Car finance issues

paulmisaac

Hey all

Just wondering if anyone has any advice with an issue we seem to have?

A year ago we were awarded car finance on a nice Vauxhall Astra (don't laugh). The total finance is a little expensive, but since neither my girlfriend or I have good credit, we bit the bullet and agreed to it.

Now, as is common these days, the car is fitted with a tracker immobiliser system.

The name of the finance company is VEHICLE TRADING GROUP LTD of Oadby, Leicester.

At first, there were a few payment issues (I'm sure May of last year), namely where they took two payments in one go. My girlfriend called (the finance is in her name) and they were very sorry, and issued an immediate refund. What we didn't know is - they issued two refunds.

All was going well, until earlier this year, we received a letter stating we owe them £179 - one month's repayment. On calling them we discovered the extra repayment - verified by cross-referencing with old bank statements. My girlfriend called and explained that as she gets paid fortnightly, she was going to start paying fortnightly and said she would try to pay £100 each fortnight, but the initial agreement still stood at £179 pcm. She told them this was to try and catch up with their error but some months it would not be possible. They were quite happy with that.

Then come the imobilisation letters! Now we've moved house since and finances are stretched, to say the least, but because she uses the car for work, the car is a priority debt to us. They are fully aware she works as a mobile carer (for the elderly, disabled etc) and the car is a lifeline for her clients. Now, I cannot remember exact dates, but we recieved a letter stating if we didn't pay a small ammount of £xx (we were in arrears by £xx) buy (some date in early march) they would immobilise it. She called them and explained she could pay it but it would be a couple of days before the immobilisation date. They were ok with that, and we stuck to our word (paid, as per every month, via internet banking). The day of immobilisation came.....and the car was immobilised. A heated phone call resolved that.

Another imobilisation notice - this time stating we were still £179 in arrears and if it is not cleared by 1st April 2014 it would be immobilised. My girlfriend called and negotiated a payment of £80 to stop the immobilisation. This was paid on the 1st April (yesterday) and the car was not immobilised. Until today. Cue, heated phone call! The woman at the finance company (rude 'lady' who I'm sure beats puppies and bakes them in pies but that's a seperate issue) insisted it wasn't them that had immobilised the car and there must be a fault with it, but she was going to call the immobilisation people and have them send a signal to it to get it working again. Two minutes later, she called back and insisted it was nothing to do with them. Ten minutes later, one working Vauxhall Astra.

Because of this, my girlfriend has received default notice after default notice, and more worryingly had to miss out on looking after an elderly later and hence lost wages.

I've told them I'm going to complain - you get a 'yeah whatever' attitude. I'm asked for the name of the MD or whoever is in charge, only to be told they will not give that information.

I'm in favour of sending the car back to them, but we'd still have to pay.

Any ideas?

Alternatively if anyone might know where the immobiliser tracker thing might be installed, I'm not against introducing it to the toilet. Just saying

Many thanks

Tixy

Hi

Any ideas?

Any time she needs to agree any alternative repayment plan with them I would do so in writing not by telephone. And I would clarify with them that the agreed repayment plan will not result in the vehicle being immobilised.
Clearly the phone calls she has been making so far haven't done that, and that isn't likely to change. Likely the people she is speaking to don't actually have that authority.

That said it doesn't sounds like they have ever formally agreed her changing the payment periods and it would probably be far easier if she just switched back to paying £179 a month and keeping up with payments. Presumably if you can just get back on top of the arrears you will then be able to afford the £179 a month.

How soon can you hand the vehicle back at no extra cost? have you checked the agreement?

If you do want to make a complaint then I would write to them to their registered office. Head it up for customer services or complaints team.
If you really want to write to the directors then this information can be found online as it is public information (its Mr Hubbard and Mr Voss).

Gaz83

Didn't you notice the extra £179 being refunded in the first place?

jumperjohn

Hello,

I don’t understand the immobiliser system, cana tracker company immobilise the car remotely? I didn’t think this technology wasavailable or legal in the UK and if it were available are they legally allowed to use this remotedevice to stop a car working just because you, maybe, owe them money, thissounds very suspect and I would investigate. If this is correct then get the system removed,don’t let them hold you to ransom.



Do you need a tracker and therefore do you needto pay a subscription, how much is it? I would ask that the service becancelled. I would have thought that a tracker is useful for expensive cars butif your Astra got stolen then the insurance company would just pay for areplacement.

Tixy

jumperjohn wrote: »

I don’t understand the immobiliser system, cana tracker company immobilise the car remotely?

Yes. There are a few finance companies that offer finance subject to their terms that they will immobilise the vehicle (which is legally still theirs) if the person leasing the vehicle does not keep up with payments. They are aimed at high risk borrowers who are unable to get finance elsewhere.

They are not allowed (able?) to immobilise it whilst it is being used obviously, but can once it is stopped.