ABSA Vehicle Finance - Cold and Unsympathetic towards the Self-Employed

I was self-employed for the past 3.5 years, during and post Covid-19, unfortunately for me, my business did not gain enough traction to sustain itself, resulting in me finding main stream work to sustain my family. Through it all, it has been a difficulty 3 years as breadwinner, trying to overcome the hurdles of going through financial difficulty. Further to receiving assistance from ABSA vehicle finance (by means of a reduced instalment for a 3 month period), seeing that the assistance is ending at the end of this month Mar-22, I called in to the ABSA Vehicle Finance Call Centre to understand if there was a possibility of any further assistance. I have been paying for my vehicle every month and have never neglected a month. I was informed by the AVAF Call Centre agent, “that a client is only provided with a 3 month assistance period and will only be considered for further assistance after a further period of 12 months”. This was very cold and disappointing to hear, seeing that my financial situation is surely different to another person’s situation, so why will ABSA apply a hard and fast rule in lieu of all their clients. Should a client not be afforded an opportunity to present their respective case, thereafter should AVAF not apply a suitable solution that will best assist the client to overcome their financial challenges (as the name indicates” ABSA Vehicle Solutions”). I have been a client with ABSA Vehicle Finance for more than 25 years, having financed more than 9 vehicles during this period, with not a single problem, but the time I require ABSA’s assistance, if feels as if I’m shown the door. I find this response on the part of ABSA Vehicle Finance cold and unsympathetic, a number of self-employed people have never asked to be in the financial situation they face, resulting from the post effects of the Covid-19 Lockdown. The harsh reality is that I am unable to sell my vehicle, (being purchased with a balloon payment for affordability) has resulted in the balance owing for the vehicle being more than that value of the vehicle. I am unable to sell the vehicle, and if I hand the vehicle over to ABSA, they will sell the vehicle in an auction, with the remaining balance to be settled by me. It’s a catch 22, if you do you damned and if you don’t you damned?