Complaint Review: First Union National Bank

I was leasing a Toyota Camry and my lease would be up soon. I was also going through a major health crisis and hadn't decided if I would keep the car or not.

A representative of First Union National Bank said that I had a limited amount of time to get a deal on my payments if I decided to keep the car.

I told them I needed time to research and think about the deal. The girl told me that she would send paperwork to me. She said to fill out all of the paperwork and send it back to her asap. She would hold the paperwork until I made my decision and that I would not be obligated in any way until the paperwork was submitted by her.

So...the paperwork arrived...I filled it out and sent it back to her, still undecided if I wanted to keep the car. She also told me that if I didn't respond by a certain date, that the paperwork would be considered void and she would simply throw it away and I wouldn't be eligible for the deal.

In the meantime, I decided not to keep the car. My financial situation had changed due to my health problems and I couldn't afford it. When I contacted her to let her know...I found that she had processed my paperwork as soon as she had gotten it and I was told that I was legally bound to them to keep the car now and that there was nothing I could do about it because they had my signature on a legal document.

This was in January of 2000. I tried to contact the Better Business Bureau, but it did me no good.

I am now struggling to make payments on a car that I can't afford while battling a major illness (that has excessive medical bills along with it). Shame on First Union National Bank for such aweful business practices.

Kris
Garnerville, New York