Handing Over Your Car at Memmingen Airport: Photos, Keys, Report
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Whether you hand your car over to a valet employee at Allgäu Airport or leave it on the site of a shuttle provider: a short, thorough documentation protects both you and the provider. After a week on the beach, hardly anyone remembers exactly whether the scratch on the tailgate is new. In the Allgäu there is an additional factor: in winter there is often snow on the car, and slush hides damage. Here you can read how to document properly anyway and what to look out for with four-wheel drive, ski racks and roof boxes.
Key facts at a glance
- Photograph all round; in winter, brush off the snow first.
- Read the report and have existing damage added.
- Hand over only the car key.
- Check the car immediately on return.
Why it is worth it
Photos with date and time answer any question about the condition of the car after the trip. They help you if something happens during the parking period, and they help the provider if an accusation is unjustified. Reputable providers are therefore glad of joint documentation.
How to take the photos
Walk once around the car clockwise. Take an overall shot of each side, then close-ups of the bumpers, wheels, mirrors, door edges and windows. After that, the interior, the boot and the instrument cluster with the mileage and fuel or battery gauge. A short video complements the pictures.
Snow, slush and darkness
In an Allgäu winter, the car is often splattered with slush on the way there. Underneath, scratches are hard to make out. If possible, wash the car before a longer trip or at least brush off the snow before you take photos. For early departures it is dark: switch on your phone torch and move closer. If you want to be completely sure, take the all-round photos at home in the garage.
Four-wheel drive, ski racks and roof boxes
Many people in the Allgäu drive four-wheel-drive vehicles or have ski racks or a roof box fitted. Point this out to the employee, especially the height, if multi-storey car parks or halls are used. Photograph the roof box and rack as well. If they contain skis or luggage that will stay in the car, note this in the report – or leave it out and take it with you.
The report
Many providers record the condition in writing – on paper, as a sketch or in an app. Check whether date, time, licence plate, mileage, fuel or battery level and known existing damage are noted. If anything is missing, have it added. Keep your copy until after the car has been returned.
Keys
Hand over only the car key. House and flat keys, garage door openers and key tags with your address stay with you; the spare key stays at home. With key cards or digital keys, clarify the procedure with the provider beforehand.
What stays in the car
The safety vest, first-aid kit, warning triangle, child seats and, in winter, the snow brush and ice scraper stay in the car. Take cash, electronics, documents and food with you.
On return
After the return flight from Tenerife, the temptation is great to simply get in and drive off. Allow yourself a quick look anyway: if there is snow on the car, brush it off first, then look at the spots that were flawless in the departure pictures and read the mileage. Your phone torch helps in the dark. Photograph anything that looks new straight away and mention it. The whole procedure is described in Returning: picking up your car at Memmingen Airport.
If there is damage
- Photograph the damage together with its surroundings.
- Inform the staff and have it recorded in writing.
- Have the handover photos ready.
- Contact the provider in writing; for Friend-Park bookings, also contact support via the contact form.
Where the car is parked
Good providers describe how their site is secured and whether there are covered spaces – a real advantage in the Allgäu. Further criteria: Choosing a parking service at Memmingen Airport.
The handover step by step
- At home, remove valuables, documents and the garage door opener.
- Take only the car key with you; the spare key stays at home.
- At the meeting point, walk around the car together with the employee.
- Photos all round, close-up details, a short video.
- Record the mileage and the fuel or charge gauge.
- Read the report and have missing existing damage entered.
- Mention special features such as a roof box or the four-wheel-drive mode.
When you are in a hurry
With low-cost airlines, the time at the airport is sometimes tight. If you are running late, take the all-round photos at home in the driveway and at the meeting point only photograph the four corners, the speedometer and the fuel gauge. Read the report anyway – two minutes are enough.
Who is liable?
While the car is with the provider, the provider’s terms and the statutory rules apply. How the provider is insured and how damage is handled should be stated in its terms. Photos and the report are the basis for any fair clarification.
Leased and company cars
A company car of an Allgäu engineering firm or a privately leased estate car is inspected thoroughly at the end of the contract, and every dent can cost money. If you drive such a vehicle to Memmingerberg, document every handover especially carefully and keep the pictures until the end of the lease. Whether the contract or your employer’s company car policy allows you to leave the key with a driving service is best clarified before booking.
Back up your photos
If your phone falls into the pool, the handover pictures would be lost with it. So upload them to cloud storage while still at the airport or email them to yourself.
Skis, snowboards and roof racks
If you are coming back from a ski holiday or driving to the airport with equipment, some things stay in the car: ski boot bags, helmets, snow chains. Photograph the boot so that you know later what was in it. Check lockable ski racks on the roof before the handover and do not leave their keys on the car key.
When road salt sticks to the paintwork
After a drive on wintry Allgäu roads, the car is often covered with a grey layer of salt that hides scratches. If you take your car through the car wash before a long trip, you make documentation easier and protect the paintwork while it is parked.
Travelling with children?
If the whole family gets out at the meeting point, one person is needed to look after the children only. Ideally, that person waits with them at a spot away from the traffic lane while the other person takes the photos with the employee and hands over the key. That way nobody is left unsupervised, and the documentation is still complete.
A note on your phone
In addition to the photos, make a brief note of the existing damage – for example “scratch rear left, stone chip on windscreen”. This note helps you check the right spots quickly on return.
In short
With photos, a report and a little extra care in winter, you are on the safe side with every handover at Allgäu Airport.
Martens in the countryside
In rural areas such as around Memmingerberg, martens are not uncommon, and parked cars sometimes attract them. A gnawed hose or cable often only becomes noticeable when the car will not start or a warning light comes on. On return, take a quick look under the bonnet if something seems odd to you, and mention it. You can ask beforehand whether and how a provider takes preventive measures.
Documenting hail damage
If a hailstorm passes over the Allgäu during your trip, small dents can appear on open-air spaces. Good handover photos later show that the dents were not there before. Damage caused by severe weather is governed by the terms of the provider and your insurance; the photos are important in any case.
One last thing
Once you are used to the procedure, it only takes a few minutes on every further trip – and you fly off with the good feeling of having documented everything.
And if you do notice something: stay calm, take photos, mention it – usually everything can be cleared up quickly.
Have a good trip from Allgäu Airport – with everything well documented.
If you document well, you have nothing to worry about after your return.
Summary
Take photos, check the report, hand over correctly, check on return – in winter with a little extra care. The valet procedure is explained in Valet parking at Memmingen Airport; bookable offers are shown at Parking at Memmingen Airport.
