The summary is that I collected my van after it was towed, drove it 20 metres and saw a panel come loose, I went inside to report it and immediately emailed them, they have since refused the claim as I had already collected the vehicle.
The story:
- Van towed
- Van collected, signed out 12:00
- Van appeared visually to have no new damage, was not allowed to drive it until paperwork signed
- Upon driving it a plastic exterior panel came loose (this appears to be from when it was craned onto of truck)
- I stopped the vehicle 12:03 and walked into their office to report damage
- I emailed photos to head office 12:08
- NSL initially claimed they examined photos and damage was pre-existing
- I requested CCTV footage of my visit under Data Protection Act. I provided them a copy of my ID, photo, description of clothing as well as letting them know I was the only member of public/customer on-site for the duration of my visit
- CCTV footage denied on basis I "was not recognisable" after they reviewed footage
- Initially refused to provide any photos of vehicle
- Finally produced 0.3 megapixel images, much too low resolution to see anything, but certainly confirming their claim the damage was pre-existing is false
- Refuse to provide original full resolution images despite multiple requests
- Latest excuse I was gone 15 minutes and could have caused the damage during this time. Clearly a false assertion given I emailed them within 8 minutes and was in their office within 3 minutes of leaving.
- I feel by refusing to provide CCTV footage and full resolution photos they are obstructing my ability to prove they caused the damage
The damaged panel tore off at 30mph while trying to go to have it looked at, luckily no other vehicle was damaged, in hindsight I should have driven with the panel being damaged. But this proves the damage is very unlikely to have been pre-existing as the van couldn't be driven.
So I intend to pursue through the small claims court. My questions are:
- I can't afford to fix the van right now and as it is cosmetic, I can still use it without fixing the panel. Can I get a quote from Renault and claim on MCOL for the value of the repair?
- Although I was gone only 3 minutes and drove 50 metres from NSL yard directly to NSL office, I did still take the vehicle before reporting the damage, this was due to the panel being pushed into place (but not secured) and therefore not visible until the vehicle was moved. Will this work against me when making a claim?
- Does their repeated lying (first claiming it was pre-existing, then falsely claiming I was gone 15 minutes and could have caused the damage then) work against them?
- Does withholding CCTV where I was the only non-high vis person on-site on the basis I was not "identifiable" work against them (clearly I was identifiable, I was the guy without high vis on)
- Does failure to produce any original images, just very compressed images of the van before and after towing, work against them?
How strong a case do people think I may have?
I have exhausted their complaints process.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.
I have recently managed to get rid of some historical debt as it became statute barred and thought I had gotten rid of old debt. However, I have received a letter from a firm of Solicitors chasing the recovery of fees for a timeshare we bought in 2010 privately from the previous owner. We have visited it once and paid fees once in 2011. I have not communicated with them or paid anything since 2011
As far as I am aware, I haven't received any communication from the Timeshare company or the representatives for probably 5 or 6 years. The total debt is £3670.
Is this type of debt subject to the same rules as any other debt, i.e. a default has to be issued 3 months after last payment becomes overdue and can it be statute barred or am I going to have to pay it as it is timeshare rather than a traditional debt. I still have the timeshare but am now actively looking to get rid of it.
Thank you.
Today I got a refund of £25 from Packlink. I have also submitted a claim form with Hermes, as you suggested.
It pays to be tenacious.
Thanks for your advice.
Hello there,
My wife (62) has advanced arthritis on both hands and wrists (inherited from her mother's side of the family).
She left her job as a youth carer in January of this year because amongst other issues with her inability to work they pushed her into office and admin. However, with her arthritis, writing or using computers became impossible. As nearly all jobs available requires some use of hands, which she is unable to do, what benefits would be available to her. Does my wife qualify for anything?
Other info.
She does have arthritis in all areas of her body, but for example she is able to walk reasonable distances, sit down comfortably for reasonable lengths of time, etc.
She also suffers from psoriasis (which may have played a part in her condition).
A friend of hers owns a wine bar and offered her a job (not too taxing) but it required her to carry wine bottles and glass which was OK-ish for the first 60 mins but then became impossible for her to do.
Any help or advice greatly appreciated.
cheers
sidley
I think it will be very helpful to let people know more detail about these debts.
Who is the original creditor? How much was the debt for? When was the debt incurred? When did you last make any payment or acknowledgement of the debt
Caledonian Moving and Storage - Disappearance of Belongings. Read more at https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/418604-caledonian-moving-and-storage-theft-of-belongings/
Mobile users can now switch providers with one simple text. Read more at https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/417284-mobile-users-can-now-switch-providers-with-one-simple-text/