Consumer complaint received 2019-03-27
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: CA
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Lease
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Termination fees or other problem when ending the lease early

Complaint:
I have paid all my lease payments in full. On XX/XX/2019, I received a letter from Ally Financial concerning return of the vehicle. It expressly stated it could be returned to " another local franchised dealer '' or I could call Ally to " make alternative arrangements. '' I initially called the dealership from whom I leased the car and was told they had no " room '' to take my car back and I had was required to find a dealership that would accept the vehicle. I called the national offices of XXXX and they called the dealerships to inquire who could accept the vehicle. In the meantime, I called Ally in an attempt to schedule a third party inspector to look at my vehicle, an option offered by Ally in their " Vehicle Return Kit '' online. Ally stated the inspector would contact me in 48 hours. My husband had to call Ally back multiple times because the inspector did not call. Ultimately, I was able to return the vehicle to XXXX XXXX XXXX onXX/XX/2019. The third party inspector finally contacted us nearly a month later. So, we did not have the inspection by the third party inspector. When we returned the car to the XXXX XXXX dealership, a form was filled out that reflected we returned both remote key fobs, the owner 's manual, spare tire and all floor mats. A copy was provided to us. The only damage documented was " scuffs '' on the right rear and right front wheels. I received a letter from Ally on XX/XX/2019acknowledging the vehicle was returned to XXXX XXXX XXXX, and Ally intended to sell the vehicle. Ally requested a signed verification of the odometer reading which I provided. No other issues were mentioned in the letter. Then, on XX/XX/2019, I received another letter from Ally. This letter falsely claimed I terminated the lease " early '' contrary to the last invoice I received from Ally stating " your lease is scheduled to end on XX/XX/19. '' The letter also sought to charge me {$1400.00} for alleged missing key fob, tire inflator and purported damage, contrary to the intake form filled out by the dealership. The form reflected " scuffs '' not " gouges. '' The form allowed for designation of " gouges '' if applicable. When I called Ally onXX/XX/2019, I initially spoke with " XXXX '' and was told he would submit a dispute of the charges based on the dealership form. He also stated that if the vehicle is sold for less than the residual value, no further charge would be imposed ; but if the vehicle was sold for more than the residual value, the excess would be applied to any charges based on an " early termination '' of the vehicle. That same day I got a follow up call regarding the " dispute. '' The woman I spoke with basically told me the dealership form was meaningless. Ally conducts its " own '' inspection notwithstanding the XX/XX/2019 letter from Ally said I could return the vehicle to a dealership. She claimed the dealership only provided Ally with one remote contrary to the completed form. She stated I would have to get the person I returned the vehicle to to " confirm '' receipt of both key fobs. The balance of the charges contrary to the form, however, would remain regardless. Ally has placed the burden on me to prove their charges are unjustified, but will not accept the dealership form as proof. The XX/XX/2019 letter threatens a " negative credit report '' if I " fail to fulfill the terms of [ my ]  credit obligation. '' This is extortion since there is no way to dispute the charges because Ally disregards the inspection conducted by the dealership to whom I returned the vehicle at their instructions. The Ally dispute reference number is XXXX. When I stated to the woman that Ally would just have to sue me for the fictitious charges, she hung up.

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