Regal Credit after swinton car insurance

[ford2872]

Hi

I hope somebody can direct me on a situation that as come about through a non fault accident details are as follows :-

 

bought a car got cheapest quote from Swinton and i had no problems with them for a good 6-7 months.

 

I was visiting family and my car was parked out front when a lorry hit it Thankfully no-one was hurt except my car

 

it looked like the only damage was front driver side colour coded bumper had been ripped down on side of impact causing it to snap away from fixing bracket and a crack in bumper.

 

The driver of the lorry was helpful and supplied me with the name of the company he worked for and the telephone number helped me cable tie bumper back up. The police were not called as he admitted that he was at fault.

 

When i drove car home ( about 8 miles) vehicle felt weird with steering

 

i phoned the haulage firm and spoke to the owner who was again helpful

and asked me to take car to body repair centre and get a quote to repair

or replace bumper and to either fax or email the quote to him and he would pay to have it repaired.

 

The following day I took it to a garage and explained to them what had happened

and i also mentioned that the car felt really unsafe with steering.

 

While I waited he had a look at the damage and underneath vehicle and informed me that the tie rod ends had snapped on both sides of the car ( front )

and also that the passenger side wheel had dent probably caused by impact to kerb.

 

He told me to contact my insurance company about accident so that I'd be able to get courtesy car

because he flt that car was really unsafe to drive.

 

He also said he'd phone a accident assesment specailist ( i think it was that )

 

I left there had taxi home and phoned swinton to inform them of the accident,

I give them the name and number of haulage firm and also the garage details of where i'd left car.

after about an hour they phoned me back and told me that i,d have a call from a hire company about courtesy car.

 

I had a call the following day and they wanted to know whereabouts of car and my requirements for courtesy car which i supplied

and i was informed that they would get a car to me the following day...

 

Stayed in all day waiting no car .

 

phoned them and was then informed that no vehicles available for 3 days.

 

What else could i do but agreed to wait but again no car arrived

 

2 weeks went by no courtesy car and also no follow up calls from swinton.

 

Then my car was returned to me unsafe to drive and a recomendation that it would cost more to repair than what the car was worth

So he was recommending it be writing off.

 

The garage owner informed me that he.d phoned swinton to inform them and to say car had been returned to me ready for them to arrange pick up to be taken and scrapped.

 

i told him i was not happy after being left with no car or calls from swinton.

And he told me he'd sort out a courtesy car.

 

An hour later i got call from a company who had been instructed by garage to supply me with courtesy car

and following day a brand spanking new puegot 507 was signed over to me

while i waited for payment from haulage firms insurance for my car.

 

They where claiming hire costs from haulage firms insurance company and where also instructing them to pay me out top book for my car.

 

my car was picked up by a recovery lorry to be taken to manchester and i waited for insurance to pay out

 

just over 6 weeks later from day of accident i was sent payment from insurance courtesy car went back and i bought new car.

 

phoned swinton and had heated disscussion on how unhelpfull they where and was told that the company they had arranged me to have courtesy car

had not informed them as all costs were being charged to the other parties insurance and apologiged.

 

I asked them to change the policy details to my new car which was now 1.8 rather than a 1.6 litre engine

and they informed me that it would cost me a addional £456 to insure new car.

OLD POLICY WAS £298 now THEY WANTED £754.

 

I told them that i wasnt prepared to pay that as i had had a cheaper quote online for nearly half the amount

they where asking and informed them i no longer needed a policy with their company.

 

A week later had a letter asking me to pay a final payment of £108.61 to cancel policy

I phoned them and told them i was not happy to pay this after the way they treated me after accident

and told them it was a third parties fault so why should i be penalised.

swansea swinton branch informed me that they would inform head office and get back to me.

 

NOW 4 months later i get a letter from REGAL CREDIT asking for £108.61 before they take legal action

 

Can anyone please advise me or help with a template letter.

 

thanks

[dx100uk]

you can kill 90% of that waffle .....

 

regal credit are a DCA

they are not bailiffs and have NO SUCH LEGAL POWERS.

 

dx

[Sidewinder]

Regal are a nasty, shouty DCA. As DX says, they have no powers whatsoever and don't even consider speaking to them as they will just argue and get unpleasant, but cannot take legal action against you as they don't own the alleged debt and are merely hired to try and force you to pay up. Deal only with Swinton. Look through full details of their policy and find clauses and arguments as to why you should not be liable for any cancellation fees which you may have agreed to in the small print when you took out the policy. Is this actually a cancellation fee, or an amount for premiums paid in arrears but outstanding when cover was cancelled?

 

Go to the ombudsman if necessary.