Welcome Car Finance Need advicen plz

[kevinandclaire]

This is Long sorry

I took a Silver Micra registration out on Finance on the 22 Oct 2006, I paid a £500 Deposit when I picked up the car. The car was working fine until Jan 2007 when the engine light came on , I called my mechanical breakdown cover insurance and they advised me to take the car to Nationwide auto centre Seafield Rd , Edinburgh. I did this and they advised me that this was the Crank shaft sensor. They turned the light off and told me if this happened again to come back. The week commencing 29th Jan the car would not start first time , I had to try it a couple of times to start and on Sunday 4th Feb the car would not start at all. On the Monday I called my Mechanical cover again and they advised me to take it to my local garage give them there telephone number and the garage would call them with a cost of repairs. So I took the car to a Nissan dealership in Livingston. They looked the car over found out what was wrong with it and called the mechanical insurance. They were waiting several days for authorisation and when they final got the call the Insurance company said that they were quoting far too much to fix it and that they could get it cheaper at the garage they take all there cars too. So on 19th Feb 2007 Nationwide picked up the car for the Nissan dealership . At This point Welcome car finance did not tell me that the car was getting picked up or where the car was going. The only reason I knew that the car had been picked up and were the car was, is because I know the body shop manager in the Nissan dealership. I called nationwide several times over the next couple off weeks to find out when my car would be ready, they advised me that is was the timing chain that had gone and they were waiting for a part on back order. In the meantime I still had not received any contact with Welcome. I sent several letters to welcome in Bathgate stating that I would like to terminate my contract I even sent letters recorded delivery which I will be getting the details from Royal mail. I had not received a call or a return letter. So I sent them a final letter recorded delivery to the Bathgate branch and to the garage in new bridge were I actually got the car from to say that if I had not heard anything within the next 14 day I would take it that they have cancelled my contact and will take the car back . I stopped paying for the car at this point as I was not paying for something that I never had. I still had no response from welcome finance. In May 2008 2 gentleman from Welcome finance arrived at my ex boyfriends parents house regarding my outstanding account. This is the only contact I have ever had from Welcome finance not a call or not even a letter about non payment etc etc. On the 20th of May I called the Edinburgh Office and spoke to the gentleman ( Graeme ) that came to the house regarding the account I explained that I had not had the car since Feb 07 and I do not know were the car was , he apologised and said that he would sort it out and take it off my account. I thought that this now finally had been sorted out. But on the 9th July 2008 I had a woman called Wendy from the repossessions department call me regarding my car. I explained the situation to her and she advise me that there were no notes on her system regarding my conversation with Graeme and that as far as she was concerned the car is still mine. I told her were I left the car and that nationwide picked it up and that’s the last I knew. She said that she would call me back, within the hour she called me back and advised me that she just spoke to nationwide garage and the car has been ready to pick up since July 2007 . I advise her that no one has ever contact me welcome or the garage to advise me on the situation on the car. She also said that there is no notes on her system that the garage had contacted them either. I asked her for the number of the garage and that I would give them a call. Wendy said that I could take the car back or she would get it repossessed sell it at auction and I would be responsible for the rest of the balance . I said that I had just had a baby and that I could not afford the payments of £275 a month she said she could reduce them to £175 per month. I advised her that I would call her back in the next 24 hours . I called Nationwide garage and spoke to Grant. He advise me that the car was not fixed until the end of June / July and that he tried to contact welcome finance several times to tell them that the car was ready , every time he spoke to them he always mentioned the car to them. Welcome had paid the bill to fix the car so he wanted out of the garage as it was taking up space. Eventually he put the car outside in the carpark. He said that it has been sitting there for a year so the car is not driveable as the breaks and the handbrake would have seized up and will now not work , there will be bald patches on the tyres and the battery will be dead. My father in law called Wendy on the 10th July to try and see if they will pay to get the car back on the road. Wendy spoke to her boss and said that there is nothing they could do to help get it back on the road. I called Wendy today and she said again that I could take it back or she can get it repossessed at this point I did feel really pressured as she kept mention the repossession which is very bad if that’s on your credit file. I advised her that I would take the car back as I was not having a repossession against my name . I asked if we were going to come to some sort of arrangement to get the car back on the road as it is not driveable and she said they can not do anything. I asked her if they had a duty as the garage had called them several times to let them know it was ready and she said no as she had just received the account and she can not speak for other people who had dealt with the calls. After a long conversation I said that I would arrange for it to get picked up and fixed. I then made a payment of £175.00 and we ended the conversation there.
The complaints that I have if it is not clear in the little story above is the following.
I have never been contacted by Welcome Finance over a year by telephone or letter to say the car was ready or in reply to any of my letters or about missing any payments. Usually a finance company would automatically send a letter out if a payment had been missed once never mind missing payments for over a year!
I felt very pressured into taking the car back as she kept bringing up the repossession side of things. Now I have read up on the matter and before you can repossession anything you have to send a letter to say that I have defaulted on the account , then give me a chance to rectify the matter and then you have to send me a letter to advise me that you are going to repossessions it. When all I have received was a phone call out of the blue.
The car took from Feb until July to get fixed in the first place. That is not a reasonable time for a person to do without a car. One of the reasons I sent letters to End the finance agreement was because were I worked did not have public transport going by so I needed a car to get to work and etc.
I have to pay for the car to get recovered from nationwide garage in Edinburgh as the car is not driveable , when I never took the car and the fact that I feel Welcome is partly responsible for me not being advised that the car was ready for pick up as they had paid the bill and the garage advised them several times it was ready. It is still Welcomes car until all the balance of the car has been paid.
I have to pay to get the car back on the road. This is going to cost nearly over £500. I will be getting receipts for everything as I would like a refund for the recovery and to get it back on the road.

[old_andrew2007]

bump

[postggj]

first thing is did welcome flog you the gap insurance/mechanical break down cover

[kevinandclaire]

yes they did cant remember if they asked me or just added it on

[postggj]

looking at this so far

you had one of these micky mouse insurances to cover mechanical break down so fondly sold by welcome, they are responsable end of story.
this is typical of welcome passing the buck,no doubt the lady who called is covering her own back.
you did every thing in your power to rectify the situation.

ill be honest with you, welcome are a pain do deal with ref complaints.
correspondents have a habit of going missing with this lot so all calls to be logged and letters sent by recorded delievery.
the people who addminister your account at the local office are a waste of time as they are there take the flack and not deviate from the script.
what you need to do first to get things moving is to send welcome an Subject Access Request.
in it state also you want all details ref the extended warrinty and records of your claim, welcome have a tendency of neglecting this info, (i wonder why) included in your Subject Access Request.
this will cost you £10
print your name, dont sign and use a postel order.
welcome have forty days to comply.
tell them also you are puttinhg this account into official dispute.
send your request to this address
tell them it has been allready delt with at the local office and you are escalating your complaint and not to be passed back to the local office.
there are gems in the Subject Access Request that you can use so well worth it.

welcome financial. services ltd.
compliance department
mere way
ruddington fields business park
ruddington
nottingham
ng11 6nz

this is one letter you must send special delievery as it puts them on notice

this will take time, myself six months, but i had to take them to court, but you will get there in the end, just dont take no for an answer

[Bona]

All they want to do is threatern badger and ffirghten you into paying do follow above and see what happens

[postggj]

its your choice kevinand clair
you can ignore them and see what happens but at the moment you have a knackard vehicle thats costing you money for which you are responsable.
in due coarse you will have crap on your credit file and no doubt constant telephone calls and charges.
take it from me , i know

by putting welcome on notice of your complaint you will have a strong negotiating angle.
as long as you have copies of your correspondents they might this time want to settle your complaint.

another welcome fighter in just about the same position as you ended up with a new car from welcome at a good deal..

there is no harm in them giving you a decision on your complaint at this stage, you may get lucky as welcome are having quite a few court cases at them at the moment.
but like i said

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

[Bona]

sorry typing error in my post meant to say DO follow above sorry postggj

[kevinandclaire]

thanks so much for all your help,al get typing right away.
i do believe they just scare people into paying and keeping the car,itll not be happening this time.

thanks again kevinandclaire.

[kevinandclaire]

I haave been trying to find a template of the letter but cant find one, just wondering if you have got one as i want to make sure i write the letter corretly. Thanks

[postggj]

just write your letter with the points raised allready and post it on your thread.
deleate all personel details.
use photo bucket its free

[kevinandclaire]

I have been trying to get out my agreement with welcome trading standards says it looks like i took the car back but i had to as they threatened a repossesion bt i didnt know at the time the steps they had to go threw for that. I lettered the FO and they have lettered welcome and said i should wait up to 8 weeks for a reply. Welcomejust sent me a letter saying they recieved the letter and will respond in due course. Do you think i can just hand the care back ???