How to Unlock a Car After a 10-Day Loan Default?
3 Answers
Some lenders may remotely lock the vehicle via GPS. In such cases, the owner cannot unlock the car themselves and must negotiate with the lending company. Another type of GPS is used to locate the vehicle's position. If the borrower defaults on the loan, the lender can track the vehicle's location via GPS and have it towed away.
I've experienced having my car locked due to a 10-day overdue auto loan. The most important thing is to immediately contact the loan company's customer service. Back then, I called them directly to explain the situation, honestly admitted the overdue payment, and sincerely promised to repay that same day. After they confirmed receiving the payment, they remotely unlocked my car. Remember to pay off the principal, interest, and late fees when repaying - it's best to use bank transfer for documentation. The unlocking process may take anywhere from two hours to half a day, so be patient but remember to follow up with customer service. If your car gets towed to a parking lot, just bring your ID to sign an unlocking form after repayment. The longer you delay, the higher the penalty fees will be - handling it promptly is the wise choice. Set a repayment reminder or enable automatic payments in the future to avoid repeating this mistake.
Last time my neighbor's car got locked and they came to me for advice. The key is to check the loan contract. Flipping through your auto loan agreement, it usually clearly states how many days overdue will trigger the lock and the unlock procedure is also in black and white. I've found that almost all contracts stipulate: the vehicle must be unlocked within 48 hours after repaying the principal + penalty interest. When making payments, keep the transfer receipt and send screenshots to customer service to expedite processing. If they don't unlock according to the contract timeline, you have the right to file a complaint or even have a lawyer send a formal notice. Remember to check if the in-car GPS has been tampered with after unlocking - take photos immediately for compensation claims if there's damage. The law is on your side, but only after you've paid what you owe. Being stubborn about it makes no sense.
