Horrible experience — Thorp Plumbstead

I had a very disappointing experience with Thorp Plumbstead during the purchase of my vehicle. During the purchase process, I provided the dealership with details and documentation confirming that I had comprehensive insurance cover, including credit shortfall cover. This was provided as part of the vehicle finance/purchase process.

About a month later, I noticed a debit coming off my bank account. Fortunately, I happened to check my transactions and traced the debit back to Gaurdrisk. I then discovered that a credit shortfall policy had apparently been taken out on my behalf — despite the fact that I already had this cover through my own insurance and had not requested or agreed to this additional policy.

I contacted Gaurdrisk (which was a mission tacking down on its own), who informed me that the cover had been initiated by the seller and had apparently been in place since the vehicle was purchased. I requested that the policy be cancelled and that the funds already deducted be reimbursed. Gaurdrisk cancelled the policy but advised me that I needed to deal with the dealership regarding the reimbur*****t.

This is where the experience became even more frustrating.

I have now been going back and forth with Thorp Plumbstead for months. They are extremely difficult to get hold of by phone, and most of the communication has been through emails. When I followed up, I was told that they could see the policy had been cancelled.

However, when I asked for the money that had been debited from my account to be reimbursed, I was told that I needed to provide proof of my insurance cover because they apparently don't have the documentation on record.

This is particularly frustrating because I provided this information during the purchase process. You are not allowed to drive the vehicle away without the required insurance documentation, yet somehow the dealership apparently no longer has the proof that was provided to them.

It is incredibly easy for an additional service to be initiated and for money to be deducted from a customer's bank account, but apparently extremely difficult to reimburse the customer when the service was not requested and should not have been necessary in the first place. Months later, I am still waiting for my money to be reimbursed.

For me, the biggest issue isn't only the money. It's the lack of communication, the difficulty getting answers, and having to repeatedly chase the dealership to resolve something that should never have happened in the first place.

Based on my experience, I would strongly recommend that anyone purchasing a vehicle from this dealership carefully check their bank statements and all additional products or services attached to their vehicle purchase. Don't assume that everything is exactly as you agreed to.