GMAC finance on SAAB DCA query

Grumpy_Doc

I bought a SAAB from a local dealership in 2010. Finance through GMAC. SAAB no longer trading: dealership closed; GMAC as far as I am aware has become Stellantis. Have contacted Stellantis "Cannot find details" wish to pursue, don't know where to go next. Would prefer DIY approach but would consider claims company as potential sum involved considerable. Suggestions please.

dunstonh

 Have contacted Stellantis "Cannot find details"

Not unexpected given its past the recommended destruction dates for unnecessary paperwork.   

Would prefer DIY approach but would consider claims company as potential sum involved considerable.

a) we don't even know if there is an issue yet.    The FCA had no issue and its only current court case decisions that have changed that.  Those court cases are under appeal.
b) Until the FCA publish their report, we don't know what the lenders will be instructed to do or what consumers will be told what to do.  The FCA themselves have come up against the data protection act and they will address this in their report.
c) claims companies have no access to any data or information you don't have.   All they are doing is taking your name, address and car details (sometimes not even that) and then spamming lenders with that info telling them to see what details they have.      They are not some magic bullet (indeed, FOS data shows CMCs have lower success rates and has led to the FOS introducing a charge for failed complaints when brought to them by a CMC).

At the end of the day, there are only two places that your data.   You and the lender.      If neither have the data, then no one else will.       The only caveat to that is some lenders archive data for a period of years before it is destroyed.  i.e. it gets taken off their searchable system and is sent away for storage for x years before destruction.     The FCA may instruct lenders to bring archived data back onto systems (they did this towards the end of the PPI issue).

Bottom line:  wait for the FCA report to see what to do next.