Hello, just after a little bit of advice.
Back in April I had a car hire from enterprise for a couple of days whilst my own car was broken. My now ex bf was very controlling, abusive, toxic throughout our 12 year relationship. We had a major row in which he violently assaulted me chipping my ankle bone and brushing in several places, he also stole the key to the hire car, my own car and my house.
Police were called, crime reference issued and he was arrested a couple of days later where the police were able to recover the stolen keys.
I was in constant contact with the local branch of enterprise who were absolutely amazing through it all, they collected the car on a recovery truck and gave me a few days to return the key, however they did have to log what had happened. When I got the key back a couple of days later the branch manager personally collected it from my house, I then queried about my deposit I had paid to hire the vehicle. I was told the cost of recovery would be deducted and I would receive some back, I emailed the debt recovery unit who were handling the whole situation by this time. Heard nothing back so I forgot all about it.
Fast forward to last month, I had an email from the debt recovery unit stating I owed them £429 for the key replacement. Of course I emailed them straight back explaining what had happened, I said how the branch manager managed to recover the car without the need for a key but I had to pay the cost of recovery.
They were having none of it and said they were owed the money, they said they had spoken to my the manager and he didn't corroborate my story and if it wasn't paid they would pass to debt collection. I was just going around in circles, I've got other issues going on so I emptied that bank account and put it into another not realising I must have used my other card at some point in the past with them. Woken up this morning and the £429 has been taken.
Got on the phone to them AGAIN they weren't very helpful so again called the local branch who actually contacted the branch manager at the time of the incident, he sent me an email to forward to the debt recovery unit immediately of course saying the key was never cut because it was returned and the money was to be reimbursed immediately. I forwarded it to the debt place and rang to say it had been sent, they said it will take a few days to be put onto system, then it will need looking at then it will be refunded. The whole process she said could take up to 14 days, I'm a single parent with 2 young children (one of which is autistic) I'm absolutely out raged and angry because clearly the debt recovery unit didn't actually contact the manager at all because if he did it would have been cleared up a month ago! I've literally had to borrow what they took off a family member because it left me £80 untill the 26th of the month when I get paid again, I can't understand why it takes so long to get a refund from big companies!
Would I be unreasonable to make a formal complaint?
Who would I make the complaint to?