Complaint Review: UAC

On May 2nd 2013 I purchased a 2000 Chevy Blazer from Car Hop/UAC.  They claim the total amount of the purchase is $6,187.15.  This means that with the 20.90% interest rate I am being charged.  The total cost of this vehicle will be $8,439.67.

I did some research and found out, that in the condition my truck is in, it's only worth between $3,239.00 and $4,300.00.  This includes the cosmetic damages to both the fron and rear bumpers and the 132,936 miles on the vehicle.

That is just the begining of things.  On May 4th the St. Cloud Car Hop calls me and tells me that I need to make a payment because UAC didn't receive the first payment.  So I went online and paid $289.00 + $3.00 Wester Union fee.  Well on May 6th $289.00 was deducted from my checking account.  On May 8th another $292.00 we deducted from my account.  When I made the payment online it pulled the $292.00 right away.  So when the $289.00 payment came out, it over drafted my checking account.  I contacted UAC right away.  I was told they would send me a refund check in the amount of $289.00.  The over draft fees would be subtracted from my next payment.

Well as the week progressed, I incurred more over drafts from paying other bills just before I paid the $292.00.  Checks also bounced to causing more of an over draft.  Needless to say, UAC was not willing to refund the over draft charges they caused.  I had a total of 9 over drafts.  Thankfully my bank only assessed 5 $35.00 over draft and NSF fees.

By the time I received the paper check they were sending me by mail.  All the other payments posted to my account.  I had just enough gas in my vehicle to make it to the gas station.  I couldn't make it to Wells Fargo 30 miles away due to the fact I didn't have the gas to drive that far.  I had to ask one of my friends to cash the check so I could get the gas to go to the bank and deposite money into my account.  Well there was a fee to cash the check because it was an out of state check, and I don't have an account at that bank.

Needless to say by the time I got paid, my account was over drafted by $286.00.  That was with the what was left of the refund being deposited into my account.  My friend had to write me a check after taking out the cost of cashing the check and putting gas in my truck.  Well I went to Wells Fargo and deposited the check into my savings account.  I did that so I could have time to speak to a banker the next day.  I told the banker the situation.  He suggested that I take out what money I needed to take out so I could pay bills.  He said then take and transfer whats left into checking.  So that's what I did.  By the time I was done paying bills, there was only $115.00 left to the refund that went towards the over draft.

I was talking to UAC during this whole time.  They asked me to send them copies of my bank statement to prove they over drafted my account.  I sent them two copies, one showing they caused the over draft, the second showing them how bad they caused the over draft.  The second one showed all the fees I was being charged.  But still they insisted on crediting my UAC account not my Wells Fargo account.

On May 31st I got my SSI direct deposit.  Well that left my checking account still in the negative.  Finally on June 3rd, I got my Social Security direct deposit.  Finally my account was no longer in the negative.  However, that still left me to pay all the over drafts with Wells Fargo plus pay UAC $149.00.  My account Manager at UAC said my June payment would be $149.00.  June 4th come around, and $149.00 is deducted from my account.  Well they sent me and my co-singer an email telling me that I owe them $35.00 more.  I contacted my Account Manager again, she stated it is because when she adjusted the payment, she shorted herself by $35.00.

Why should I have to pay for her mistake.  I could see if it was my mistake.  This really left me in a bad situation as I have not been able to pay any of my bills this month.  That also means my rent only got half paid. My truck insurance isn't paid.  My roommate had to pay all of the other bills because of this.

I have taken the liberty of filing a complaint with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.  I would strongly encourage other people to do so as well.  They have assured me that there will be an investigaion into these two companies.  I asked the gentleman on the phone to google Universal Acceptance Corporation.  He did and he too was brought to this site as well.

Lets do what we can do to protect ourselves.  Lets stop this predatory lending.