kvz2000
Active Member
Hi,
Just handed back my Saab after 3 years and bought a new Merc. I was advised by the Merc garage that as I had paid so much of the finance I could just hand the car back as long as there was no excess damage. The Saab was in A1 condition so I thought I would do what was being suggested. I spoke to Saab Finance company and all went well the lady mentioned that I could be billed for any excessive damage but not fair wear and tear, I was happy that car was in excellent condition.
She then made reference to the mileage allowance and that I had to be within the allowed mileage that was stated on the contract, having the contract infront of me I noted on the first page that it said there was an agreed allowance of 47 k miles and as my car had just covered 42k miles I thought all was well and I sent of a letter confirming I was handing back the car.
Over the next 4 weeks I heard nothing from finance company then I received a message on my phone to contact a debt collection agency immediately, I did this and was told that they had been tasked with collecting from me the sum of £1500 , I was shocked and felt it must be a mistake, the debt company were not helpful at all bordering on rude and I was told it was for excess mileage, even at this point I had not received any detailed account for this mileage and I still believed it to be a mistake.
I have now been told that as the car still had a year to run on its contract for which the 47k miles related to, they use a pro rata calculation to work out how much I would be over !!!! I have also now noted that there is a 12k per annum allowance also in the contract.
My main issue is that when i spoke to the lady from Saab Finance about handing car back she never mentioned the pro rata mileage allowance and that it may be used in the way that it is.
The position now is that the debt agency have been cancelled and the finance company say they are waiting till car sells at auction and they will get back to me..................
Any thoughts or suggestions, I am pretty sure that I will owe this amount but I was not given the chance to either pay this sum or keep the Saab as they never once notified me of this amount until my Saab had been collected, denying me of the chance to keep the car...........
Cheers
Donald.
Just handed back my Saab after 3 years and bought a new Merc. I was advised by the Merc garage that as I had paid so much of the finance I could just hand the car back as long as there was no excess damage. The Saab was in A1 condition so I thought I would do what was being suggested. I spoke to Saab Finance company and all went well the lady mentioned that I could be billed for any excessive damage but not fair wear and tear, I was happy that car was in excellent condition.
She then made reference to the mileage allowance and that I had to be within the allowed mileage that was stated on the contract, having the contract infront of me I noted on the first page that it said there was an agreed allowance of 47 k miles and as my car had just covered 42k miles I thought all was well and I sent of a letter confirming I was handing back the car.
Over the next 4 weeks I heard nothing from finance company then I received a message on my phone to contact a debt collection agency immediately, I did this and was told that they had been tasked with collecting from me the sum of £1500 , I was shocked and felt it must be a mistake, the debt company were not helpful at all bordering on rude and I was told it was for excess mileage, even at this point I had not received any detailed account for this mileage and I still believed it to be a mistake.
I have now been told that as the car still had a year to run on its contract for which the 47k miles related to, they use a pro rata calculation to work out how much I would be over !!!! I have also now noted that there is a 12k per annum allowance also in the contract.
My main issue is that when i spoke to the lady from Saab Finance about handing car back she never mentioned the pro rata mileage allowance and that it may be used in the way that it is.
The position now is that the debt agency have been cancelled and the finance company say they are waiting till car sells at auction and they will get back to me..................
Any thoughts or suggestions, I am pretty sure that I will owe this amount but I was not given the chance to either pay this sum or keep the Saab as they never once notified me of this amount until my Saab had been collected, denying me of the chance to keep the car...........
Cheers
Donald.
