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Doey
July 17, 2009
Citizens Changes Monthly Loan Amount
INFORMATION AMOUNT MY COMPLAINT:
- Feb. 2007: Financed a 2007 Dodge Caliber through Citizens Automobile Finance in my name only.
- Signed loan paperwork for financing; monthly payments of $262.04 per month for term of loan.
- Sep. 2007: Deployed to Afghanistan for 9 months; made monthly payments (on time) in excess of monthly loan amount.
- In order to stop mailing checks from Afghanistan to Citizens, sent Citizens a memorandum requesting "Automatic Payments" be set-up in the amount of $500.00 per month. After receiving paperwork from Citizens, filling it out, and returning request, "Automatic Payments" started; $500.00.
- "Automatic Payments" continued until I called to cancel. Automatic payments stopped.
- Due to the amount I was sending Citizens, either via mail or automatically (when it started), loan was in good standing until May 2009. Did not send Citizens any payments after cancelling "Automatic Payment" option.
- Dec. 2008: My divorce was finalized and ex-spouse was awarded automobile (2007 Dodge Caliber). However, she was now responsible for monthly payments, insurance, maintence of the automobile. Judge DID NOT order her to refinance car in her name.
- Dec. 2008; Day after finalized divorce, called Citizens to have all payment vouchers for loan sent to ex-spouse. Explained to Citizens she would now be making the monthly payments; starting in May 2009 when next payment was due. Also stated to have any and all banking information (my "Automatic Payment" information, billing statemnets, etc... removed and stopped), the onlyreference I wanted with my name is the individual responsible for the loan; the one who signed the loan contract. She (my ex-spouse) will now be making the loan payments.
- Apr./May 2009: Ex-spouse sent check to Citizens in the amount of $262.04 to satisfy loan payment for May 2009. However, my checking was also debited +$400.00 by Citizens in the beginning of May 2009.
- May 30th, 2009: Phoned Citizens to find-out what happened and why my checking account was debited and why +$400.00. Explained to Citizens that my ex-spouse will be the one making payments from now on (as I explained to Citizens in Dec. 2008); which she did the end of April. Also asked why the amount debited was +$400.00.
- Citizens stated, based on my request via the memorandum I sent months ago (to have the "Automatic Payments" set-up to be $500.00 month) my NEW monthly loan payments were now $500.00, not the original, signed, legal loan contract amount of $262.04 per month.
- Citizens stated I needed to send a signed memorandum stating I wanted to change amount back to $262.04. After going around in circles trying to get an answer on how Citizens can change the original loan amount frrom $262.04 to $500.00, they said I asked to do so based on my memorandum I sent months ago.
- Again, I tried to explained to the Citizens representative that the memorandum I sent months ago was for the "Automatic Payment" amount I wanted to send ($500.00) and NOT to "rewrite" the loan agreement and original loan amount (262.04). Got no where with the 2 representatives I spoke with.
- Jun. 1st, 2009: I typed memorandum requesting I wanted my monthly payments to be $262.04, NOT $500.00 and faxed to Citizens.
- June. 19th, 2009: Phoned Citizens to see if the monthly amount was corrected from $500.00 to $262.04, it WAS NOT. I faxed the memorandum again.
- July 16th, 2009: Received late notice in mail from Citizens stating I still owe $237.96. I phoned Citizens to find-out what was going on.
- "Matt, " stated he didn't know what I was talking about. He than proceeded to say Citizens would waive the $20 late fee if I would pay what I owed now. I requested to be transfered to a Customer Service manager. "Matt" stated that since I was late, the called would be "re-routed" back to collections section. I hung-up and called customer service myself; I got through.
- "Tom, " customer service manager, stated the amount was changed, however it would not take affect until Aug. 2009. Again, I tried to get an answer on how Citizens could change the monthly loan amount from $262.04 to $500.00. He too explained that it was done based on the memorandum requesting "Automatic Payments" to be set-up in the amount of $500.00 a month.
- "Tom" is attempting to get Citizens to make the original loan amount of $262.04 effective 1 July 2009, not Aug. 2009. This will put my account in "good standing" and not -$237.96. Therefore, the next payment would be due in Aug. 2009.
In conclusion, I still do NOT understand how Citizens Automobile Finance can change a customers loan amount (which was listed in the signed loan contract). If a customer requests to send more towards their loan, via "Automatic Payments, " he or she should be able to do so; which I did. However, once the automatic payments are stopped (which I did), the amount due should be the original amount depicted on the loan contract... NOT WHAT WAS REQUESTED ON AN "AUTOMATIC PAYMENT" BY A CUSTOMER.
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