Worried about my money

safesadie

Hi all,

I recently bought a used car from a dealership.

I part ex'd my car and they agreed to settle the finance on it.

I paid £250 on the day to reserve the car and collected it 5 days later. I left my old car, the balance of the cash I agreed to pay £1250, 2 sets of keys for my car and the log book.

The dealership were in such a hurry to get me out that I just left all the above items on the manager's desk. He took me thru the controls on the car, gave me some paperwork and I was on my way.

He called me and left 2 answerphone messages, the second one was 7 days after I collected the car saying he was just about to settle the finance on my car by cheque but needed to speak to me. I contacted him and he asked for the £1250, obviously I was confused and told him I didn't understand why he needed another £1250 from me. I then realised he was asking for the original £1250 and had not acknowledged that I had left it on his desk with the paperwork.

He is now calling me and emailing me asking for the £1250. I explained to him that it was in a brown envelope with all the other items and that should he look he will find it. I also expressed my dismay that he had not settled the finance yet as I had left the car with him 10 days previously by this point. He emailed me saying - !thanks, I will send the settlement cheque by recorded delivery tomorrow"

He has now emailed me asking me to send a copy of the receipt for the £1250 transaction - looking thru the mountain of paperwork he gave me, I have found I don't have one.:(

Where do I stand now - I'm worried I will have to pay £1250 again or he won't pay the finance off on the old car.

I'm quite stressed out by this

TiTheRev

Was it £1250 cash you left, or a cheque?

BillTrac

'I paid £250 on the day to reserve the car and collected it 5 days later. I left my old car, the balance of the cash I agreed to pay £1250, 2 sets of keys for my car and the log book'.

I think you may be on a hiding to nothing here, although why would they let you take the car without paying the balance first?

standupguy

I agree with last poster - it would be very unusual for a car dealer not to count the cash in your presence before letting you have the car.

I am wondering if there is some confusion between the amount of value placed on your old car and the settlement figure on the finance?

What was the px value and what was the settlement from the Finance company?

You should have an invoice from the dealer - what is the breakdown on that?

Have you proof of withdrawing the £1250 if it comes to it?

Were there any witnesses at the exchanges at the dealership?

LandyAndy

standupguy wrote: »

I agree with last poster - it would be very unusual for a car dealer not to count the cash in your presence before letting you have the car.

I am wondering if there is some confusion between the amount of value placed on your old car and the settlement figure on the finance?

What was the px value and what was the settlement from the Finance company?

You should have an invoice from the dealer - what is the breakdown on that?

Have you proof of withdrawing the £1250 if it comes to it?

Were there any witnesses at the exchanges at the dealership?

With any luck you have.

1 Evidence of withdrawing £1250.
2 An invoice showing the amount payable for the car broken down between deposit and balance (it may even say that the car won't be released until cleared funds are received-happy days if it does).
3 The fact that he let you drive away in the car.

I think it's a try on.

safesadie

I don't have proof of withdrawing the cash as it was cash I had saved in the house for some time, hmmmm shame.

I have paperwork from the finance company but they don't talk about the cash deposit at all - why would they though as they're financing the outstanding balance.

Sadly Landy Andy - I've read everything I have and the only piece of paper I have that mentions the balance of £1250 is the vehicle order form they gave me after I paid the £250. There's no mention of it anywhere else and nothing in the Ts&Cs that would say funds should have cleared before releasing the car.

The more I think about it the more I feel like it's a scam. I left the premises in less than 5 minutes with my car. I signed the finance documents and off I went. I guess I'm to blame for not making him count the money in front of me and write me a receipt. I wish I had used my debit card and there would be no problem.

:-(

LandyAndy

I still think there is considerable merit in the argument that he wouldn't have let you drive away without paying. I hadn't realised there was a finance company involved as well for the new car.