Consumer complaint received 2021-05-17
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company
State: MA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage

Complaint:
My existing VA home loan was sold to Freedom Mortgage in XX/XX/XXXX. I started receiving calls from them constantly about refinancing. I said no a bunch of times, but then an agent named XXXX XXXX ID # XXXX called me XX/XX/XXXX. He offered me a lower interest rate which I thought was fair 2.75 %. I was most concerned about the fees because I knew that this is what would tell me how long it would take to see a benefit from the refinance. Mr. XXXX assured me he could offer me a great deal and I would only pay the VA Funding Fee ( {$970.00} ). There were other fees listed on the offer though. {$300.00} for a title - lender premium and {$550.00} for title-settlement fee. I called him back and specifically questioned him about the additional fees. He told me not to worry about these fees as they would be reimbursed by Freedom Mortgage after closing. I asked him how he could be giving me such a good deal and he told me it was because Freedom Mortgage didn't want to lose me as a customer. I told him that what he sent me did not match what he was telling me, but he promised that the fees would be reimbursed and it was crystal clear that the only fee I was on the hook for would be the VA funding fee. I made it clear that I was a little hesitant but I figured he was a licensed agent with a governing body so there must be some sort of ethics/honesty maintained in the business. We signed all the paperwork and closed XX/XX/XXXX. Not surprisingly, I get my first bill in XXXX and I was not reimbursed the {$300.00} or {$550.00} charges. On top of that, I get charged an extra {$75.00} recording fee that was not disclosed anywhere in the agreements. I call Mr. XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and ask him why i was not reimbursed for the fees he promised. He told me I should have been reimbursed for the fees but that he can no longer do anything about it because the mortgage has closed. He told me that I had to call customer care. I call customer care tell them the whole story. They will look into it. I wait 2 weeks and call back the most recent time on XX/XX/XXXX since no one responded. I repeat the whole story and elevate the complaint, but they tell me " there really isn't anything they can do since the loan already closed ''. I ask why XXXX XXXX promised me I would be reimbursed and they responded that " there are always a few bad apples out there ''. Then they told me that I should have called customer care before signing the paperwork and they would have told me that I wouldn't be reimbursed for anything as if I should have known to check with HQ on whether or not what there representative was telling me was accurate. No one at Freedom Mortgage has denied that promises made to me or went back to listen to any of the " recorded '' phone conversations that are recorded to ensure quality which seems to be the exact issue here. They just keep telling me that since the mortgage closed there is nothing they can do. Was I a little naive? Yes. Did Freedom Mortgage intentionally deceive me? I believe so.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation