What to do if…
you receive a repossession warning for your financed vehicle

What to do now

1. Confirm the warning is real.
   Use contact details from your official statement, app, contract, or the lender’s secure portal. Ask: “Is there an active repossession or recovery instruction on my account, and what is the exact cutoff date and time?”

2. Identify the notice and write down the key date.
   Look for words such as “Default Notice”, “arrears notice”, “termination”, “repossession”, or “recovery”. Write down the notice date, the deadline, the amount requested, and any reference number.

3. Ask for the figures and the pause terms in writing.
   Ask the finance company to send you, by email, text, or portal message:

   • the arrears needed to bring the account up to date;
   • any fees or charges being added;
   • the payment, if any, that would pause recovery action;
   • whether recovery action is already instructed;
   • the date any hold will end.

4. Check whether the one-third protected goods rule may apply.
   If your agreement is a regulated hire purchase or conditional sale agreement, your paperwork should include a “Repossession: your rights” box or similar wording. Check the one-third figure and include any deposit, part exchange, and instalments already paid when working out what you have paid.

5. If you have paid one third or more, say this clearly.
   Tell the finance company: “I believe I have paid at least one third of the total amount payable. Please confirm that the vehicle is treated as protected goods and that no recovery will happen without my consent or a court order.”

6. If you have paid less than one third, still do not panic-sign anything.
   The vehicle may be at higher risk, especially if it is on a public road, but the lender will usually need a court order or your consent to remove it from premises such as your drive or garage. Ask the finance company to confirm the current position in writing before you agree to anything.

7. Make one realistic offer and ask for a hold.
   Say: “I can pay £X today and £Y on [date]. Can you place a hold on recovery action while this is recorded and the payment clears?” Do not offer more than you can actually pay, because a broken promise can make the next call harder.

8. If someone turns up, keep the exchange short and calm.
   Do not argue, block them physically, or sign documents on the doorstep. If you do not consent, say: “I do not consent to the vehicle being taken. Please put everything in writing to the finance company.” If there is immediate danger, violence, or a threat of violence, step away and call 999.

9. If you are in England or Wales and you cannot stabilise this today, contact a free debt adviser about Breathing Space.
   Breathing Space is accessed through an authorised debt adviser. For hire purchase or conditional sale, it can usually protect arrears rather than the whole secured balance, and you are usually expected to keep up ongoing payments if you can.

10. Save a clean record.
    Write down what you received, when you called, who you spoke to, what they said, any payment made, and any hold agreed. Save screenshots, emails, receipts, portal messages, and call reference numbers.