Consumer complaint received 2021-05-10
Company: NISSAN MOTOR ACCEPTANCE COMPANY LLC
State: UT
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Lease
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Problem with paying off the loan

Complaint:
I leased a XXXX XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, it was a 39 month lease through XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX for various reasons decided to trade the vehicle in for a XXXX through XXXX XXXX ( Utah ). I was able to download a payoff letter from the Nissan/Infiniti Finance Online dashboard which stated my payoff quote was {$34000.00}. On Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX I called Nissan/Infiniti customer service to let them know that I had traded the vehicle in and that dealer, XXXX XXXX, would be sending the payoff check. The customer service representative ( CSR ) I spoke with let me know he would notate the account. I had been checking my account throughout the past two weeks, today ( XXXX XXXX  ) I decided to call to see if they had yet received the check since it had been over two weeks since the transaction took place. The CSR told me they had not yet received it. I then called the dealer who had sent the check in and confirmed they had sent it on XX/XX/XXXX ( two weeks ago ). The dealer let me know the check number and that it was sent to their overnight address they were provided ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, TX XXXX ). I called Nissan/Infiniti again and through several phone calls this morning I was told varying responses from each CSR. I was told that as of today their policy is to no longer accept checks from third-parties and it could only come from an Infiniti or Nissan dealer. Originally I was thinking the check was lost in the mail, my intent was to ask the dealer who sent it to place a stop payment on the check and reissue a new one. The CSR stated since the new date would be on the check and it would reflect after today they could no longer accept it. 

When I asked to speak with a manager I was told they would have to call me back and would take between 3 and 5 business days. My next payment Is due May 15, I do not have time to wait for a call back. 

Through the several CSR I spoke with I was told three different addresses including XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX. However, the mailing address on the letter is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX. The letter is also confusing since it has the physical address first as XXXX XXXX XXXX and then below that the mailing address. Another PO Box I was given was one in XXXX. 

During this time the XXXX dealer that now is in possession of the Infiniti has been trying to help. They were told this wasnt a policy that changed today, but sometime earlier this year. They had called to get the payoff information, clearly as a dealer and provided the same amount of {$34000.00} and also given the physical address from above ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ), which I was told was wrong. During the phone call they were never told that a third party could not send the payoff for the car. They have been contacting several GMs of Infiniti and Nissan dealers in the state of Utah to see if one of them would be willing to send in a check with my account info and then they pay them back. At this point I dont know if one will be willing to do that or not, regardless we should not have to jump through these kind of hoops when this wasnt made clear from the beginning. 

This has caused extreme stress and frustration. Im still liable for payments on a car I dont own. I was never told the payoff would be an issue. I do believe Nissan/Infiniti Finance received the check at some point and is sitting on a desk. They never reached out to let me know they could not accept it as a payment from a third party. I also dont understand why they could not accept payoff. Ive paid what I was contractually liable for. By doing this trade-in I did take a loss on what I owed vs what XXXX XXXX offered me. Im currently liable for two auto payments. I feel Nissan/Infiniti has not been helpful, every CSR I speak to provides different information. One of them even stated hed send me their new updated payoff letter information and its the same as I had before.

Common sense needs to prevail here. If a check has been provided for the contractual payoff amount that is quoted in a letter, website and from a CSR it should not matter where the funds come from. I simply need the original check to be located or wiring instructions provided so I can work with the dealer who is now in possession of the vehicle to complete the payoff of the loan so I am no longer liable for the payment and they can receive the title.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation