Broadcast history

BBC Radio 4

Driving Into Debt

1 September 2008
Produced by Arlen Harris and Peregrine Andrews

Mark and Ginger are Repo Men. They spend their days driving around the country looking for cars that people can't afford to keep. For each car they recover, they are paid a fee by the finance company that lent the money to buy it. Sometimes it's a simple case of turning up, asking politely for the keys and driving off. On other occassions they virtually have to "steal" the cars. Confrontation is part of the job but not as much as people imagine. There are more tales of good-humoured banter and compassion than beatings and shotguns. (Though that does happen).

In this programme, we spend a day with Mark (an ex-chef) and Ginger (an ex-bouncer) as they hunt down listed cars, recover them and take them to the auctioneers.

Nominated for a Sony Award (2009) in the News Special category.

  • Repossessed car