Complaint Review: Household Automotive Finance

My first "bad" encounter with HFC started after paying on my loan for a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero over a year into a four year contract.

Until that point all payments were sent by due date or prior to date due. When I became 10 days past due because of some employment changes by my husband starting a new company. The phone calls began on a daily basis. Some days I was contacted by collections 2 and 3 times a day. Each time the agent asked me to agree to a post dated bank draft. That was the last thing I wanted to do because my financial future unstable at best. My husbands new company struggled as most new companies do so I refused to commit without having the funds in my hands.

When the payment became 20 days late, the pressure got even worse. I began to get calls when I was at work.

The sh*t his the fan the day that an HFC customer service agent asked me how would I go to work when my car was repossesed! And the payment less than 30 days past due?

I demanded to speak to his supervisor or anyone in charge. He transferred me without asking if it was ok to the delinquent accounts division. The gentleman who answered the line seemed puzzled as to how he had gotten my call, since he only dealt with refinancing.

After I expressed my displeasure with HFC and their agents he proceeded to tell me that unless I refinanced my loan that he nor anyone else could assist me. He convinced me that he could arrange a new contract based upon my current income situations. He made it seem like they were doing me a favor. Boy, I was wrong.

After signing the new paperwork and getting a much lower interest rate I again met my due date for nearly a year and then once again became 10 days late on my loan. Once again the phone calls began. Some days I got as many as 3 calls.

The payments I made began having fees added for late payment and additional funds for the previous month being short because of the late payment being taken from the previous month. One month I paid over $900 dollars trying to catch up my past due balance. My normal payment monthly was only $258.00. So I thought I would finaly be ahead rather than behind. Late charges and fees taken from that payment were over $750.00 with only the remainder being applied to the principle.

Finally in March 2004 I was in an accident and my car was was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. They proceeded to offer me a fair price.

We called HFC and was given a payoff amount of $8200.00. Payoff was to be the same whether it was paid off that day or if it was paid off at the end of the contract. No refund of unpaid interest. This caused us to look a little more closely at the contract we originaly signed.

We found the contract did not disclose any amounts due for shortage and/or late fees. In fact that portion of the contract had N/A entered into it.

Then our battle began. We brought these discrepancies to there attention to no avail. We spoke to everyone and was transfered to numerous departments over the course of the next 80 days. Each time going over the same thing again and again. Each time talking to them 1 and 2 hours at a time. Each time we would get the word of "someone of Authority" to call us back after this was investigated by them and each time the call never came. Also promised several times to send us a payment history for our records and that never came either.

What did began coming were the constant phone calls and letters threatining repossesion of a car that had been wrecked and I advised them about many times over 2 months earlier. At one point after once again going over and over what was going on the agent laughed at me. At which point I told him we had nothing to discuss with one another and promptly hung up.

Finaly after about 80 days the insurance company called me and asked if they could offer to pay the car off with HFC because each day that it was in storage was costing them. I gave them verbal permission and assumed I would need to be on a conference call with HFC before they would agree to give a paid off amount. They had refused to discuss any terms with my husband unless I was on the line to verify it was ok. But I got no call asking that I be on the line while they discussed payoff with the insurance company.

Ten days afterward I get a letter from the insurance company requesting power of attorney so they could obtain a clear title upon sending HFC a check. I contacted the insurance company asking what amount was quoted to them for pay off. They got roughly $1000 lower payoff amount than we were quoted. After we had fought with them for almost 3 months I couldn't believe that it only took about 1 week for them to quote a much lower payoff amount.

I feel HFC owes me a refund on about $2500 in late payments and fees. I know I will have to hire an attorney to get it. I want people like that to know that I refuse to take this type of treatment.

One thing I am now worried about is that HFC will try to stick me with the $1000 less paid by the insurance company. We shall see!!!

Christy
Chatsworth, Georgia
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Household Finance

CLICK HERE to read about Credit Card Scams... find out how to get your money back. *Rip-off Report Investigation provides valuable information.