We were looking for a car loan. We were contacted by the company to tell us we were approved for a $20,000.00 loan. The agent said we would need to give a down payment of around $2k. When the paper work was faxed the loan was listed as a personal loan and the so called down payment was now listed as collateral that would be used for the 1st 5 months of payments. This didn't feel right so I tried to verify some infromation about the company. I called thier # and brefily spoke to an agent before he hung up on me. I asked them how long they had been in business for and he was vague and said a number of years. I asked why thier website had just been created after doing a search on it. He lied and said they have had it for a while and it was just renewed. I asked for thier address and he listed the one that was on the paper work. I had already did a search on the address and found out it was a large office building, so I asked what suite they are in and that is when he hung up on me. The line went silent and then I heard some beeping followed by an automated voice that said that customer service was not availible. I got some phone numbers of other tenants in the building and called and simply asked if the company existed in the building. After calling no less than 10 other companies, not one could confirm they existed after looking at the building directory. I have sent in other emails to the company from thier website and they don't answer any of them.
Not only did they want $2k, they also wanted a copy of my govt. issued ID which could have also allowed them the possibility of steeling my identy.
From other research I believe these people have several different names and locations around the country trying to steel money from hard working people just looking to make a better life for themselves and thier families.
Please be careful of this company and others using the same MO. We were lucky and didn't loose anything to these thiefs but others have not been so fortunate.
Remember, if it sounds to good to be true, IT IS!!!
This company also offers mortgages but if you look up those companies liscensed to do so in the state of NY, they are not!
Destination paradise ruined our vacation
Tujunga,#2Consumer Comment
Fri, February 12, 2010
Wow. thank you so much for writing the report. I have been looking for private student loans and today Richard called me and I was so excited; however, I still wanted to look into it because if no other lender is giving out private student loans, how can they do that? I tried to look them up online and nothing came up. First of all, the website on the fax documents that they send me which is www.kensingtonfinancial.net goes to someone else's website whose name is the same and they are actually a legit company. See I got suspicious when the address and phone number that was on the fax and that was given to me by Richard did not match with the website's address and phone number.
The same offer was made to me: Richard told me that I have been approved for a $20,000 personal loan at a fixed rate at 7% for a 10 year term. He said that my monthly payments will be $231.90 and since I do not owe anything and do not have enough credit I need to give them a 10 month downpayment of $2311.90, which will be applied towards my loan once I graduate.
Richard even faxed me over the paperwork. Wow, I cannot believe how easy it is for these people to get away with these fraudulent activities. I mean they have mastered it because he did not ask me for any personal information and he wanted me to fax over a copy of my ID.