The Funding Corporation - Car Finance issue

mobile_man_2

Hi,

Currently I have a car on finance with the Funding Corp. The last few months I have had some issues with paying by Direct Debit. This has been because I get paid on the last working day and my account with the Funding Corp says I need to have paid my monthly bill by the 30th every month. I have informed them I get paid on the last working day in September, October, and November as each month I have had issues with bank fines relating to the Funding Corp trying to take money via DD or by other means. I have informed them that I wish to phone up and pay with my card at the end of the month which each time I have been told is acceptable. I have also tried to cancel my Direct Debit in September, and October.

This month when I checked my bank account on payday morning I had money already taken out of my account (Still in my account but had been reserved to make a payment). I called the Funding Corp worrying that something else had taken my money so I asked, "Have you taken the money from my account?". I was told by the 'Advisor' that categorically no money had been taken from my account. I was told that my account is quite a new account and is already in arrears. I explained that something had taken money from my pay and i'm not sure what it was if it wasn't the funding corp, and pleaded to be allowed to pay slightly less just for the 1st and I would make up the difference on the 20th when I next get paid. I was told, "No, if you don't pay we will repossess your car". He then went on to explain, "Your car will be repossessed. We will take this to auction and you will have to make up the difference in cost for your car".
Worrying about this I then contacted my bank to query the payment. The lady I spoke to told me, "The payment has been taken by the Funding Corporation and this is for the same amount as last month.". I explained that the Funding Corporation had told me they had not taken payment or tried to (Bare in mind I have told them to cancel my Direct Debit with them). I even asked the lady if she could check and she went away for a minute and said one of the banks other departments assured her it was the Funding Corporation. This confused me, so I phoned the bank half an hour later to query this again just to make sure. I was told by the bank that I had £359.20 reserved from my account...exactly the same amount that the Funding Corp had taken the previous month. The lady I spoke to this time told me she was not sure how her colleague had told me it was the Funding Corp as the bank would not know for 2/3 days...but I would say at this point that it would be highly unlikely to be anything BUT the Funding Corp being this figure exactly. She told me that this was not a Direct Debit or a Standing Order but it was a transfer as if someone had used my card details (Ie long card number, cv2 etc).

I then phoned the Funding Corp asking what the hell was going on as they told me they hadn't taken any money, but Lloyds told me pretty much the opposite. I was told that the Funding Corp had received my monthly payment of £359.20! I asked how and why they had taken payment but wasn't given an answer. I didn't have enough time to argue so said, "It's fine because I was going to pay my bill, I just didn't want something taking my money unauthorised". The women I spoke to told me that my account was up to date and I owed £0 until my next bill in January which will be slightly lower.

Then later that day I have a missed call and voicemail asking me to call the Funding Corporation. I ignored this and put this down to a system error not realising I had made my payment (I've checked my Lloyds, it's gone through successfully). Then the next day I had another missed call and text saying, "Your account is in arrears, please call the Funding Corporation". I phoned them to ask what the hell was going on, I was put on hold and told "Your account is £110 in arrears.". I asked why I owed this money as I have paid my monthly premium. "We're not sure, my supervisor is looking into this for you". I didn't have time to hold as I called on my lunch but requested a callback/message on my voicemail to explain what is going on. Since then I have received 2 missed calls from the Funding Corp and another text saying my account is in arrears.

My first question is can the Funding Corportation legally do this? I phoned up to pay with my card in the past, but NEVER authorised for them to use these details to process payment this month. I also cancelled my direct debits and told them I wished to phone up and pay myself which they told me was fine to do. Are a company able to take my card details and process a payment without my say so? Again if I had not had the money in my account as I had no idea they were going to process this and I could have had a fine from my bank as a result.
Also if I have paid my account and this is up to date why would they or can they then say I owe them extra money? Is this breaking any form of contract on their part? I don't want out of my car finance, however I am finding the Funding Corp increasingly difficult to deal with.

My main worry is that they could be putting on my credit file that I have missed payments and not been able to make my payments when I have phoned up every month and paid this off. I am not, and should not be in arrears as I have paid my bill...however I have received texts to say I am in arrears so will this show on my credit file? And is this illegal if a company falsely marks you down on your credit file?

Does anyone know a cheap/free way to check my full credit file so I can view the information available and take action following this?

Thanks for your help and apologies for the long query!