Pay up… or we’ll switch off your car: Ruthless finance firms install ‘kill switches’ to immobilise vehicles if drivers miss a payment

‘Car finance firms are fitting ‘kill switches’ that immobilise vehicles if drivers miss a payment, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The devices – installed by lenders offering loans to those with poor credit scores – mean customers can be left stranded.
But law and finance experts say the firms may be breaking the law.
Drivers on kill-switch deals typically set up standing orders to pay every month. When the lender is paid, it sends the customer a code to enter by remote control into a GPS device behind the dashboard.
If drivers miss a payment, the code for that month is not sent and the car stops working. Concerns have been raised that vulnerable drivers could be stranded overnight or unable to get to an emergency.
Office worker Julia Martin said she often had to eat cereal for dinner so she can afford car payments.’
Read more: Pay up… or we’ll switch off your car: Ruthless finance firms install ‘kill switches’ to immobilise vehicles if drivers miss a payment