Americredit Ripoff Illegal billing practices late fees damaging credit bureau reporting Ft. Worth Texas
I have been a consumer of Americredit since June 2002. There was an alleged late payment made the first month of my loan. I tried and tried to call to get that reversed, to no avail. They told me that it was processed after the due date, but they received it 7 days before it was due. Then they proceeded to charge me late fees every month following for almost six months.
Each month, pulling a little of my payment from the total car payment of the current month to pay for the previous months "overdue payment". Again, this is due to them not processing the payment on time, never letting me know what was going on, but registering every month a late payment. [Naturally, they were reporting this every month to the credit bureau as a late payment. You should see my credit report. Every single account is PERFECT with exception of Americredit. I won't beat this dead horse, but you get the picture of what they did and are doing.
I was denied credit and looked into why? Found this problem and began to experience the evils of AMERICREDIT! They are extremely good at playing the "let me put you through to someone else" game. They are very good at putting you through to "my supervisor" they are very good at when you catch them at their game, saying, "let me call you back, and never getting in touch with you. [Tangent... If you do your research on the web you will find their business practices quite interesting and alarming]
This is an exerpt "As a consumer finance company, the Company is subject to various consumer claims and litigation seeking damages and statutory penalties based upon, among other theories of liability, usury, wrongful repossession, fraud and discriminatory treatment of credit applicants, which could take the form of a plaintiffs class action complaint. The Company, as the assignee of finance contracts originated by dealers, may also be named as a co-defendant in lawsuits filed by consumers principally against dealers. The damages and penalties claimed by consumers in these types of matters can be substantial.
Management believes that the Company has taken prudent steps to address the litigation risks associated with its business activities. However, there can
be no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully defend against all such consumer claims, or that the determination of any such claim in a
manner adverse to the Company would not have a material adverse effect on the Company's indirect automobile finance business."
On with my complaint, I am a National Guard Soldier and attempted to use the SSCRA to reduce my interest rate to 6% dated back to the date of my orders, well over 100 docurmented phone calls and to no avail. When I threatened litigation they applied back interest rate to my account, but still charged late fees and finance charges. AND STILL REPORTED ALL OF THOSE AS LATE PAYMENTS TO THE CREDIT AGENCY. My Mitisubishi Montero has been paid every month since the date purchased.
For the past two years, it has been paid electronically, early, in excess of the amount owed, and THEY STILL REPORT IT EVERY MONTH TO THE CREDIT BUREAU. They don't care, they wont quit doing it, and I don't know what to do. When I sent a copy of the SSCRA to Americredit and told them that they can't charge me late fees, they can't charge me finance charges, THEY CAN'T REPORT ME LATE TO THE CREDIT BUREAU, or the language is they can not report anything that will result in adverse effects on the soldier, they do it without hesitation and often with great contempt.
In January, I sent them $1000, two and half times the amount of my regular payment to end the madness, Guess what.... THEY AGAIN REPORTED ME LATE, took $200 or so and applied it to MYTHICAL late fees and charges, and only credited me $720 towards a payment? I Need a good attorney, someone who understands this madness, can deciphur their B.S. "detailed payment histories" and fix my credit report. At this point, I don't care about all of the "STOLEN" money. I want them to take the negative credit reporting off ALL of my credit reports, and STOP REPORTING ME LATE>
VERY ANGRY!
Jeff
Turlock, California
U.S.A.
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8 Updates & Rebuttals
Rachel
Walkertown,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
WE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT
#9Consumer Comment
Wed, November 23, 2005
WHILE IN KUWAIT, AMERICREDIT PULLED A FAST ONE ON ME. I AM IN THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD AND THEY REFUSED TO ACCEPT MY SSCRA ALSO. THE JAG HAD TO SEND THEM A NASTY GRAM AND THEN THEY FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED IT AFTER NUMUEROUS CALLS,EMAILS, FAXES, AND CERTIFIED LETTERS OF THE SAME ORDERS.
THEN, I HAD TO INVOLVE THE PENTAGON BECAUSE OF THE HARRASMENT THEY GAVE MY WIFE WHILE I WAS GONE.
NOW, THEY HAVE MY CAR AND CAME AFTER IT WITHOUT NOTICE OR WARNING. THEY ATTACHED LATE FEES, ADDED ON INTEREST AND JACKED MY CAR LOAN UP THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. I CANNOT GET AHEAD. I AM GOING TO CONTACT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND GO FROM THERE.
AMERICREDIT IS RUDE AND I HAVE HTE EMAILS AND PAPERWORK TO SHOW HOW I DID MY PART, SO ANYBODY OUT HERE WITH THEIR HIGH AND MIGHTY ATTITUDE BETTER WALK INSOMEONE ELSES SHOES BEFORE THEY JUDGE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH. THESE PEOPLE NEED TO BE LOCKED UP AT AMERICREDIT AND BE SHOWN UP FOR HTE CROOKS THAT THEY ARE.
Sherri
Gulf Breeze,Florida,
U.S.A.
We have been round and round with the Squirrely little Repo Guy from Hell!
#9Consumer Comment
Mon, February 07, 2005
I'm sorry, but I just had to put in my two cents worth about Americredit. We have had to fight World War III with them and I KNOW!!
My husband has lost 4 jobs in 4 years. Our lives have been pure hell, and their unprofessional practices haven't helped, but here is my story:
One guy suggested that he Quote: "Loves" Americredit because he makes his payments "on time". Well, some of us aren't that fortunate. When you have "X" number of dollars in your account and no job, it is a little difficult, but you try.
We have been round and round with the Squirrely little Repo Guy from Hell! He was stalking our neighborhood and we couldn't even go outside! He would sit on the side of my neighbor's house and watch our every move. And I corresponded with him. I was tempted to ask him how many times a day we went to the bathroom! That bad! And this was after we thought that we had made arrangements with Americredit as to when we could make a payment.
We have dealt with a vast array of Americredit "customer" service people. One would call and scream into our answering machine "Hello! Hello! Pick up your phone! Where are you? You NEEEEEEEED to make your car payment!" I complained about her and finally, some other agent took our calls. Then, we had a customer service supposedly "manager" named "David" who threatened to "rip off the garage door" and take the car. I had to call the law out to call him to ask him what his problem was and you guessed it...He denied it! Yep, made up some lame story that he "never said that"...LOL. Yeah, right!
Well, I tell you what I did then. I reported him to the BBB and he was reprimanded and we never had any other problems with him. I spoke with him once after that and he said "Yeah, I got into a little bit of trouble"....Gee, you think? You just don't do stuff like that and get by with it!
So, we are still struggling with them, but things have not been like our nightmare year like we had with them last year!
I pray that one day, I will pay off my car and be finished with them! They are a NIGHTMARE!!!
Jeff
Concordia,Kansas,
U.S.A.
I can solve all of your problems
#9Consumer Comment
Thu, September 16, 2004
Here is a quick lesson for all of you who are having problems with americredit. I dont know if you were all aware you have something in common. No it isnt that you finance with americredit. It is this simple fact you dont know it is violating the contract to pay your payment late. It needs to be mailed earily. dont wait till the last minute. If it is due by the 10th mail it on the 1st of the month. It seems like a complicated mathmatical problem but it is simple. Pay them earily so they get it on time. If you dont pay them dont complain to anyone about what thier doing to you. You are doing it to yourself.....I Love Americredit , but then again I pay them. just a thought
Jeff
Concordia,Kansas,
U.S.A.
I can solve all of your problems
#9Consumer Comment
Thu, September 16, 2004
Here is a quick lesson for all of you who are having problems with americredit. I dont know if you were all aware you have something in common. No it isnt that you finance with americredit. It is this simple fact you dont know it is violating the contract to pay your payment late. It needs to be mailed earily. dont wait till the last minute. If it is due by the 10th mail it on the 1st of the month. It seems like a complicated mathmatical problem but it is simple. Pay them earily so they get it on time. If you dont pay them dont complain to anyone about what thier doing to you. You are doing it to yourself.....I Love Americredit , but then again I pay them. just a thought
Jeff
Concordia,Kansas,
U.S.A.
I can solve all of your problems
#9Consumer Comment
Thu, September 16, 2004
Here is a quick lesson for all of you who are having problems with americredit. I dont know if you were all aware you have something in common. No it isnt that you finance with americredit. It is this simple fact you dont know it is violating the contract to pay your payment late. It needs to be mailed earily. dont wait till the last minute. If it is due by the 10th mail it on the 1st of the month. It seems like a complicated mathmatical problem but it is simple. Pay them earily so they get it on time. If you dont pay them dont complain to anyone about what thier doing to you. You are doing it to yourself.....I Love Americredit , but then again I pay them. just a thought
Jeff
Concordia,Kansas,
U.S.A.
I can solve all of your problems
#9Consumer Comment
Thu, September 16, 2004
Here is a quick lesson for all of you who are having problems with americredit. I dont know if you were all aware you have something in common. No it isnt that you finance with americredit. It is this simple fact you dont know it is violating the contract to pay your payment late. It needs to be mailed earily. dont wait till the last minute. If it is due by the 10th mail it on the 1st of the month. It seems like a complicated mathmatical problem but it is simple. Pay them earily so they get it on time. If you dont pay them dont complain to anyone about what thier doing to you. You are doing it to yourself.....I Love Americredit , but then again I pay them. just a thought
D.
Clarksville,Tennessee,
U.S.A.
You think it's bad for you.... listen to this!!!
#9Consumer Comment
Thu, August 26, 2004
We purchased our van in Dec. 1998 and financed with Americredit for 60 months at $457.57 per month for a total of $$27,454.20.
For the first 3 years, our payment was never, I mean never late. Then we ran into some financial trouble when our daugther got really sick and did 3 (2 month) extensions over the next two years... Total of 6 months of extensions for which interest was paid.
To date, we have paid over $29,000.00 on our van and according to Americredit still have a balance owed of $7,350.00... Hello.... something is wrong here. There is no way that these extensions cost me an extra $10K. Basically I am paying interest on interest and late fees. I am in the process of contacting an attorney and would love to take these lying some of a guns to court. If enough people are willing, I think a class action suit is worth pursuing.
JOE
WILLMAR,Minnesota,
U.S.A.
YOUR NOT ALONE
#9Consumer Comment
Mon, July 26, 2004
Americredit will punish you especially if you file bankruptcy. They have found a way to report to the credit bureau in a way that makes you look bad. For instance they will have your credit file state your loan was a charged off even though you filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. They will allow inacurate information such as late fees to stay on your report even though you paid on time. Its all in the game. This company deals with what they term high risk borrowers. Its just another term that allows them to soak you with high inerest rates. You should challange the credit bureau findings because chances are they won't challange it. After thirty days the credit bureau will remove the negative report. This company cannot make money on individuals with good credit because they can get financed by banks or the big three car makers. If they can keep you down they will! Why you ask? you will be a repeat customer especially if you continue to have bad credit. This company loses money orders, checks, and makes errors on customer accounts so often you wonder if they are doing it on purpose. Don't let them feed you the bull about losing money over repossessions. They make money by selling the vehicle over and over and making big profits on high interest loans. Kinda makes you sick to your stomach doesn't it? I am sure their buddies and low level cardealers swarm on a repossession like vultures on rotting flesh! Here is another plan. Find some property that you can rent along a major road or highway. Make a big sign and put on it WARNING BEWARE OF AMERICREDIT! call and ask me why then put your number on it. As long as the sign is on private property they or no one else can remove it. This was the advise my Attorney gave me and I should have my sign up next month!