944's were easier to drive sideways than a 911 especially in a small parking garage. :D

Your average valet would probably never figure out how to get my car started. If he got that far, he probably wouldn't be able to get it in gear. If he got that far, he probably wouldn't be able to let the clutch out without killing it. Having killed it, he would never be able to re-start it. That, and if he did manage to make his way past all of those obstacles, I could almost certainly hear it running. If it is parked anywhere within about a three or four block radius, I'll hear him. Original sport muffler...

In all honesty self parking was not an option unless I wanted to hoof it 7 blocks to and from a parking garage and pay for it.

This was my only option and I was not happy.

I would love to take my RX-7 there and warn them not to beat on it. Then whip out the laptop and download the datalog and take it to the manager and show him what they did with my car.... actually.. no, no one drives my RX-7 besides me.

There should be a product that could do the same a sort of Valet minder.

The FRWilk powerprom for the 9XX series has a "valet" switch you can throw to drop redline to something low, like 2500RPM. I've been meaning to get one for a while.

I had a valet absolutely fry the clutch on my 911.

In fact it took me several weeks to get the burnt clutch smell out of the car. I spoke to some witnesses later who told me they saw the car bouncing down the street like a pogo stick, with clouds of smoke coming out from under the rear wheels.

It later turned out that the valet had arrived from India the previous week (where he had never driven before) bought himself a fake license and got a job as valet. I applaud the man's sense of ambition - and doubtless he will go far.

I have never since given my car to a valet - and have found that valets will always let you park the car (and pick it up) yourself as long as you leave them them the keys and the usual valet fee and gratuity.

Consider the programming options these guyswww.goapr.com offer you.

I'd have asked the front desk to find another room for me, one that does NOT require valet parking. If the room was in competitive lodging, so be it. There is nowhere I need to sleep, nowhere I need to eat so badly that I'll let some kid get his kicks on my dime. Your option should have been asking if parking was valet when you made the reservations. If they say yes, and I'm not allowed to park my own car, keeping the keys? I find other places to stay. If Valet parking is the ONLY option for the whole damned area? Rent a car...it's cheaper than a clutch replacement bill...or worse.

One of my college buddies and former roommates used to work in downtown L.A. (after graduation) and had a really clean 70 911T. One day he had to valet in a large lot, and upon returning to the car the clutch was GONE. As in, working fine before and then stinking, slipping etc. Of course he immediately suspected a Ferris Bueller kind of scenario and asked to speak with the parking manager, noting all the names and details.

To make a short story long, the parking company (or their insurance company, most likely) paid out low 5-digits for a clutch replacement and apologized profusely.

Low 5 digits for a clutch? Are we talking pesos?

Sorry -- 4 digits -- gotta proofread a little more carefully as the fingers and brain cells get older :)