LBL Damaged my car

[theprince121]

Hi my tale is one of woe which is what all of the Log Book Loan questions seem on here (Why can the government not do something?).

 

Here is mine....I took out a loan with a company locally who offered log book loans for one reason or another i failed to meet the payments and whilst i was in London at a conference this week i received a call from a young girl who worked at this LBL place to say contact her or my car will be repossesed. It was outside my house whilst i was away at the conference. Just to let you know my car is an automatic and can not be taken out of gear without the engine being started.

 

I didn't get the message until 6pm that day at the same time as i got a message from a guy who works at LBL to say my car had been reposessed and a call from my old office (i have recently changed jobs) to say someone had called twice to try to contact me to say my car was being towed away (i thought this was illegal to tell people at work what they are doing?) I eventually got hold of LBL and the guy said my car had been towed to a pound and i needed to pay 500 pounds to get my car back. After three days of phone calls back and forth i finally settled on three hundered and fifty pounds (which i could not afford) and i informed them i needed my car as I am a carer for my dad and I am a triple heart attack victim (and I really I am both of these I am not just giving a sob story). So to cut a long story short I paid up and collected my car this morning (I also had to give them a spare key).

 

When I got to my car this morning it had a smashed window, it was full of mud and dirt inside (it had only been valleted a week ago) and there were things missing out of it including a large set of keys, bagged up coins (only about 2 pounds worth) a load of CD's, My prescription sunglasses and my glove compartment had been emptied of my car manual, service history and a load of other papers i had in there.

 

Now because my car can't be moved without a key without damage it has damaged my rear axle and the car swerves when i drive it.

 

I mentioned the window to LBL and they said they would pay for it (i mentioned this the day before i collected it as when i got home i saw all the glass on the road and the guy at LBL said they had to smash the window) but what can i do about the items stolen (lets face it at the end of the day it is theft i can see why they would nick my cd's but why my sunglasses?) and the damage to the axle? Help please. When i went to collect my car there was a couple in the shop taking out a loan I so wanted to take them outside and tell them not to but while on here we are all learning a harsh lesson they will follow. If you can help me i would be most gratefull. x

[Fleeced73]

You will have to litigate for unlawful seizure - and whilst you're about it you will also litigate for the loan itself (extortionate credit bargain etc). The courts are very interested in this lot even if the plastic police aren't.

Meanwhile, anyone fancy pooling together and gifting one or two of the sunday tabloids with a 'credit crunch' horror story on this lot? The News Of The World did a general story back in November about LBL and their dodgy ways I am sure they would like some meat for the next sandwich.... Try emailing Ross Hall at NOTW see if he's interested in doing a follow-up spread

Try features@notw.co.uk, and as subject call your email 'Logbook Loans (FAO Ross Hall?)'

 

Edited February 15, 2009 by Fleeced73

[cadencealex]

That is a disgrace, you have to do something... great idea reporting it to the media.. maybe others will come forward to

 

Is a log book loan where they give you money against you car? Or is it a car loan?

[Fleeced73]

A 'log book loan' puports to be a loan secured on a vehicle using the 19th century 'Bill of Sale' Act. In reality it seems it is actually pawnbroking, one thing that is never explained when loans are being arranged is what the 'bill of sale' actually is they are requiring customers to sign.... in fact they invariably proclaim at this stage that 'repo's' are few and far between and that they will not do any such thing if any payments have been made.

[theprince121]

Thanks for the reply guys litigation sounds expensive i suppose i will have to go to a solicitor will i?

 

As for exposing them in the media I work in the media now so not very difficult for me to do let me have a think about it.

 

Just to update you all I have written to the LBL company outlining that what they have done is illegal and questioning the legallity of them keeping my spare key for the car as surely if it was stolen they would be suspects?

 

I have also listed what has gone missing out of the vehicle and that they have damaged it towing it. I have also asked for the name and address of the towing company so that I can pass it onto the Police. I await a reply and I will let you know what happens.

 

Thanks

 

Prince

[Fleeced73]

Prince if you want any assistance just ask

I'm afraid litigation is the only way they will take you seriously unless you can get in the national press or awaken a Rogue Traders or Watchdog style tv programme

[Guest LBL Hunter]

Its difficult to prove those things were in the vehicle and worse yet if they have agreed to pay for your window then....?

 

Also the argument might be your vehicle already had a damaged axel and you are using this situation to your advantage...or at least thats what will be said.

 

 

I have a Range Rover which I have a loan against,

 

Yes I was made aware of the APR

 

Yes I knew I was signing a Bill of Sale

 

Yes I accepted consequences of Breach/non payment of Loan.

 

But I needed the Money, so I signed, got money, made 2 payments and then ran to the mountains.

 

Its all my FAULT, obviously for me to end up in their office for money I was a willing Participant, as agreed by the judge who shafted me after a swift dressing down about morals.

 

I still have the car, but have decided to return it, as the legal aspect of it is getting a bit heavy.

 

Besides LBL have a london based agent that do a very thorough job, I moved 4 times, and was found on all occasions, worse, on one occasion they found my vehicle after a 6 man 3 vehicle surviellance team found the car, (they must of being watching for days) I happened to stumble on them, I found out later that they were waiting for a truck to turn up to up lift it. I managed to escape having done many red lights, they did not chase me, but they were deadly.

 

Car now in warehouse.

 

STEPHENSON Solicitors, have so far failed on 4 cases including mine.

 

I won only once and that was without a Lawyer, and they screwed up.

 

So apart from handing vehicle back no idea what to do, as I am being Hunted by their only london Specialist Agent.

 

I dont know the name of the agents but will post when i find out, once their onto you, your gone!

 

Any Ideas

[Fleeced73]

 

Any Ideas

 

Yes, I've an idea.

I've got this strange idea you're talking absolute crap and are sending this "open", "honest" message in order to dissuade other potential LBL litigants from taking such action. I could be wrong. But I rarely am.....

And of course, it's pure coincidence that within 90 minutes of this post LBL register too. If there's one thing LBL are very good at it is treating all their customers like idiots, and this is yet another example of that.

 

Let's examine what Mr Hunter is telling us:

He took out a Log Book Loan against his Range Rover, and unlike other LBL customers experience they fully explained the in's, out's, why's & wherefore's of the loan on their own premises and he was so keen for the loan money he didn't mind, made 2 payments and then made a conscious decision to default, apparantly moving address 4 times to avoid detection.

At some point either he or LBL invoked litigation and a judge went as far as to comment on HIS morals and not the terms, conditions & execution of highly extortionate and dubious loans - but despite this court action he STILL HAS THE CAR! He is going to give them the car though, because LBL employ a London-based repo agent who are so ****-hot they had 6 men find him and his Rangey (but, hey, our hero managed to escape this high level intelligence - indeed they are 'deadly'). This experience has also, somehow, led him to discover that Stephensons Solicitors (coincidentally the biggest thorn in LBL's side right now) are crap and not to be used - best to not bother, eh?

 

I'm suprised given his story that he dare go to sleep on a night, but all this about legal wrist-slapping & superhero agents does have a familiar ring.... oh yes, that's it, I remember now. It's what repo-men say when they are desperately trying to trace a vehicle they cannot find.

Edited February 21, 2009 by Fleeced73

[Oh Boy!]

Fleeced your out of order. Guy has posted his prob and you have replied with a bit of venom

[Fleeced73]

I'm not out of order in any way, shape or form. How much experience of LBL and their underhand tactics do you have Oh Boy, because I've seen and heard all of this before. Wake up!

You were last heard clashing with people re: LBL last August, if you believe LBLHunters story then so be it

Edited February 21, 2009 by Fleeced73

[Oh Boy!]

Correct!

 

That was after a personal attack on me which I complained about and those comments where removed. For you to say I was clashing with people makes it sound bad. I have given valuable advice on here and frankly it's certain comments that keep me away from these forums. I have lot of experience with Lbl and every other major finance company. I don't want to walk way from cag again. I want my advice appreciated I want people to benefit from my professional experience knowledge. I tell it like it is no one likes it. I just feel that lblhunter has merely stated his position he is not saying don't sue them. I say sue everyone

[JonCris]

Oh boy you "have experience of LBL and every other 'major' finance company"

 

1st are you saying you have collected for them if so I'm surprised your defending them because if YOU have worked for them then you must know what they are like

 

Also fleeced may have attacked wotsisname but then we often have supporters & employees coming on hear either singing their praise or claiming LBL have every right to act in the way they do.

 

Also I'm not aware neither is fleeced of any claims against LBL that have been lost by Stephensons in fact quite the opposite & that statement by wotsisname alone make me highly suspicious of his/her claims

 

& now your admissions that you know LBL which I assume is in your capacity as bailliff & may have acted for them makes me & probably other victims suspicious of you also

[Oh Boy!]

Ladies and gentlemen of this forum can be suspicious all they like.

 

Bottom line is I have acted for Lbl as a county court bailiff not certificated as a civil servant. Previously when I was doing repos I never acted underhand and I never saw underhand behaviour. However I have heard from the industry that there are agents that behave so and I hate them including bailiffs who flout the law I have advised friends about bailiffs who have mibehaved and been at the forefront of complaints. I answer to jack straw when I get it wrong who do the **** that call themselves bailiffs answer to?

[caro]

 

I won only once and that was without a Lawyer, and they screwed up.

 

Nice job!

 

I have actually won a case similiar to this with the BoS being witnessed by rep.

 

My lawyer ripped LBL to shreds, with some obscure laws he new about.

 

Now I'm suing for charges.

 

 

LBL Hunter. Could you please clarify which of these 2 posts is accurate. Did you win without a lawyer, or with one? Your posts seem to be contradictory.

[JonCris]

Well Oh boy what a revelation.

 

Your statements certainly indicate that you wear blinkers if you have only 'heard' about alleged bad practice involving LBL. Allegedly bad practice isn't just confined to their agents. I suggest you search this forum some more before coming to such a conclusion

[Oh Boy!]

Yeah Sure.

 

Bottom line is I am not denying it does not happen!

 

It never happened in my organisation.

 

Just like the the ***** just because the directors are "at it" doesn't mean the staff are close behind.

 

The finance industry collections works or used to work like this :-

 

1st Wave = When customer falls behind in payments vehicle is either collected or arrears collected.

 

2nd Wave = Customer is at the address but refusing to acknowledge calls or letters

 

3rd Wave = Customer and Vehicle missing no longer resides.

 

Its the 3rd wave agents that people have been writing about as this is where all the money is, aka "hardcore" recovery.

 

Of course there are rogues in every industry.

 

I have read and given loads of advice to loads of people on here most by PM.

 

People here are going to be looking for a hole to vent their frustration because they have been ill treated, which is fine, but what is not needed is silly comments.

 

I have nothing more to add really, unless somebody wants advice.

Edited February 22, 2009 by MARTIN3030
inapp wording

[Fleeced73]

But a Log Book Loan is not like regular motor finance! Most repo's involving HP & similar are fair and above board and therefore there is no need for unlawful seizures and morons playing out their fantasies making covert snatches of vehicles - you buy a vehicle on tick, you can or cannot afford, sale of goods act and all that

The practices of LBL are well documented on here and I will not go into them yet again other than to state that the 'con' starts with the way the loans are (not) explained to customers right at the beginnning.

I find your zealous defence of these rogues somewhat puzzling as you claim to be a County Court Bailiff and they, in my experience, are very fair and reasonable - surely as someone who's behaviour is regulated you should not be defending debt collectors who (unlawfully) declare themselves bailiffs and set about making unlawful seizures giving the genuine bailiffs a very bad name indeed.

[Oh Boy!]

Oh please spare me

 

I am not protecting anybody read my posts.

 

Secondly I am happy to contact you from my court on any number you choose me to call be in no doubt. I am not going to get drawn into a pathetic argument about what these crap companies do and not do that's their problem and no doubt their time will come.

 

Sadly me included I have had to challenge the advice given to me during life time. Because I did not hear what I liked but later accepted it was the truth.

 

Things " documented" here is not evidence that a certain or behaviour has taken place we have to accept these comments and things on face value and trust.

 

Read my posts before you make assumptions about me better still give a number and we will talk about if you have problem that needs sorting I don't know if you are a victim of these agents or Lbl.

 

Lastly and sadly until the enforcement bill comes into effect it is not illegal to impersonate a bailiff crrently anyone can call themselves a bailiff that is what's so sad.

[caro]

I would like to reiterate that CAG strongly urges people not to give or take advice by PM or give out personal details like phone numbers in order to ensure the advice given/received can be checked and to preserve their anonymity. You can never really tell if the person you are trusting is who they say they are, or may be someone touting for business, or indeed could be a DCA using CAG to find people. See link. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/welcome-consumer-forums/15742-receiving-personal-messages-pms.html#post121038

[the_freedom_trail]

I'm backing Fleeced on this one. LBL Hunter's account seems to be a touch imaginative - 6 man surveillance team - man thats funny.

[Oh Boy!]

TFT it goes to show how little or nothing you know about the repossesion business. It's not funny at all big cars with big balance outstanding? Six man team? Just goes to show how you under estimate the investigators, they don't get paid peanuts I asure, when I was doing this chasing very expensive cars it was a 10 man operation what are you on about this bounty hunting in a different form. Don't mock what you don't understand

[JonCris]

No Oh boy I'm NOT a victim of LBL just someone who wants to help those who are because what is alleged on these forums has a considerable following;)

[JonCris]

& much of what is claimed & about which you say is not proof have been entered into statements of truth

 

Incidentally it is a criminal offence to claim to be a bailiff as this implies special powers which IS an offence under the 2006 Fraud Act.........In the same way that is now an offence to issue a document/letter intending to give the impression to the recipient that it has some official capacity........like many if those sent by DCA's & which are clearly meant to look to the unwary & often unsophisticated debtor as if they have been sent by the court

[Oh Boy!]

Great

 

Under what section of what legislation is it specifically a criminal offence to impersonate a bailiff

 

I thank you!

[JonCris]

The bailiff system is a medieval anachronism & a blot on today's society & should be abolished forthwith as already recommended by the Law Commission

 

In today's big brother IT society when every Tom, Dick & idiot has access to our personal data there are many other & more efficient ways to collect debts rather than beating down doors & assaulting people in their own homes

 

Debt collectors of any sort are just immoral parasitic bullies who's sole activity brings grief worry & upset to the poor. I can honestly say that knowing what I now know about the grief caused by debt collectors I wouldn't do the job even if I & my family was starving