I've waited long enough, been patient, given SEAT Finance a chance to sort this out before I share this experience on the forum but enough is enough. Mistakes happen, it's what a company does to resolve them that they should be judged by.
I've been patient due to COVID, but they've had nearly a year to get used to working from home / recruit and train more staff to cope with extra demand. You know the saying "opinions are like..... everybody's got one" so I'll just provide the facts in the copy of the email I sent last week.
After further thinking I'm inclined to start a small claims court proceeding to get their attention, rather than go to the Financial Ombudsman as we're not actually in dispute, SEAT Finance have confirmed they owe me money, they just seem to be unable / unwilling to pay. Average on hold time has been 40 minutes to get through to someone.
I've tried SEAT Head Office who said two weeks ago they would get someone from SEAT Finance to call me as there was little they could do as it's a finance matter. That didn't even result in a phone call, hence the email I sent above, which has not had any response.
I've been patient due to COVID, but they've had nearly a year to get used to working from home / recruit and train more staff to cope with extra demand. You know the saying "opinions are like..... everybody's got one" so I'll just provide the facts in the copy of the email I sent last week.
Email sent to SEAT Finance Monday 15th Feb
Hello,
Despite several phone calls, hours wasted on hold and being assured several times that a) you would clear my credit record as I don't owe you any money, you owe money, and b) that the money you owe me would be paid to me two weeks ago, I am still no further forward with this.
I am not prepared to hold for ages on the phone again to be told the same thing and nothing happen. I even received a letter from you last week warning that the car was not insured, and I should get it insured, despite the fact the car was collected in November!
Therefore, I'm giving formal notice that if the money I am owed is not paid back to me by the end of this week, midday Friday 19th February I have no choice to refer you to the Financial Ombudsman. I will also be claiming the same interest you claimed from me when I owed you money, backdated to the day the car was collected in November. If this were the other way around, I would have received threatening letters that I would be taken to court for being in debt.
To confirm:
You have my contact details, but in case you need them again my phone number is XXXXX XXXXXX.
- The car was collected 05/11/2020
- Payment was taken on 1st October £274
- Payment was taken on 2nd November £274
- You have £274 on my credit file you said you would clear
- You confirmed you would pay me the £274 you owed me and still haven't.
After years of buying and financing SEAT cars, this is incredibly disappointing.
I trust you will be able to correct this swiftly before I must take further action.
Regards,
Scott
After further thinking I'm inclined to start a small claims court proceeding to get their attention, rather than go to the Financial Ombudsman as we're not actually in dispute, SEAT Finance have confirmed they owe me money, they just seem to be unable / unwilling to pay. Average on hold time has been 40 minutes to get through to someone.
I've tried SEAT Head Office who said two weeks ago they would get someone from SEAT Finance to call me as there was little they could do as it's a finance matter. That didn't even result in a phone call, hence the email I sent above, which has not had any response.