Advice needed.....welcome car finance voluntary termination

[trickievickie]

As i could no longer afford to pay for my car anymore i enquired with my local branch of Welcome car finance the amount left i had to pay and to ask whether or not i was half way through my agreement (so that i could voluntary terminate

 

On enquiring with my local welcome finance branch i found that i had paid over half of the amount i was supposed to pay over 4 years.

 

On the ? August 2009, a letter was sent VIA recorded delivery my local branch welcome finance for a voluntary termination of my agreement (the template i got off (debtline site)

 

I rang Welcome finance approximately a week and a half later to confirm whether or not they had received the letter however they claimed they had not received any letter regarding self termination.

 

On the ? August 2009, I actually took the letter into the Branch welcome finance myself in person and handed it to the deputy manager. He said that they hadn’t received the letter recorded delivery. He photocopied the voluntary termination letter that I had previously sent VIA recorded delivery and handed me back my copy. He then informed that that he would FAX it to the VT (voluntary termination) department and that they would be in touch shortly to assess my vehicle. I also informed him that I wouldn’t be making any further payments on the vehicle and that the vehicle should be picked up as soon as possible, as I would not be held responsible for any damage caused to the vehicle as I was no longer using it.

 

As i had not received any correspondence from branch welcome finance, I made a phone call to them again on the ? August 2009 and spoke to the Manager. I informed her regarding the above information regarding VT, recorded letter and that i had gone in to branch personally. At first she said that i had got a CFT agreement and couldn’t VT and that I would be liable for the rest of the amount. I don’t even know what CFT means? Also I asked for the direct VT contact number so that i could contact them immediately regarding collecting the vehicle, however she told me there was not a number for this department. I informed her that i had read my contract thoroughly and that my letter had been FAXED to the VT department on the ? of August 2009 by your deputy manager. She then replied saying ‘Hold the line’, after a short while the manager came back on the phone and said ‘Yes you were right and that can VT and an inspector will come out within a couple of days to assess/inspect your vehicle.’ I informed her that I wanted the vehicle to be gone by the ? of September as I would be away from home.[/font]

 

On the ? September 2009 I received a phone call from a lady from my branch of welcome finance at approximately asking me why my direct debit had been returned and that a the monthly payment on the vehicle had not been paid. I informed her of the above information regarding VT and said that i had already informed the above people that I would be making no more payments and was awaiting the vehicle to be taken away by the inspector. She then asked ‘Have you not heard off the inspector who should assess your vehicle?’ I replied ‘No’. She then said that I needed to make a payment NOW on my debit Card. I then informed her I would not be making any payment until the vehicle had been returned. She continued ... and then asked me; ‘Does the vehicle have MOT, TAX and Insurance’ I replied ‘Yes.’ She then said ‘And you’re not using the vehicle?’ I confirmed this. I found her to be quite hostile and threatening over the phone as she commented on how I could afford to go on holiday, but could not to pay for my car. I found this extremely rude and informed her that My holiday was none of her business. In fact, she even said to me: ‘You need to make a payment now or you will be charged for the phone calls I’m having to make and you dont want that do you.’ I kept calm and polite even though i felt bullied. I even offered to take the car, mot, keys etc to the branch immediatly... she said no you cant do that. I informed her that I would contact her in approximately half an hour after I had spoken to my Advisor (good old dad). I then contacted her and informed her that I would not be making any payment what so ever. She then asked me ‘Have you read you contract?’ I replied ‘Yes I have’. She then said ‘You have CFT agreement and that I can not VT’. I said to her your manager said the same thing as you about CFT agreement last week on the phone go, but then she changed her mind ( hence informing her of me coming in the office and the VT letter being faxed to Nottingham by the deputy manager) she then said i could VT and that an inspector was coming within a couple of days. the lady yesterday then went off the line and then come back to me and said i was to contact the VT DPT and inform them that a FAX sent on the ? AUGUST 2009 and that there office was advised on the ? of the August 2009 that it was a CFT agreement.

 

On the ? september 2009, I contacted the VT department and spoke to a male . I gave him all the relevant details and explained to him the above situation that I had experienced. He informed me that I can VT and attempted to speak to the lady at the Branch whilst I held the line. He informed me that he couldn’t get through to her and would log all the details on my account. He then told me to ring her at the Branch and she should give me the Compliance contact number. He actually give me the number as well, he gave me Compliance Department ( department number that deals with complaints when branch not doing what they should do) He also asked me if I had my contract details, in which I replied ‘Yes’.

 

 

I rang The Branch again and spoke to the same lady and informed her regarding the phone call i had with the VT department and she gave me a Compliance contact number as requested by myself (However this was a different Compliance number to the one the VT dpt given me in the wrong one that never existed any more...how convenient)

 

So i rang the Compliance number given me by the VT dpt.

 

? I decided to ring the VT department again in order to find out whether or not there was an alternative number. I spoke to the same gentlman as yesterday, who remembered me from previous phone call and he informed that that the branch had put an email on my account just saying ‘spoken to customer and informed her to speak to VT department’. The gentleman gave me another number reception switchboard and then ask to be put through to an extension number of the compliance department.

 

I rang reception switchboard and informed her that i had been attempting the compliance office for welcome finance several times and the phone kept ringing out. She took my name contact number and account number and asked me what the enquiry was about. I informed her that the VT department gave me this number and that my branch of welcome finance had not been doing what they should be doing. She said she would send an email immediately and get them to call me asap. I informed her to get the compliance department to call me urgently to day. She said that as soon as the email is sent they should contact me shortly

 

Recieved a phonecall ? shortly after from the compliance dpt and i informed her of the above details. She said that customer relationship centre will be in touch in 24 hours and gave me a complaints ref.

 

 

Can someone tell me what happens now? has anyone ever experienced the above? I have checked my contract over and over again? I am thinking of involving trading standards...? Can i take the car up to the branch my self and hand all the relevant documentation to them?

 

I will keep you all posted

[brassed-off-2]

Welcome Trickievickie

 

Someone with more knowledge of the car stuff will be along soon to offer help...sorry its not my strong point.

 

b-o-2

[trickievickie]

thanx any way, customer services never rang i waited in especially for their call!!!

 

I will wait........

[steveoram1]

They are the crookedest finance company in the UK. Please post up your agreement with your personal details removed - try photobucket. If your agreement is like most of Welcome's you have probably been sold loads of add on insurances without your knowledge or consent. I should know - I used to work for them and earn shedloads by bamboozling people. Something I'm not proud of. If anyone needs the full SP on how WCF operated before their timely demise please PM me and I'll PM back with all of their underhand tricks. Only applies if you bought your car from WCF own showroom.

[trickievickie]

Hi thanks for that, funny enough i cancelled all my insurances (apart from the short fall extra - Gap insurance) in 2008 as i only realised then how much i was actually paying for insurances - ppp and mechanical breakdown! When i cancelled the insurances they told me it would come of the total and that my montly payments would not be reduced. If i cancelled the insurances the money would be taken off the amount i owe and reduce my time to pay by 3 - 4 months so in other words i only had eg.2years left instead of 2years and 3/4 months. I still went ahead and cancelled - but never had anything in writing to say i had done this? It was only by reading forums with peoples experiences that i began to find out what a dodgy company they are. So a couple of months ago i rang up for my figures and actually asked when i would be half way through my agreement. She gave me the figures and told me that i was over half way through next month - hence me voluntarily wanting to terminate. So then i did it (see previous entry). What the laugh is i never ever missed 1 single payment and yet they said i owed £600..and something as part of VT agreement, they even asked me if i can i auction my car, or you need to make a payment now, then in the next breath when i have said no i cant they say i cant terminate my local branch say i cant ( see previous entry ) they tried everything....Maybe they were just trying to get some last bit of commission....? hey?

 

I cant send you docs cause not sure how to do that ( am not that good on computers!!) and i dont know wat photo bucket is..sorry. I am off on me hols now for 2 weeks.. so i will try and do docs when i come back somehow?

 

Thank you

 

trickie

[cookiegirl072009]

I am having the same problem at the moment as well with the Colindale Branch.

I have had my car just over a year with Welcome Finance and unfortunately was very ill and was in hospital for 3 months and thought i would be fine because i had payment protection,but of course i wasnt which meant my payments went into arrears i was only on Statutory Sick Pay. In the mean time i was getting threatening calls from WCF and i explained to them that there was nothing i could do as i was still arguing with them about not being covered and then i was being told that isant it a bit funny that i get the car in february and then in march i am rushed to hospital basically calling me a liar.

I then spoke to the sales manager who then reduced my payments and told me that it would be ongoing which was fine, last week i received a letter saying that they are putiing my payments back up to 400 per month which is ridiculous, so i called them and advised them that there is no way i can pay for this and i ended up having some jumped up twerp on the other end of the phone threatening me tellimg me they will come and get the car and i should be greatfull that they even reduced the payments, why get a car if you cant afford it, he was really rude and to be honest if i was in front of him i probably would be arrested now they just have no manners.

I asked to speak to a manager which he refused to put me through to tell me he is an account manager i can talk to him.

He has now said he is going to arrange to get my car taken away.

 

Where do i stand with regards to this can anyone help?