End of car finance- Mercedes asking me for £1000

gingerhine

Help please!

We bought a Mercedes on finance in 2018 and have just returned the car a few months prior to the end of the term.

Mercedes are now asking for £1000 for 'damage' to the vehicle. There are a few small scratches and some 'dinks' on the alloys. Some of the damage was present when we purchased the vehicle but Mercedes are now saying there is no record of us purchasing the car and thus no paperwork. Part of the £1000 they are requesting is £180 for the log book which was never present when we purchased the car!

Any advice on what we can do?

mcpitman

Did you lease it?

[Deleted User]

Provide your evidence it was already damaged as you noted at the time (send the photos you took showing the damage)
Show your copy of the sale where it was noted no log book was available
Pay the damage you caused

MalMonroe

gingerhine said:

Help please!

We bought a Mercedes on finance in 2018 and have just returned the car a few months prior to the end of the term.

Mercedes are now asking for £1000 for 'damage' to the vehicle. There are a few small scratches and some 'dinks' on the alloys. Some of the damage was present when we purchased the vehicle but Mercedes are now saying there is no record of us purchasing the car and thus no paperwork. Part of the £1000 they are requesting is £180 for the log book which was never present when we purchased the car!

Any advice on what we can do?

You say this "Mercedes are now saying there is no record of us purchasing the car and thus no paperwork."

If I were in your position, and being asked to pay £1k, I'd want to know all the details. 

How can there be no record? I have my car on a PCP which is about to end but I not only have paper documents, all the details are also on my online file, to which I have full access.

You need to ask them to provide proof of (1) the fact that you did have an agreement for this vehicle and (2) the damage they say you did before you can even consider that what they are saying is true.

This is a really dodgy way for any business to carry on! 

But you do need to contact them in writing to ask for full details. And don't pay any money until you know exactly what you are paying for. If you are anything like me, a thousand pounds is a lot to lose, for a mysterious encounter.

FindMyWayBack

Now tell us the rest of the story

Neil49

In your post you state -

"Mercedes are now saying there is no record of us purchasing the car and thus no paperwork."

In that case just keep the car because it doesn't look like they will be asking for it back!

I think there is a bit more to this than you have mentioned so far. 

Grumpy_chap

Was the finance PCP, or was this a lease?

Clive_Woody

If there's no proof of the transaction then they're going to have trouble taking you to court as I suspect a judge would want to see terms nd conditions of the contract.

superbigal

Just sell it and tell Mercedes you have no record of purchasing the car from Mercedes if they ask.
Quids in.