My story of Old Car and Equity loan.

Today, no Muclimbano stories. Serious business.

Today it mark 9 yrs since i paid my last ever loan with Equity, when it was EQUITY. Those days, it was real muiganania. It was such a painful experience though. Read on and clap for me for finally repaying them first.

I started with Equity when it was a building society, then to bank with ATM. Those days, we used to casually walk in the credit section and you tell the cashier you need 20k to go drink changaa. Within 5 minutes, the money would be in your account. I know its no longer that way because of the way they saw fire from the likes of Wanjohi.

When they introduced ATM, Theuri showed me how to give yourself loan from the bank. After removing money you get on loan from account from the counter, their system was so slow that it did not deduct from your account until evening. So, after wiping the money in account over the counter we would rush to the ATM and remove  the maximum an ATM could.  Tomorrow, when we make money, we repay all. They never used to ask us why we were doing that although it was criminal. They needed us most and anyway, it was our bank.

One day, my business expanded and i needed to beg big money. Anything above 50, one had to bring security. I told you before i had an old Toyota K70 car. I bought the car after i saw a friend of mine with a Toyota G-touring, so i thought it was also an equal car, save it was more aged. After all, the previous owner was old lady and only used to use the car to go to church and funerals only and i hear she never use to carry anybody in the car, so you can imagine the condition *wink* *wink*

But i have good advise for you. Never buy a very very old car like that. Whether the previous owner bought it and parked it at home until that time want to sell, or it was owned by Indian man. It is like paying to get problem. If you see somebody driving such an old car, salute them. You cannot drive such a car without at least 2k in pocket because, anytime, it will ask for some money. Another thing, you need to employ a full time mechanic if you want to save on repairing cost.

 For me, i thank God i bought an old car because, it made me a mechanic literally without going to Kenya polly to read mechanical engineer. Everyday, it would have problems. From brakes, to wipers not working (but if the wiper doent work, no problem, buy omo and spill on screen. It will wipe better than wipers), clutches, lights, signals, horns, shocks (but you dont need the shocks anyway), door refuse to open (one day, i went to climb somebody and when i park at place of room, pasager door refuse to open), window refuse to wind down , steering wheel refuse to turn fast, name them. In other words, everyday, i had to go to Grogon.  I was known by every mechanic there and i had known all holes to buy second hand spares, including legs.

I remember one day i go to Nakuru then brakes  problem, refusing to stop in emergency. I knew cold had entered.  I take to a garage and when they finish removing cold, they ask me to give them money. I gave them 80 bob  and the owner ask me what 80 bob was for. I tell him that is what i pay to remove cold. He looked at me and smile with anger, then gave me back my 80 shilling and add another 100 bob, he say i go drink tea with the 100bob, removing cold is free, not 80bob. Another experience i got was that if you want cheap mechanic, go to where you will see taxi and matatus. If a mechanic doent make taxis and matatus, he is damn expensive.

Away from my old car, i wented to bank and begged for 400k. They ask for security and bring log book and a guarantor that also have a local Nissan Hardbody. Next day, i got money already in the account, we agreed i pay 80k per month for 6 months, then after that, they can give me double the money for bigger business.

I wented and added stock and some money, added music on my car and decorate (i hear it is called souping car). I became popular with people of skirt, now that i could afford to take them to Mike Rua.  The coffee riped and made money like satan. But Satan is another one. After two months, the owner of exhibition come and say he want to renovate shop. The satan does not like people of God progressing.  When landlord finish renovating, he say we pay goodwill of one million per shop. I refused and wented to another shop. That was the end of me. Not one customer would come. I would sit there, eat my lips waiting for customers but where. No customer come, only those just inquiring and stuff until i want to get removed devil. (By the way, you see those many exhibition, many people always worry because it is expensive to maintain shop. Shop go for rent of 50k per month, so you can imagine how much you are supposed to make per day to break even. Those who survive well are women because when business is about to go to poverty, they go to their men and they inject more money)

Within 3 months, my business  had gone to poverty, it was not even enough to pay employees at times. Equity began getting worry. They call me everyday and i go with a cooked story until i couldnt cook more story. I had to stop going or answering their phones. They write to me many letters that they will take me to court to recover their money and cost but i could not do anything. I was damn broke lass.

Since they had the logbook, they instructed the auctioneers to look for my ca. Auctioneer look for the car but where, i had hidden it somewhere they could not see. When i got wind that they were looking for guarantors car as well, i looked for the auctoneers. I talked to them bad with anger and tell them that "Equity ti kwa nyina" (Equity is not for their mother) . I tell them that the owner of Pickup is real brother of the then Mungiki leader Ndura Waruingi. I tell them i know where they live and if they try something silly, their head will be hanged in stage on a tree. I gave them 10k to go drink Chang'aa kwa Ruben. Later, they tell me that they have never seen a person that talk to them bad when they want to take their car, people beg them, including big people in government. I was only playing a psychological game and knew that if it failed, it would hit back on me badly like thunder.

After three months, auctioneers get pressure from bank, if they dont get the cars, they will get  other auctioneers. That only meant giving auctioneers more money and more threats, although they tell me i have to pay loan since bank can get other auctioneers. Everyday, i get letters from bank, and the guy that guarantee me everyday he say he want his logbook. I lie to him i take another loan and i give him small money for beer and persons of out.

To stop them pressuring auctioneers, i would visit the bank and tell them from next month i will pay, telling them my business was stolen by armed gangsters and i am doing something to recover. I told them to look at me good, i am like Phoenix bird that dies and come back alive younger and more energy. They would listen and tell me to pay what i can small small until i get many money.  I deposit 3 k and another three months go  without paying.

That time, Equity had very listening customer care at recovery office at Mundi Mbingu at that time.( I hear they now have employed people trained at Kiganjo to man the recovery section. The way they talk and handle you is Kiganjo stylo copyright).  I tell them lies how gangster rob my shop and all stock and they feel sorry, but tell me to work harder because Equity is not for my mother.

One day, i beat one deal and got money. I paid them up and until it remain 25k and poverty come back again. I decided to sell my car which equity was holding documents. When i put in Nation classified ad, many people call and when they come and see the car, they say they will call me. I know they were going back angry asking why they wasted their time to come all the way and view the junk. The first offer i got was Ksh. 120K but told myself i can get more. How long i was is only God knows.  The offers went down to 90k and i was hoping i can get the man that say he can pay 120k.

When the heat was too much, one guy come to me he want to buy the car. He said he can give 60k. to clear the loan first so that log book can be released.

He agreed and say he will clear loan first and pay balance after he collect logbook. After i got logbook, i call him to come collect logbook and clear my balance. He say he has thinked otherwise, he want his 25k back and i should go and collect my car. I never called him again, i just tolded myself that i had sold the car for 25K! (But i still hold the logbook, but who needs that car?)

If Equity had 10,000 customers like me, they would have gone to poverty long time. I guess they had like 5k like me those days,  that is why they never use to make the billions they make today. From that day, i became unloanworthy with Equity and i vukad to big banks, although to get loan in those bank it is like touching moon with hand. Some ask to see even my granfather and his birth certificates.  But what do i do? cant go back to Equity, they cannot give me even 2 shillings overdraft. I hope they will never share my story with other banks, now that i hear something called Credit something has come calling. God help Wanjohi.

I remain,

Wanjohi wa Kigogoine