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AIBU?

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Original poster

inequality - poor people cant seem to catch a break

123 replies

Ceci03 · 04/12/2023 13:49

Am thinking about my friend and her stolen car - as she doesn't have any money she bought the car on finance. They have said she is still eligible for the 3 years of payments even if insurance does not pay out, which they may not. A more well off person would have taken a bank loan or bought a car out straight. If she had some savings she could try and buy another car. She is spending money on taxis bringing her dds taxis to and from school. It just goes on and on. It's very hard to pull yourself out of these situations isnt it.

OP posts:
CuntyChopss · 04/12/2023 14:06

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LameyJoliver · 04/12/2023 14:06

I know I'll come across as...something but I do not understand this buying massive cars on finance. I know some people need good reliable cars but massive 4 x 4s to do the school run in towns? Paying £500 odd a month for a car for years?

We live in a big City and drive around it and occasionally out to villages, very every now and then a 100 miles somewhere. Ours cos t£500 and £600. They are old looking and probably laughed at - mine definitely is - but Id rather that that a huge thing I'm in debt to.

I also know this isn't the point of the thread. Poorer people are fucked at every turn, having no savings and sudden losses is shitty. We've been there too many times

CuntyChopss · 04/12/2023 14:09

BorgQueen · 04/12/2023 14:06

Who would be stupid enough to admit to the insurance that they left the keys in?

So you’re stupid enough to commit fraud then?

Excited101 · 04/12/2023 14:09

I couldn’t justify a car on finance and I earn £65,000! I’ll be getting a second (or third, or 4th…) hand car when this one dies.

I totally agree with you op, when you have good money, life is easier in so many ways. BUT she’s clearly got a very expensive car on finance- and left her key outside… bad choices and an accident. Not a great example of your point (which is very valid!)

beepbeepboppy · 04/12/2023 14:12

Excited101 · 04/12/2023 14:09

I couldn’t justify a car on finance and I earn £65,000! I’ll be getting a second (or third, or 4th…) hand car when this one dies.

I totally agree with you op, when you have good money, life is easier in so many ways. BUT she’s clearly got a very expensive car on finance- and left her key outside… bad choices and an accident. Not a great example of your point (which is very valid!)

How do you know it's a very expensive car?

It could be a cheap car, with a bad interest rate.

She may not be lucky enough to have been in a position to save for the car first, so needed to take finance.

Think it's more the point, if her insurance doesn't pay out, she's going to be paying out monthly for a car she doesn't have.

I'm on a similar wage to you, it's obviously easier for me to save money each month so my next car will be not flash, but hopefully paid for in cash. Not everyone has these wages or the luxury of saving...

Tracker1234 · 04/12/2023 14:12

This honestly is a terrible example of what you consider inequality! What about people who go on holdiay and dont buy any insurance which should be cheap because its always the younger people rather than two 80 year olds doing it.

They then appear in the Daily Mail with a sad face emoji trying to raise funds to come home. Some people make poor decisions time and time again. It does sound like it was an error of judgement but I bet she never does it again. How long did she leave the key outside for to enable someone to jump into a car and drive off. It like the people who leave their keys in the car whilst they are warming it up in dodgy areas and come out with their cuppa to find there is no car

murasaki · 04/12/2023 14:12

@LameyJoliver I agree. Dp needs one for work, as he is based on different sites, but it was 500. To be fair, we've had to spend nearly that on a new gearbox, but the price of second hand ulez compliant cars at the moment makes it worth it. Given he fills it full of dirt and crisp wrappers, a posh car on finance, albeit we could afford it would be madness.

It's living beyond one's means and showing off.

Tracker1234 · 04/12/2023 14:14

And also without much in the way of funds.... How did they get the PCP in the first place and why did they feel they needed to have a brand new car? My first car when I left school for my first job was a car that I think was stuck together with sellotape!

Octavia64 · 04/12/2023 14:15

On a complete tangent - I leave my keys in the lock all the bloody time so now I have only one key on there.

beepbeepboppy · 04/12/2023 14:16

Tracker1234 · 04/12/2023 14:14

And also without much in the way of funds.... How did they get the PCP in the first place and why did they feel they needed to have a brand new car? My first car when I left school for my first job was a car that I think was stuck together with sellotape!

Where has she said it's brand new? PCP, car finance and loans are available on cars of any age.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 04/12/2023 14:18

Sorry but don’t admit the key was left outside - and I really don’t care about the MN be honest at all cost brigade

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 04/12/2023 14:18

murasaki · 04/12/2023 14:01

Well the bank loan would need to be repaid, the cash would be lost, so she's no worse off than anyone else for what was, let's be honest, her mistake.

But if you have no money there is a far greater impact on having to continue to pay out for a car she no longer has. She probably has no way of affording a new car if insurance won't pay.

Similarly to this, we had our car stolen a few years back as DH had left it running on the drive to defrost. Our fault so no payout . Now we aren't rich, but we aren't poor either. Car wasn't on finance and we were able to buy a new one (well second hand) with savings. Pretty much wiped us out but we didn't have to go into debt.

Tracker1234 · 04/12/2023 14:19

If its an old banger it wont be on PCP. It will probably be a fair amount per month otherwise there wouldnt be much to complain about

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 04/12/2023 14:21

Aahhh! At people's comments on the price of cars . The one we had to replace had cost us £7,000 not £25,000. Some people are buying cars at less than £1000 and still need finance for it as they have absolutely no free cash or savings at all. Do people just not get this ?

idontlikealdi · 04/12/2023 14:22

It's her expensive mistake poor or rich.

murasaki · 04/12/2023 14:22

@ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea , true, but if she has no money, what was she committing what was probably a large amount per month for a car. You find other ways. Unless she's rural, before that gets mentioned. Better to wait, save up, and get an old banger. The monthly payments probably mean it wouldn't have taken long.

LaurieStrode · 04/12/2023 14:22

Tracker1234 · 04/12/2023 13:55

She left the key outside? That's nothing to do with being poor!

Exactly.

This has to do with being irresponsible, not poor.

jm9138 · 04/12/2023 14:22

There seems to be an awful lot of victim blaming here. Almost like some are saying she was asking for her car to be stolen.

RedToothBrush · 04/12/2023 14:24

WestwardHo1 · 04/12/2023 14:06

The key thing is bad luck and could have happened to a well off person.

It could have happened to a well off person.

But it's not bad luck. It's poor looking after the stuff you have (and don't actually own).

Excited101 · 04/12/2023 14:26

I got the impression it was a new car @beepbeepboppy , I could well be wrong of course.

You’re right about not everyone having the luxury of a large wage, that was my point! I work 50 hours a week and regularly do paid overtime for mine so I understand hard work as much as anyone.

RedToothBrush · 04/12/2023 14:26

jm9138 · 04/12/2023 14:22

There seems to be an awful lot of victim blaming here. Almost like some are saying she was asking for her car to be stolen.

Well if you leave the keys in it....

Yes you are asking for someone to take the opportunity you have presented them with.

It's a poor habit that you can be responsible for.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 04/12/2023 14:28

jm9138 · 04/12/2023 14:22

There seems to be an awful lot of victim blaming here. Almost like some are saying she was asking for her car to be stolen.

Oh stop… if you leave your keys in the door (on purpose or not) you have created the means for your car to be stolen. I mean she literally left the means to take her car unsecured and visible to the world. She was responsible for creating the condition for her car to be taken.

That’s why her insurance will likely not pay out. She does have some responsibility as she did not take reasonable care to prevent it.

Does it suck -yes. Does the thief suck -yes. Is she, in part, responsible -yes.

Dotjones · 04/12/2023 14:28

In this case it's a mistake which could happen to anyone however a wealthier person may well be able to afford to live in a nicer neighbourhood with less crime or have a keyless car which would be harder to leave unattended and unsecured.

Generally I agree, being poor leads to being poorer. There are countless examples. If you can't afford double glazing you'll pay more to heat your home, if you can only afford cheap clothes they'll fall apart faster and you'll end up paying more in the long run.

easylikeasundaymorn · 04/12/2023 14:30

OchonAgusOchonOh · 04/12/2023 13:54

A more well off person who took out a bak loan would also have been liable for the loan repayments...

exactly this!
insurance isn't more/less likely to pay out because of how the car was purchased, and if it doesn't pay out the money is owed, again regardless of if it's been paid upfront or in instalments.
There are lots of examples when being poor costs more (prepay electric/gas meters etc) but this isn't a good one.

WestwardHo1 · 04/12/2023 14:31

RedToothBrush · 04/12/2023 14:24

It could have happened to a well off person.

But it's not bad luck. It's poor looking after the stuff you have (and don't actually own).

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Yeah but sometimes shit happens doesn't it? Have you never made a mistake? Left something somewhere you shouldn't have?

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