Welcome Car Finance **WON**

surreylad · 9th September 2006, 22:13

Thanks to this web site and all the things i have been reading, it has given me new hope in trying to get my money back. To cut a very long story short, I got a car in Jan 2003 through Welcome finance, I know, stupid me!!. Anyway, things went from bad to worse within a week. The car lasted for about six weeks when the cam belt went and i was left stranded. After calling the number for ages for the welcome recovery - no answer. I ended up using my own insurance company who came out and picked me up within an hour.

Got on the phone to the local welcome office and they told me I had to go back to the garage, got onto the garage and they told me, you guessed it - get back to welcome. This went on for about three weeks. Got really fed up and wrote to the office asking for a solution. In the meantime, money was still going out of my account.

In 2003, we also had our child, which was one main reason we got the car. It makes me sick that as someone who does not know the inside out of cars, we were told it had a check by the RAC and passed with flying colours. But when it was checked out by someone I got in after it broke down, They gave me a whole list of major faults.

As said to cut this short, I paid over £2,200 for a car that I had use out of for six weeks. I have written untold letters between 2003/04 asking for 1, to pay back the money 2) to collect the car as it had been written off. 3) to confirm that I had not been given any defaults etc for cancelling my agreement as I was not paying for goods which where sold to me with defects. I have always asked for them to contact me in writing which they have NEVER done. Luckily, I have kept ALL of my records for this including who I talked to and when, letters and also any thing they have told me. Only wished I taped some of thier excuses, it would have made me millions in comedy!!!

I would say that there is no difference between Welcome and Yes car credit. And as I live in the area where the BBC did a programe (which shut the Yes car credit office down) I would recommend to anybody - it does not matter how hard up you are - do NOT go with any of these companies as they will sell your granny if they could.

I have searched around the site, but not sure what to do now. I am determined to get this sorted once and for all. Can I send Welcome a form like the banks one to give them a timescale to return my money before taking them to court.

Any advice would be much appriciated.

surreylad · 12th September 2006, 01:31

Just got the ball rolling. Found out from local authority that you can complete a compliant form at consumerdirect.gov.uk and they see if you have a case and offer their advice.

Filled in the form so lets wait and see what happens (if anything)

Found all the letters and corrispondance today including my orginal request for data and giving them notice. (which they never replied too) I already know (from records i have) that thier records will not match mine. I have the evidence - letters, phone bills etc. THEY DON'T

God i am so glad I found this site, it has given me so much incouragement to fight these people and get back whats mine. Thanks to Dave for giving setting this site up.

surreylad · 12th September 2006, 18:25

See below

surreylad · 12th September 2006, 19:12

It's been a good day today!

Consumer direct got back to me this morning by phone and e-mail

Gave a little advice and gave me another contact - Finance and leasing association. Gave them a ring, gave them details of my issue and they have put a letter in post for me to sign to let them deal with my case.

Welcome will have 21 days to respond from the time they get my letter back.

curlysmum · 13th September 2006, 14:51

my boyfriend has a similar situation with them, we are going to court against them we also took advice from consumer direct wrote letters, phone calls and then trading standards took it up on our behalf , they ignored everything , never even responded , we are going to court but this is also a slow process and it has toaken 6 months so far and we are still waiting for a hearing date now , they do not care , and he bought his car a year and half ago, prepare yourself for the long haul, we had to get another car in the meantime but this has ruined his credit history as he is unable to get credit on anything while this is on his credit file ,even though it is marked as a dispute

surreylad · 13th September 2006, 16:16

Thanks for your comment curlysmum. Believe me, I don't care any more how long it takes. I'm in this for the duration. Did you go to the Finance and Leasing Association?, I was told yesterday by Consumer Direct and FSA that this body is really the only one that can take up the complaint as it is for the car. They give a 21 days notice for thier report. I'm not too sure what will happen after the 21 days are up.

My wife was pregnant when all of this was going on, but they did not care. It meant rushing out to get another car like you. We really need to stick together and get them back for all they have done to us. Keep in touch.

curlysmum · 13th September 2006, 16:39

HI again, no ours was a HP Agreement, so I was never advised to go to them just Consumer Direct put me through to the Local Trading Standards Officer who had quite a few previous dealing with them, its been a nightmare as I needed the car to take our daughter to school and go to work and he needed another car for his work , so its been a long year already.

maybelline · 23rd September 2006, 21:55

good luck with this one, I too had a car on finance from them several years ago and am still sorting out the mess, basically still paying for it, it was a heap of rubbish and broke down umpteen times - it is daylight robbery and not enough is being done to stop those that prey on the vulnerable, very good luck.

surreylad · 25th September 2006, 02:21

Thanks for the message maybelline, know what you mean. Those people at the watchdog programme should do the same with welcome to what they did to YES car credit.

surreylad · 25th September 2006, 02:23

Got all the info sent in the past to welcome together including agreement. Had letter from Finance & Leasing Association and am sending the whole lot back to them in the post in morning. Welcome will have 21 days to answer to them.

maybelline · 25th September 2006, 11:15

well done!

surreylad · 26th September 2006, 00:04

Letter is off in the post so should arrive with the FLA very shortly.

surreylad · 2nd October 2006, 15:37

Recieved confirmation letter today from FLA. Complaint has now been passed to the Chief Executive's office for further information.

They will contact me as soon as they have a responce but have said if I do not hear anything in 21 days, I'm to chase them.

surreylad · 16th October 2006, 15:31

Spoke to the FLA this morning. Had nothing back from Welcome as yet but they said this was not un-common. As usual, they most of the time, will leave it to the deadline to reply.

Hurry up Friday!!!

surreylad · 19th October 2006, 11:39

Just a quick note to say

I've WON

Recieved letter today to confirm they were in the wrong all the time

and they have contacted credit agencies to update my reference

AND SENT FULL PAYMENT BY CHEQUE

I'm off to put it in the bank before they change thier mind

Thanks to the CAG for giving me so much help and guidence. Once money has gone through, I will be make a donation

maybelline · 19th October 2006, 11:52

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

well done for sticking with it.

i want to tackel Welcome but my loan is secured on my home, so a bit risky but it could be years before I can move to another lender so still considering this matter.

not pinchng your thread - how big is the smile on your face

surreylad · 19th October 2006, 13:03

THANKS Maybelline

Smile goes from one ear to the other.

I have found out (in a very short time) that years of trying to do something on my own was not working, thanks to the support of people like you and others, I was put on the right track and it's been sorted in a really short period of time.

My advice is don't worry about it. If they are in the wrong, kick them where it hurts. They got me down for over three years and thats something I've learnt, All they do is bully us inderviduals as they think they have a lot of mussle.

You've always got this forum and us to support you. GO FOR IT

carinas · 1st November 2006, 16:20

I had a car financed through Welcome, which cost me thousands to repair (it had 2 new engines!!) Infact, it was so rubbish i scrapped it in the end. Maybe that was a mistake on my part, but with £1600 still owing, i will be contacting Welcome and trying to find a way of either recovering some costs or not paying the balance. This thread has inspired me. I know they charged me loads for missing payments, can i claim them back as unfair charges?

Congrats on your win, Welcome are a really bad company to deal with, i'm glad someones got their money back!

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