Welcome Car Finance Advise Please

[salviablue]

Re: Welcome Finance any dealings???

Hi, don't know if I this is the right place, but here goes.

 

We "bought" a car from welcome finance nearly two years ago. We were desperate as I needed the car to get to and from work, we were completely skint and the car we had at the time was on its last legs and required atleast £400 and a few days on repairs, a lot more than we could afford. On the phone they said, after we gave our details, that they could offer us a car upto £6000 with a full tank of petrol, £200 cash back, 12 month tax and MOT, 6 months part and labour warranty and free insurance for 6 weeks. We thought, considering we were desperate that was great, they said they would have the paper work ready for us to sign when we got there, provided we showed them the required eid we could drive away with our new car leaving the old one as a deposit/part ex. They also said that aslong as the car had mot and tax, hpi free they would give us £1000 for it.

 

When we arrived at the centre, there were no prices on any of the cars and they managed to avoid like the plague informing me of any of the screen prices until after I had test driven them! I figured they would be expensive screen price and expensive repayments, but we were desperate. We had some money owed to us of which we expected to get within the year. Knowing from the phone discussion that if we paid off the balance within a year of the contract start it would be interest free, so that was the plan. For the price we were going to pay all the only viable options were an `03 Volvo 2.0 Turbo, '03 Omega 2.6 V6 or a 2.0 TDi Jag. Having just had problems with turbo`s, and a 2.0 TDi jag being underpowered, we decided to get the omega.

 

Any way, after about half an hour of waiting around, we were told that we passed their finance but only if we took the car as is - no tax, no petrol, no cash back and only 1 month warranty. We were talked into taking the extra parts and labour warranty, PPI and "gap" insurance. But we were told it was voluntary and that we could cancel at any time with in a month of the date of signing the contract.

 

We had just spent the last of our money in deisel to get to the welcome finance place and we figured that there was just enough petrol in the omega`s tank to get us home and me to work. I ended up having to borrow money for the rest of the week for petty 'till we got paid.

 

I was told the screen price was £5,500 (overinflated for nearly 80k miles and no service history) but that my car as deposit didn't come off the screen price but some how "magically" made the monthly repayments lower. I had to sign something to say I was selling them my car for £1 (something to do with saving us and them sales tax) or the deal couldn`t be processed.

 

A bit of info: We had just moved house and as such most of the documents we had had our old address on, so we informed them of this. They said to process the agreement on the old address but give them our new address and when we had the ID with our new address on, the would update their records. So we processed the claim on our old address and gave them our new address.

 

I was told that if I paid off the loan and HP in full within the first year of the agreement it would be interest free, around £7,500 - £8000. So we signed up (both my wife and I) and drove away feeling pleased with a new(ish) car but sick at the same time.

 

Anyway, I left it three weeks before cancelling the "extras". I phoned them to cancel and they said I couldn't do it over the phone but I had to put it in writing. I asked for the address to send the request to and the lady on the phone said she couldn't give me the address but said its on my copy of the agreement. So I wrote the letter cancelling the "extras" including both addresses and all the relevant info I could think of. I sent one copy to the companies house registered address for WF(on the agreement), another WF address on the agreement and a copy to the FSA (also on the agreement, but unfortunately I forgot to send the cover note with it), all registered post. I have the reg post receipts to all but the WF address on the agreement (disappeared!).

 

I heard nothing from them for two weeks and assumed all was well and was expecting a new direct debit agreement to arrive in the post. I then received a phone call from them asking if I wanted more credit or another loan. I said no but was expecting them to mention something about me cancelling the extras and tell me a new direct debit form was in the post (I was actually expecting them to try and convince me not to cancel and offer me some 'deal' to keep the extras). He said he new nothing of it and that there was no mention of it on my file! I got worried.

After being passed around from person the person, dept to dept, constantly having to retell the story and being told things like, well I can't deal with that, phone this no. (the no. usually didn't exist) or you have to speak to this dept, the person you need to speak to is off until mon etc.. I was also being told that because I didn't send it in time (which I have 'proof' I did) there is nothing they could do. Incidently, there are conflicting starting dates on the contracts of about 5 days (can't get to them right now to check), but I sent in plenty of time for both dates.

 

I finally got really p'#!ed off with this passing around and after a week of trying to resolve it I told them i would cancel the DD at the bank unless they sent me a new DD form/contract to sign minus the "extras". They said to resend the letter with a copy of the registered post receipt and they will take it from there, but in the mean time not to stop the payments and the overpayments will be taken off the remaining payments as and when. So i sent a copy of `the` letter to the address they said to, registered post. I unfortunately have lost that receipt, but it was definately sent.

I heard nothing for another 2 months. Everytime I phoned to speak to the guy, he was "busy, he`ll call you back" or "you've just missed him" etc. Meanwhile the unaltered payments were still coming out of my bank. So I phoned one last time threatening that I had already cancelled the payments with the bank and sure enough, the only guy that could deal with my account had "just come back into the office"! Magic! He said they still haven't received the second copy of the letter and still can't locate either letter I sent the first time to both their headoffice (companies house address) and WF address on the agreement! So at this point I said the ball was in their court, they won't get another penny until I receive a new agreement and DD minus the extras. I then cancelled the DD at the bank.

 

I have never heard anything since, other than the standard, you have missed a payment type letters. Although just after new year we got a letter stating that we owe around £4000 in missed payments and owe a total of around £14,000.

 

I might add as well that all four tyres on the car were worn to the under wire mesh on the inside shoulders, something only noticed when I took the car in for a new tyre (one punchtured about 5 weeks after ownership), the tyre fitter pointed it out. I had the car checked out after this by a friend whom was a mechanic. The suspension bushes were worn, something else with the suspension was worn the hand brake held the car less and less, the passenger heated seat doesn't work, the front fogs, at least one rear brake and both reverse lights work when they want to, the battery died after a few months, the brakes must have been very thin - they came up on the dash after a couple months, there are flat spots on accel and one of the sensors in the auto box is faulty as at times it doesn't change up gear when it should. The tracking was also out, strangely it has gotten progressively worse. I am not really complaining about this other than the fact they knowingly sold me a dodgey (dangerous) car and in the most part covered it up!

Also they keep sending mail to our old address, even though they have our new address!

 

As it turned out, the I wasn't able to pay off the car within the year but I am only now in a position to pay off what I may owe for "renting" the car and then returning the car to cancel the contract. I figured that since I have had the car for at around 1.5 years unpaid, that I would owe what the repayments would have been minus the over payments and extras (since I cancelled these in time and by their own process), which is about £2000. Minus from this the £1000 deposit and I figure I owe around £1000. Considering that they broke the contract before I did, that I should just be able to pay for the use I have had of the car and return it back to them to have me debt free?

 

Any advice?

Edited March 9, 2009 by salviablue
missed a few things

[legalpickle]

More experienced people in Welcome's tactics will come along soon, but a quick tip. The FSA (Financial Services Authority) is the regulator for the financial industry. They don't deal with customers of any institution, so sending them any letters is and was useless.

 

Good Luck!

[salviablue]

"More experienced people in Welcome's tactics will come along soon"

I hope so!

 

Thank you for the reply!

[salviablue]

Bump!

Need some advise soon, please?

[legalpickle]

Bump!

Need some advise soon, please?

I've just posted in two other Welcome threads asking people to come and visit this thread to try and help you. Hopefully somebody will be along soon.

[Dipply75]

Hi Salviablue, legalpickle highlighted your thread, I haven't had car troubles with them but know of their tactics only too well! Hope I can help.

 

Firstly, I know how annoying it is when you can't find your postal receipts, were they send at the postoffice by cash? Fact is, they are only arguing that you didn't cancel the extras in time for no charge....they are obviously well aware you still wanted to cancel and have just ignored you. How many years was the agreement over?

 

If you haven't already, send in a full SAR for everything they have on you and lets see what their paperwork says...what discrepancies there are etc.

 

What is very telling is that they say you owe them that amount and are only sending bog standard letters. I have seen what they do to folk who owe them a lot less, it aint pretty. I think they know they have screwed up and don't seem to eager to push it yet.

 

I will warn you though, the company seems to be in trouble so their staff seem even less bothered to do their jobs than before, but get stuck right in anyway!

 

Very interested to see if your signature turns up agreeing to sell your car to them for £1, clear proof of them trying to avoid tax?

 

You seem to have a fair idea of what you want to settle your complaint so as well as your SAR, send an official complaint letter detailing your whole complaint and what you require to resolve it, and ask for a copy of their complaints process - just so its on record.

 

Oh, and SAR, complaint etc - print your name, do not sign and see if you can use online postage, is easier to prove if you lose that receipt (been there, done that )

[legalpickle]

Dipply75: Thanks for joining.

 

salviablue: One recommendation about all letters. Send them Special Delivery only, not Recorded or by normal post. Recorded is not tracked, it only results in a signature when and if it arrives. They can't deny receiving a Special Delivery item!

 

Hopefully Dipply75 will be able to help you and call in the troops where more assistance is needed.

[postggj]

follow the advice given by dipply

send off an sar request to welcome compliance in nottingham.

your request to cancel the micky mouse insurance products will be on the computer. its the computer screen shots you will be after.

when you confirm your request welcome can go and crawl under there stone again.

dont tell them why you want the sar,

if you need the compliance address or the sar template, give me a bell

[andie_303]

postggj - any chance you can have a quick jump to my thread

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/payment-protection-insurance-ppi/181007-andrea-welcome-finance-ppi-new-post.html

 

still in court with Welcome re PPI but in the disclosure of documents welcome sent something that showed interest added on to the agreement fee which on the agreement is not calculated in - it's shown as completely seperate - I have been given advice this now makes it unenforcable but am just looking for someone to scan my letter and see if it looks ok and I know how much you love screwing over Welcome so your thoughts would be appreciated.

[salviablue]

Thanks everyone for the info.

 

I will do as advised.

I shall keep the progress posted

More comments welcome.

[salviablue]

Hi,

postggj, is this template and address correct (one of your replies to another thread dealing with welcome)

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-debt-issues/188157-welcome-finance-help.html

?

 

Also, I have been getting mixed advice over whether not to sign any correpondence or sign but struck through?

[andie_303]

either print or sign and stike through it doesn't matter as long as you know they then can't copy and paste your true signature on to something else - that is what you are trying to ensure doesn't happen.

[andie_303]

and yes the template and the address on that thread are correct

[jacksi]

I have just read through loads of stuff today and am now reay to go fight Welcum Finance too, great info infact my head is spinning anyway time for workl but first letter written and ready to be posted, so i will keep you all updated, just to say its re HP on a car. I shall be reading more threads later, well dont to everyone who takes on these cowboys.

[legalpickle]

I have just read through loads of stuff today and am now reay to go fight Welcum Finance too, great info infact my head is spinning anyway time for workl but first letter written and ready to be posted, so i will keep you all updated, just to say its re HP on a car. I shall be reading more threads later, well dont to everyone who takes on these cowboys.

Jacksi,

 

Welcome to CAG. I suggest you start your own thread to keep people updated and ask questions. If you want post a link from this thread, but please don't post questions on other people's threads, because it's against CAG rules.

 

I also recommend that you try to write in clear sentences and paragraphs. It's a lot easier to understand. I know I'm not the only one who gets put off by having to decipher posts.

 

Good Luck,

legalpickle