Long story so will try to keep it short.

Bought Renault in 2003 using RFS. No problems until baloon payment was due. They called me to remind me. I said I couldnt afford the baloon payment but was told when I bought the car that I could keep paying monthly, or return it. The chap agreed with me that I could keep paying monthly.

Now - they didn't take the subsequent payments. So after a few months I chased them up. They said they were not allowed to take the monthly payments I had to pay the baloon payment or return the car. I told them to come and pick up the car - they agreed but never did. Various correspondence followed from me only - they never responded by letter only by phone. I sent a letter threatening to charge a storage fee of £50 per week if they didnt collect in 7 days. They didn't.

Anyway after about a year I wrote to them and said they owed me £2,600 in charges, and that as the car was worth about that now, they could credit my account collect the car and we would be all clear. No response.

I sent a statement every few months of the balance due to me. When it reached £4k in storage charges I wrote to them and said the amount due to me outweighed the value of the car. If they didnt pay up/collect the car I would sell it - obviously I couldnt as the car had finance against it. I then received a call from someone who said they would remove the fiannce flag and my account would be closed and that would be the end of it.

They removed the flag - I sold the car. Sorted I thought. Well all was good until a new company RCI registered a default against me. I called them and they had no knowledge of previous correspondence, no computer logs of phone calls etc.

I have sent the usual request for info letter asking for a true copy of the agreement, true copy of the default agreement and confirmation if the debt had been sold on.

No response.

Today a bailiff visited me to repossess the car! I told him the situation and he was nice about it. Went away and said he would get in touch with RCI.

My question is where do I go next? I dont have the car and they have not responded to my first letter. I probably pulled a fast one charging storage I know but it was being stored in London at a cost. I would even be happy to pay them some cash in full and final - but not the whole balance due to costs I did incur.

Is there a followup letter I should now send to get this concluded or should I seek legal advice?

steadg

What I would do if I were in your position, is to phone them to find out the name of the Customer Services Manager at RCI. Then write a letter to him/her by recorded delivery setting out what has happened, with copies of any previous correspondence.

In the circumstances, I would have thought that RCI would be willing to come to an agreement, rather than end up in court. Ask them to come forward with a solution to this in writing. Then take advice from Citizens Advice and go back to them to negotiate, including removing the default.

RCI Financial Services Ltd

Eagle House

78 St Albans Road

Watford, WD17 1AF

TEL: 0870 066 0666.

I think you have acted very reasonably including the storage charges and I don't think RCI will take a strongarm approach.

Huckster

I have written to RFS and again its fallen on deaf ears. My calls are met with the same message - Nothing they can do! They deny knowledge of any of my correspondence despite following a few of them up with calls!

They have breached the Consumer Credit Act by not supplying the documents I requested and as they simply wont talk to me. I now need to go legal.

I am sending one last letter today.

Any advice on what I can put n the particulars of claim to get this removed?

I have also lodged a claim with the Financial Ombudsman but after a call with them, they seem as much use as a chocolate fireguard and seem to be very pro the finance company.

Any advice appreciated. Removing this default is now very urgent as a new job relys on it. If it is not removed and I lose out on this job then I will be wanting to come down on them very hard.