Advantage Finance

[bdiedericks]

Hi there,

My daughter is currently on maternity leave but has been struggling to make regular payments since lockdown. A few weeks ago she got a call from a collection agent to say that she needed to make a decision to voluntarily give back the car or pay the arears. Within the email she forwarded to me Advantage confirmed the reason an agent was instructed to collect the vehicle, explained that they have reviewed all information she provided and made the decision that they cannot allow her to keep the vehicle which is unaffordable and some company ethics of how this is going against their regulatory rights which they simply are unable to do and mentioned that she was listed as a vulnerable customer. How does having a baby suddenly make you vulnerable?

I did some reading and responded to this ridiculous email quoting Section 4 from the ombudsman article Identifying and managing consumer vulnerability effectively in the age of social media They identified her as vulnerable but is not showing any support. As a mother I was disheartened and wanted to help.

I called Advantage because I am also a customer and managed to send the Advantage Legal department a copy of my own payment plan which is due to finish this month 1 year ahead of schedule. This was to prove that we were capable to help my daughter and her young family. There was no response for 2 weeks so I emailed them to get feedback to my offer but was told that they have communicated with my daughter. Yesterday my daughter got the letter alluding to the fact that they are unable to reach a reasonable resolution regarding the repayments and in order to avoid legal action she must complete the enclosed income and expenditure form with a repayment offer.

I just need to know whether we add on the income and expenditure the amount we will use for the car as additional income for her? If they don't accept the offer would my daughter have to go to court or would they just repossess the car?

Thanks, Concerned parent

[R0b]

Hello

Before you decide to go through that income and expenditure form, you may want to take a step back to think about your daughter's next steps. If an agent has come to collect the vehicle it suggests to me that there is a possibility the agreement has been terminated for failing to pay the outstanding debt. It would be helpful if you could answer some of the questions below.

1. Did your daughter receive a default notice saying that she needs to pay X amount by a certain date otherwise the agreement will be terminated? Did she clear off any debt based on the default notice in time?

2. If the debt was not paid off on time then it sounds like the agreement automatically terminated and therefore legally speaking, your daughter has no rights to possess or use the vehicle.

3. Has your daughter paid at least 1/3 of the total price payable under the agreement, including all interest and other charges?

[bdiedericks]

1. Email received 14 March stated arrears currently standing at £1,928.04 and a Default Notice which was issued on 26th January 2023 not being satisfied. My daughter doesn't recall seeing the default notice but she completed an income and expenditure in November 2022 but they didn't lower her payment. Further to payments she sent an email in February to advise that she was struggling to make the payment and was advised to let Advantage know when this would be possible. Then the call from the collection agent on13th March.

2. The agreement has not been terminated according to the letter she received yesterday.

3. Yes a 1/3 has been paid but I have reviewed her account and not all the charges are paid up