Complaint Review: Centrix Financial - Centennial Colorado

I have come to a stark and very grim realization over the last few weeks, which is that ANYONE who suffers froma poor credit rating only has one sure fire way of fixing it. Unfortunately, unless you're a millionaire in the first place it probably can't be done. And that's just the REALITY of life in 21st century America.

My sad tale of woe begins in december of 2002 when I accidentally broke the back window out of my wifes Chrysler Lebaron. Right before Christmas is NEVER a good time to finance ANYTHING, but most ESPECIALLY not an automobile, but I had resolved nontheless that my wife should have a DRY, WARM, automobile to get back and forth to her work in.

Now when an offer sounds too good to be true GUESS WHAT, it IS! There were a few 2002 Kia's left in stock at a local car dealer and they showed one to my wife that was Deep Blue with polished alloy wheels, V^ engine,Leather seats, power shift automatic transmission, Moon Roof, power EVERYTHING, and options all the way down to the Michelin rubber on the road. And the unbelievable part was that they were offering a $3000 rebate that they were willng to call the down payment so I didn't even have to trade in the LeBaron. Sounded pretty sweet right? WRONG!

The car was financed through Meadows Credit Union, but the numbers seemed Odd. They didn't give us an amortization sheet but they assured us that there would be no penalty in the event of early payoff. And of course being the responsible drivers we are we naturally included the Credit life & Disability and GAP insurance with the contract.

Then the REAL fun began. Meadows sold the contract before the ink was even dry on it, to this slimy outfit out of Colorado called CENTRIX Financial. Now if you've never heard of Centrix Financial then I think it's time you became aware of them, what they are, what they do, what happened to me, and will probably also happen to you if you ever get involved with these thieves.

As I stated the numbers didn't seem to match up to anything. From almost the first their statements showed principal amounts that DIDN'T decrease, payments that always seemed to get posted late (RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL LATE CHARGES), and oddly absent services (No way to pay online but you could pay over the telephone...for an additional charge of course). I remember what really irked me was that we had explained to the dealer that our pay dates were the 10th and the 25th but when we got the payment book the date was the 15th. What angered me further was that after I requested a payment date change from the 15th to the 25th (IN WRITING AS PER THEIR POLICY) what I got was a payment date of the 20th (Which gave them just enough time to charges us a late fee each month). so I countered by mailing the checks early (usually the 16th)but that worked to no avail either because they just held them until the 24th and charged me the late fee anyway.

But the REAL eye opener occurred in April of this year (2006) when a twenty something year old kid pulled out in front of us and My wife hit him at 55 MPH. Luckily we were all buckled in or it could have been bad. Well the little Kia performed FLAWLESSLY. It took the hit and the front end folded up almost textbook the way it was designed to, thus assuring that no one inside the passenger compartment was seriously injured (Unfortunately you just can't hit someone going that fast and not get banged up a little, and my wife got a herniated disk from it). Still we walked away form the wreck and that was good enough for me.

Now in the state of Illinois the laws regarding damage to vehicles, is very "INSURER FRIENDLY" shall we say. That's because nearly 3/4's of all AMERICAN Insurance companies and headquartered IN Illinois. They've got a Powerful lobby (and of course our elected officials would sell our children for a few ounces of coke and a couple of whores)which serves to keep things profitable. So imagine my dismay when I find that after 40 months of $568/mo. (was supposed to be $534 but they overcharged us on EVERY payment) I had paid them over $22,000.00, and still owed them $14,600 on a contract that originally had a face of ~$20,000.00. JEEX talk about a RIP! but when I started crunching the numbers and realized that the only way I could make them come out was to calculate them using rule of 78 (A BIZARRE type of loan contact that gives the lender ADDITIONAL interest). Now I'm REALLY angry because Rule of 78 loans were OUTLAWED on any loan with a term greater than 60 months back in 1991. And this was a 72 month contract.

Now I fought with State farm for nearly two weeks to get them to pay for HALF the car (about $7300). which left the GAP insurance which would pay up to 120% of wha the insurance value payment was (in this case 120% of about $6500 or roughly $7800). Then there was the refund of the unearned Credit life and disability premium too (And I REALLY loved this sweet little scam because there was still 3/5's of the contract outstanding but they refunded only 1/6th of the premium, some deal huh?) so the bottom line was that $7300 + $7800 + $604 = $15,704 which was MORE than enough to cover the balance of $14,600 right?

WRONG! First of all the Scumbag GA Co. (JM&A That's RIGHT I sued your name you EFFFER's) paid only $6314.00. then the $604 form the credit life, and of course the $7300 from State Farm. which now left me with a balance of about $372. OK, so let me get this straight: AFTER 40 MONTHS OF NEARLY $570 A MONTH I HAVE NO CAR, MY WIFE IS INJURED, AND I STILL OWE $372 TO BOOT!

Is that about right?

WRONG! I get recorded call from "Centpricks" and they say I owe them $7600. then it's $14,000. then it's somme other goofy number. I tell them: "CALL me back when you find somebody who actually KNOWS what the F*** they're doing"! Then a seemingly very nice young lady Ihappened to get on the phone after one of their robotic calls said "Yes I see here that the payments have been made by State Farm and JM&A and the credit life as well". To which I responded that I was well aware that there would still be a small balance that I would have to pay but that at this point it would be well worth it to just pay it myself and be done. I gave her the figures from their statement and from the payout Statements of the companies involved and told her that the balance amounted to $472. She replied "NO mr Griffin the correct amount is $672" (OK so jack me up one last time for old times sake). So I just said "OK I'll see to it on the 25th". Hooray, Game over end of story finally...

WRONG! two days later, yet another computer robot phone call. This time it's "Mr Griffin we are calling about the unpaid balance on your 2002 Kia". I reply "Yes we went over this the other day I'm sending you a check for the $672.00 difference, don't you have that noted on the account"? Then "NO Mr Griffin you owe us a balance of $1,089"! And this was the same "NICE YOUNG LADY" that had give me the payoff just two days before.

The moral of the story here boys and girls is simply this: Never let a hooked fish off the hook, never give a sucker an even break, But most ESPECIALLY...NEVER NEVER NEVER do business with Centrix Financial. No matter WHAT Robert Sutton says. He's a SWINDLER and a TWO BIT CON ARTIST. As soon as he can't afford his payoffs to the politicians that keep his greasy a*s in business he'll be all gone. they're gonna LOVE him in Prison.

Jim

East Peoria, Illinois
U.S.A.