Startline Finance

[Scot-lad]

Tuesday now and still no contact from Startline. I contacted the auction company direct this morning to see if they have any notice of it for collection. They have no knowledge of it at all. So 4pm Friday the 11th is now only 4 days away (including today)
i have a mobile phone number of the guy who approached me asking if it was for sale, he offered me what I would argue is less than it’s market value but he stated that was his offer, and wouldn’t increase it. I am at the stage now that I have far more important things going on with my family (redundancy taking it’s toll on my marriage) to worry about this car in my driveway which isn’t mine! On Friday 11th at 4pm I will phone this guy and arrange for him to come and buy it, irrespective of the value of the offer!
So if your are reading this Startline, I suggest you hurry up and stop stalling or it will be gone, and I’ll be transferring you the proceeds of the sale minus my expenses and storage charges.

[R0b]

If you are going to sell the car then I would say you have to fetch a reasonable price and you should look to at least achieve the going market rate for it. The easiest way will be to auction it and have their costs deducted from the sale but if you want to sell it privately then you need to work out how much it might be worth e.g. taking to a dealer or free valuation websites.

If the offer is substantially lower than the market value of the car I would urge caution but if we are talking only £100-£200 less than market rate, then that might be more reasonable. Your obligation in my view is not to use all reasonable efforts to attain market value rather to take reasonable steps and so long as you can evidence that if Startline took you to court, then you will have no problems.

Also, as a polite reminder and which adds further evidence to support your case, you should consider emailing Startline today and informing them that you've not heard back from them since your last letter and remind them that if the vehicle isn't collected by 4pm on Friday 11 May then you will take steps to sell the car. That way, they have had plenty of warning and have no one but themselves to blame if they don't pick it up.

I'm really surprised they haven't bothered their **** yet but hey ho. Perhaps they are wanting you to sell the car, who knows. Just remember any proceeds from the sale do not belong to you so don't go spending it as they will have a right to pursue you for the balance, well for the next 6 years anyway.

[Phaeton]

There are multiple sites offering prices, as R0b states I would have thought it would have to be a realistic price, not selling a £10K car for £5K etc. put your reg no into

https://www.confused.com/sell-my-car
http://www.evanshalshaw.com/sell-your-car/
https://www.carshop.co.uk/sell-us-your-car
https://www.wewantanycar.com/
https://webuyanycar.com

If they all agree on a rough price then I would have thought that is what you need to aim for.

[Scot-lad]

Thanks chaps, that was my view too, I will need to double check what the current value is as I genuinely don’t know, but the offer I got rang alarm bells instantly, with me immediately thinking it was a low price.

[Scot-lad]

Well, the car isn’t worth as much as I thought it would be, however the doorstep offer is still well below what these sites are saying. There is a fair variation on value, 3k of a difference in some cases.
I have email Startline again there just now so just need to wait and see what they do next.

[Scot-lad]

Sent them this :-

Agreement :- xxxxxxxxxxx
Registration :- xxxxxx

Dear Sir/Madam

This is a courtesy as a reminder that your vehicle must be removed from my private residence by 4pm on Friday 11th May 2018.

At 4pm on Friday 11th May 2018, the vehicle will be removed from my driveway, the insurance and vehicle excise duty cancelled and it will be parked on a public street away from my residence. I will update the owner details of the V5 document with DVLA and change it to:-

Startline Motor Finance
PO Box 245
Caerphilly
CF83 9EZ

I have given you plenty notice (More than I am legally obliged to) This deadline has been previously intimated to Startline by way of email and by way of verbal communication. More than reasonable notice has been given both orally and in writing.

Contact can be gained by way of this mobile phone number to arrange collection :-xxxxx xxxxxxx. Only collection of the vehicle will be discussed via this number.

To confirm:- The vehicle, owned by Startline Motor Finance, Reg:- XXXXXXX must be removed from my private residence by Friday 11th May 2018 at 4pm.


Yours Sincerely
Mr Xxxxxx

[R0b]

Well that email is a substantially different intention to what you've previously said isn't it? You said you would sell the vehicle now it seems you are suggesting that you aren't selling the vehicle? Even if you put it on a public highway, you are still under and obligation to take reasonable care and not allow damage to be caused to it.

As I said (I think) in another post, if you are going to assert something, don't say it then back off and change your tune later down the line, it makes you look a bit silly and likely not to be taken seriously.

[Scot-lad]

Oh Ok, was just meant that either way it will be removed from my driveway. Will still proceed to sell it after 4pm on Friday. I intend on waiting for a reply and then I was going to send the template letter on selling it.

[Scot-lad]

Well, some success. Had correspondence from a collections agent and the vehicle being collected tonight or 1st thing tomorrow morning. Will update in course

[Scot-lad]

Well, car has gone. Collected by an agent on Startline’s behalf. We shall now wait to see what happens next.

[R0b]

Well, it's a start, clearly the threat of selling the vehicle did its job

[Scot-lad]

Yeah, the collection agent marked the car as ‘excellent’ condition too so we shall wait and see what they attempt to ‘charge’ me

[Scot-lad]

First off, my apologies I thought I had updated this thread with the outcome, clearly not! Sorry about that.

With regard to the VT, after a couple of weeks after collection, I received the vehicle condition report from a certain auction agent, claiming for all sorts of damage fee’s. I responded with a huge detailed email enclosing detailed timestamp app photographs counteracting their wild and frankly fictitious ‘damages’. I explained in the email that the inspection the collection agent had carried out in my presence had been reported as ‘excellent condition’ and that their full inspection, once in their possession, was not only incorrect but clearly fabricated to extort money from me. That was the end of it, never heard from them again by post or email.

Today, 31st of July, I come home to a letter in the post. Now, I don’t actually know for definite if this is in connection to the finance (The office was closed by the time I got home) but I am unaware of any other issue or that I have been expected to pay anyone, all debt I had was all sorted out, the only thing I have had any issues with recently is the VT with Startline hence why I’m thinking this is them trying again.

So the letter is from:- Hampshire and Isle of Wight Magistrates Court. (I live in Glasgow)
It states:- Enforcement office
The amount is stated and that I have 10 days to pay or if I wish to appeal I have to do so to the Fines Officer.

My concern is that it maybe a scam type letter, it is a poor photocopy and doesn’t at any point state what it is for, only an amount. I have no idea what I have been ‘fined’ for?
It does say on the reverse of the letter that all payments must be made direct to ‘ HM courts & tribunals’

What is this and is this likely to be from the VT?


Again, my apologies for not updating before now.

[R0b]

Upload the document, both sides so we can see.

Sounds like a fishing expedition or something entirely different. Startline tend to use Shoosmiths solicitors and it's not a fine nor would the claim be in the Magistrates' it would be civil courts i.e. the county court.

Also do you still have the envelope and see if there is any address on the back?

[Scot-lad]

Hi Rob,
Envelope address on rear is this:-

If undelivered please return to
Poole Magistrates Court, The Law Courts,
Park Rd, Poole BH15 2NS

i tried to upload a picture of the letter but it’s too big, not sure how to resize it.

I can’t understand why it’s Magistrates court, that to me would mean I’ve been fined for a criminal offence no?

incidentally, I’ve never been in Poole, the Isle of Wight or Dorset for that matter in my life, closest I’ve been to there is Devon area.