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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask for help? I think I've been scammed and my car stolen!

97 replies

polkadotpixie · 21/11/2019 10:44

I will try and provide all the information so the situation is as clear as possible

Basically, I had a road accident on Monday, a car ran up the back of me on my way to work

I googled Churchill's claims number but in my panic clicked on one of the sponsored results at the top of the Google search results

This turned out to be a marketing company that passed me through to an accident management company although I didn't know this at the time as they lead me to believe it was my insurer passing me through to a third party company to handle the claim. I now know this wasn't the case as when I called Churchill for an update they had no record of the claim

The problem I'm having is this accident management company called Spectra Drive arranged for my vehicle to be recovered and a hire car to be delivered

Once I realised what had happened I called them and ended the claim as Churchill couldn't start a new one until this was done (Spectra Drive were very rude and unhelpful at this point) and said I would need to contact the recovery company to arrange to get my car back

They gave me a number which goes directly to voicemail every time and refused to give me the address so that I can get my insurer to collect the car. I have googled/FB/Gumtree/Whatsapped the number and there is no record of them anywhere

I have also called the actual man who collected my car on his mobile who also refuses to give me the address without permission from the recovery company who I can't get hold of

I feel at this point they have essentially stolen my car. I have a 1 year old and rely on it to drop off my son so that I can go to work as there are no buses from mine to where he goes

I also have PND and anxiety and I have literally been up most of the night having panic attacks as I'm so worried that I'm either not going to get my car back or it's going to cost me a huge amount of money to do so as I'm struggling financially already

I just feel that no one will help me. My insurer will pick up the car and process my claim but no-one will tell me where it is. All I know is it is at a garage in Nottingham (I'm in Leicester) and I only have a first name and mobile number of the guy who collected it and he won't release the address without permission from the recovery company who don't answer the phone (both me and my insurer have requested this several times)

Please don't bash me or tell me I'm stupid, I already know that 😩

Any advice as to what I can do?

OP posts:
Lockheart · 21/11/2019 13:26

The best thing to do is to keep a copy of your policy with important phone numbers in your car. Or plug the numbers into your phone's contacts. Saves clicking on the wrong link and is also useful if you have an accident somewhere with no mobile data available.

AudTheDeepMinded · 21/11/2019 13:27

If you HAVE to pay to get the car back, can you pay by credit card and then raise a dispute through that, which may get you your money back?

justasking111 · 21/11/2019 13:30

Wow you have to pay to get your car back. I would let Churchill handle that they have way more leverage than you.

i am sorry this happened. I have always telephoned when dealing with insurance people rather than do it online. This may help avoid an awful situation that the OP has found herself in.

theunknownknown · 21/11/2019 13:34

My husband has used accident exchange before and they were fine but maybe the insurers are clamping down on this sort of stuff

I got bumped into dealing with Accident Exchange last year. Despite having a third party witness, once AE had decided that the shitty cunt that wrote off my parked car didn't do it (simply cos he said he didn't - no inspection of his car etc). They wiped their hands of me demanding money for a hire car that I said I didn't need. Then I had to pay storage costs for the period that AE were holding my car until the point my insurance co took over.
Expensive lesson for me to deal only with my insurance company in future. Steer well clear of them.

RosinaAlmaviva · 21/11/2019 13:34

they lead me to believe it was my insurer passing me through to a third party company to handle the claim. I now know this wasn't the case as when I called Churchill for an update they had no record of the claim

Is this fraud - if they pretended OP was speaking to someone at Churchill when she wasn't? Hard to prove though as it's over the phone.

OP so sorry this has happened. If you have legal cover with Churchill they may be able to advise you.

Usually when I switch insurers I put the new claims number into my phone from the paperwork they send me, but having just checked, I realised I didn't do this last time. I always panic when anything goes wrong with the car so could easily end up in the same situation.

Molly2010 · 21/11/2019 13:43

@AudTheDeepMinded is right. If you have to pay use a credit card and then raise a dispute through the card company.
Good luck OP.

Harmonyrays · 21/11/2019 13:48

Sorry as an aside to the main issue, you me tioned ptsd, is this pre-existing? You wouldnt have developed it that quickly from this accident.

Original poster
polkadotpixie · 21/11/2019 13:51

The only way they would release the car to me was to pay the £468. I'm gutted but it was the only way

They said I should be able to claim the recovery and storage fees I incurred as part of my claim through Churchill so I will try that but I'm not hopeful. I do have legal cover as part of my policy, I don't know if that will be any use in this situation though

I'm on my way to Nottingham now as they have agreed to release it now I've paid so hopefully it will be back in my possession and I can put the actual claim in

It may not be illegal what they've done but I think it's pretty shitty. Interestingly, the directors of the recovery company are the same as the directors of Spectra Drive so they had me pretty stitched up overall 😡

OP posts:
Ticklemeelmo · 21/11/2019 13:51

@Lockheart

No this looks closer to fraud by deception. Why don't you explain why you don't think this applies here? The company appear to have deliberately paid for the search terms linked to Churchill, presumably passed off their website to look like it was linked to Churchill, misrepresented to the OP that they were the insurer, took the car and are now demanding a high sum of money for its return

•	made a false representation 
•	dishonestly 
•	knowing that the representation was or might be untrue or misleading 
•	with intent to make a gain for himself or another, to cause loss to another or to expose another to risk of loss.

From the OP

This turned out to be a marketing company that passed me through to an accident management company although I didn't know this at the time as they lead me to believe it was my insurer passing me through to a third party company to handle the claim.

Original poster
polkadotpixie · 21/11/2019 13:52

@Harmonyrays I don't have PTSD, I have PND (post natal depression) after having my son last year. I'm a lot better than I was and I'm off medication now but I still suffer from anxiety and this has really set it off

OP posts:
Genevieva · 21/11/2019 13:56

The police may say this is a civil matter, but if you don't know where your car is and have been scammed, then it appears to be fraud, which is a criminal matter.

MarshaBradyo · 21/11/2019 13:57

Poor you op what bastards
Well done for getting it back but so bad they have taken this huge amount

Sallyseagull · 21/11/2019 13:58

Not exactly helpful Harmonyrays not to mention that you got it wrong anyway.

IdrisElbow · 21/11/2019 14:04

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Lockheart · 21/11/2019 14:05

@Ticklemeelmo you are presuming an awful lot in that post. IF the search terms were linked explicitly to Churchill (and you don't know this - they may be linked to "accident claims number" rather than any named insurance company) and IF their website was a copy of the official one and IF they said they were Churchill and IF they are doing all this for an unlawful gain then I agree it might be fraud by false representation (fraud by deception is not a thing in the UK).

However, that's a lot of ifs, and most of these companies are very clever and act within the law, although pressed right up against the boundary of it.

Again, I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying that no criminal offence has been committed.

IwantedtobeEmmaPeel · 21/11/2019 14:05

From now on Op put your car insurance no. on your mobile and carry a copy of your insurance docs with the contact number for accidents in your car, this way you will have the correct no and information to hand in case of future accidents. Hope you get your car back ok.

ShmooBooMoo · 21/11/2019 14:06

Is this them? If you read reviews, they are to do with car ins claims (complaint no one picks up) There is an address in the link. And a phone number, which might allow you to work out if it's the same company.
www.yell.com/biz/spectra-drive-manchester-7377783/

They have Twitter... You could call them out on this there:
twitter.com/spectradrive?lang=en

Facebook too (address in Newcastle but appears to be the same company as same phone number as in Yell link): www.facebook.com/spectradrive/

Email: [email protected]

Their site: www.spectradrive.com/what-we-do/
So they say they are a non-fault third-party who liaise with all parties including the insurance company. The question is: why haven't they been in touch with Churchill?
There is a contact us page: www.spectradrive.com/contact-us/

By Thursday, I would think you should have heard something. You pay Churchill to manage claims etc. Is it worth calling them and asking them to pursue? Very politely but firmly impress upon them that you need the car (child etc), no buses to your workplace etc. I think you should mention your PND/ Anxiety.

Failing this bearing fruit, I would contact the non-emergency police and ask for advice.
Btw, what number are you ringing? Where did you get it from? Try the number in links I sent to you if it's different.
Ps. If you have stopped a 'started claim' SpectraDrive are not going to have a situation where they will be out of pocket. I would tell Churchill what they said about recovery of the car (if you can find SD...as that costs) and see if they will cover.
I hope you get it sorted out.

Original poster
polkadotpixie · 21/11/2019 14:09

I don't think I was clear when I was explaining what happened with Google. I wasn't taken to a fraudulent website pretending to be Churchill. I was on my phone and I clicked on the phone number link in one of the sponsored ads and the number took me to a marketing company and they led me to believe on the phone that they were Churchill and they put me through to Spectra Drive which is how all this happened

OP posts:
ShmooBooMoo · 21/11/2019 14:10

Ok, that'll teach me to try to RTFT.
That's why I said to check with Churchill re recovery costs first. So, you won't have to cover that. Hopefully, Churchill will reimburse them (you if you pay) as they would have had to arrange recovery themselves.

Ferretyone · 21/11/2019 14:11

@polkadotpixie

So sorry to hear this. They seem to have a website and an adequate contact number

0330 555 0505

Harmonyrays · 21/11/2019 14:12

Polkadotpixie, hi there. Sorry my mistake. I just wanted to check as often people think they can develop ptsd straight after a trauma but thats not the case and some times unhelpful.

JorisBonson · 21/11/2019 14:12

@polkadotpixie, report to Action Fraud. That's your best bet.

coconuttelegraph · 21/11/2019 14:19

report to Action Fraud. That's your best bet

Not ime, I've found them to be useless, they didn't even acknowledge an attempted fraud that I reported via their online reporting system

PerkingFaintly · 21/11/2019 14:23

It very definitely sounds within the remit of the Advertising Standards Agency.

Main page here: www.asa.org.uk
Make a complaint here: www.asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint.html

Relevant guideline here: 03 Misleading advertising
www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/03.html

3.1 Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.
[...]
3.3 Marketing communications must not mislead the consumer by omitting material information. They must not mislead by hiding material information or presenting it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.
[...]
3.5 Marketing communications must not materially mislead by omitting the identity of the marketer.

PerkingFaintly · 21/11/2019 14:30

The ASA will also refer the company to Trading Standards, if they think it's warranted.

I've used the ASA myself. They upheld my complaint, and after looking at the advert found the company in breach of more than I had reported.

They published the adjudication on their website – it comes up when you Google the company or director.

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