Call For Action "saved the day" for Wilmington man who says Volkswagen was holding title hostage
BOSTON – It feels great to pay off a car, but it can be incredibly frustrating to write the check and then have to wait weeks or months for a title. When it happened to a Wilmington couple, they reached out to Call For Action for help.
Sasha Lamoureux loved driving his 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan and was happy to buy the car at the end of his lease.
"It's a great car," he said. "It was not something that I felt compelled to get rid of. I bought it with intentions to keep it, but then we had an offer on it."
But Lamoureux wasn't able to sell the car because a month after VW cashed the check, he still didn't have the title, with little explanation from the company.
"Sorry, there's nothing we can do. You are going to have to wait," Lamoureux said, describing what a representative told him on the phone. "It's your property. It's like holding your title hostage," he added.
It looks like Lamoureux is not alone on this. The Better Business Bureau has many similar complaints online. Last month one car owner posted:
I paid off my VW Atlas in December of 2022. It is now March 19 of 2023 and they still have not sent the title. Another customer wrote: I am unable to sell a vehicle that own because they are holding my car title hostage.
After reading complaints like these, Lamoureux's partner contacted Call For Action and we reached out to Volkswagen.
"I think you reached out to Volkswagen either the same day or next day and miraculously, they are calling us, 'Oh we are so sorry,'" Lamoureux said, describing how the representative promised to overnight the title.
The title arrived by FEDEX the next day.
In an email to Call For Action, a spokesperson for Volkswagen Credit Incorporated said: "We're thankful for your outreach to Volkswagen on behalf of the VW customer... I'm able to confirm this case should be fully resolved."
"Call For Action saved the day and my wits, because I was at my wit's end," Lamoureux said. "We knew of anybody could do it, you could."
If you have a problem you need help with, email wbzcallforaction@cbs.com. Please be sure to include your name and phone number. You can also call 617-787-7070, Tuesday – Friday between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
