Santander & a 'heavy' in a white van!

[vad921]

Hi all,

Regular viewers of this forum probably know my wife and I are going through an IVA and hopefully the date of the creditors meeting will be set soon.

This morning a 'heavy' in scruffy clothes and a white van came knocking...at 6.30am! He nearly put the door through knocking, woke up the kids and probably the neighbours too. He clearly spoke loudly too, so if he did wake anyone up, they could hear the conversation. He told me he was representing Santander finance and that I had two choices. Pay £1000+ now or surrender the car. It was actually quite scary. Quite intimidating. Fortunately, I knew exactly where I stood and he eventually left with nothing. He was very insistent that I 'propose' something despite telling him several times that I was going through an IVA and the creditors meeting was imminent.

I complained to Santander but they insisted they bear no responsibility for the agents, how they behave and what they say. it's nothing to do with them, apparently. They even told me to direct any complaints to the agency; they gave me their full name and address. They also defended the agents by saying 'surrender' always means voluntary. The agent didn't use the term 'voluntary' at all. To me if someone told me to voluntary surrender something, that is different to them telling me to 'surrender' something. Not according to Santander though. I couldn't believe the Santander Manager when she told me they don't vet the agents!!

Santander behave like some kind of local loan shark not a high profile global financial institution!

[Viki.W]

That's awful, I had a debt collector out the other day but she was very polite. That's very scary, hope you and your family are ok and you get your creditors meeting soon. X

[kallis3]

Vad - how absolutely awful for you![:0] Full marks to you for standing up to him, a lot of people would have been intimidated by him.

I hope your meeting is soon so that you don't get people like him round again!

[debtmountain]

That's terrible, must have been really scary for all of you, so early in the morning as well, [:(]

[Shining]

Well done you for knowing your rights, no idea what I would have done. Very scary and very unfair on your family etc., my son does a bit of reposession work for cars and I'm almost certain the rules (maybe they only apply to the company he works for) state they cannot knock before a certain time, although they can clamp before this time.

[vad921]

That's terrible, must have been really scary for all of you, so early in the morning as well, [:(]

..it makes us feel like throwing in the towel and declaring ourselves BR.That's what I told the Santander manager. All they are doing it pushing us towards BR and they would in all probability, get less back!

[debtmountain]

Don't know how they sleep at night, though probably don't if they call that early.[:(]

I must admit,I would probably feel the same in your shoes, not a nice experience. Hope you get your Meeting soon.

[quark2008]

I'd use a taser !!!

[debtmountain]

[:D][:D]

[quark2008]

i wouldn't have anyone filthy tramping it up my garden path that early in the morning. That's illegal

[LoneRanger]

Trouble is with these agents is that they will be on commision, so they will try everyway possible to get money out of us...idiots

[rockbottom]

O Vad thats awful, who do they think they are, and as Quark says isnt that illegal to call that early in the morning and shouldnt you have prior knowledge of a visit, if i were you i would make a BIG complaint and take it all the way, glad you knew your rights and werent intimadated, alot of people would have been and thats what they are hoping for.

Hope you get your meeting date through soon
good luck
rb

[Adam Davies]

Hi Vad
Good on you for standing up to these bullies and for knowing your rights.
Stick with the IVA,it will be worth it in the end
I wonder how many people do give in to this type of intimidation ?
Once again........WELL DONE

[MelanieGiles]

My car got clamped on Sunday afternoon - my fault I know - but I only popped into a hotel in Cardiff to collect two of my staff from Northern Ireland who were staying over for a works do.

The men who eventually came to unclamp my car were absolutely hideous and quite frightening, and they would not budge until I paid them £225. It was all a bit scary, and entirely my fault for parking on double yellows, but I can kind of sympathise with Vad on this one. Why do some human beings have to be so unpleasant?

[Lisa2009]

I once had a court bailif at my door looking for my brother who has never lived with us. He was questioning my daughter at the door as she stood throwing up. I was fuming when i came downstairs from the bathroom because she was obviously too ill to even be standing there let alone be interegated.