Consumer complaint received 2018-08-11
Company: General Motors Financial Company, Inc.
State: KY
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Lease
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan
Sub-issue: Lender trying to repossess or disable the vehicle

Complaint:
My husband and I leased ( 2 ) vehicles from XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX. My vehicle was a XXXX XXXX, and at the last minute, he decided he needed a XXXX XXXX. We weren't offered the option to purchase the vehicles, even though we were told we were qualified to purchase or lease. We were rushed through the process and at some point in the paperwork detail after signing, they changed my personal information to someone with the same name, living in the same city but everything else was correct. I complained about that because they kept calling my husband about offers and such for everything related to MY car we only received phone calls and were told that information had been mailed. The issue seemed to be resolved as they sent a letter addressed to me at my address shortly after, regarding the XXXX. 

Still, all calls came to my husband for service appointments, questions about the car and what we wanted to do when the lease was up. My husband was very XXXX with the bank account and paid all the bills. He was also very XXXX  with everything else. The police had been called to my home 3 times in a week because he became XXXX XXXX  with my XXXX. He had been reported to XXXX on at least two different occasions by more than one person. After putting a little money aside for several months, I was finally able to pack up my children and leave my husband on XX/XX/XXXX. 

In preparation for this move, I downloaded the GM Financial App on my phone changed the password for my vehicle, changed the payment method ( as it was all his information ) and I made a {$500.00} payment on XX/XX/XXXX. That was the amount that the GM Financial app said was due when I made the payment. I paid my rent and ( partial and XXXX month ) XX/XX/XXXX and planned to pay XXXX with my check on XX/XX/XXXX, which was when payment was due. In the background, my husband opened up a new bank account and when the cell phone bill went through ( auto pay ), it had been sent back as NSF and the 3 phones ( mine and both of our children 's ) were disconnected. I figured that I would just take care of the car payment on Monday XX/XX/XXXX when I went to work. It would just be 3 days late, and I wasn't really sweating that too much. 
I spent Saturday on the home phone fighting to get the cell phone turned back on. Sunday, I went grocery shopping and to the XXXX, went home and got ready for work the next day. On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I walked out the door at XXXX XXXX  to go to work and my car was gone. I looked around and there wasn't any broken glass, no sign of theft ... I went back in the apartment and called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, my now estranged husband. I was so panicked that I couldn't think straight. That's when he told me that they had been calling him about a payment and he told them to " just come get the XXXX XXXX   '' he said he was on his way to my apartment. I began calling GM Financial. I was transferred to the vehicle recovery ( or whatever it's called ) line. My calls started at XXXX ET. They wouldn't be open for 2 more hours. The gentleman that transferred me told me that I had to leave a message and they would call me back as soon as they were able. I left my name and MY phone number. I called my new boss ( because I had just been promoted ) to tell her that I had a problem with my car and I wouldn't be able to make it in. I had {$1200.00} to my name and I was praying that was enough to get my car back. 

Two hours passed and there wasn't a phone call. I called back, left my number again. My husband showed up at my apartment and left, telling me to call him when I found out what I needed to do to get the car back. I called back several times with no return call. Later that afternoon, I called and finally got a hold of an agent named XXXX XXXX XXXX. She wasn't in the financial recovery department ... she just answered the regular number ... but she was willing to help me. She advised that to get my car back, it would cost {$3000.00}. She gave me the steps necessary to obtain my car and I questioned the amount. She said that the only payment made between XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ( the one I made ) was a partial payment at the beginning of XXXX. I talked with her for a long while and told her about the situation and I asked for a breakdown of payments since the beginning of the lease and she said she would have to mail it. I never received it. She also advised that the XXXX was current on payments. 

Later, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX came to get me with promises of getting my car back but we would have to stay with him and " share '' the XXXX until we could figure it out. Sharing meant him taking me where I needed to go when it was okay or convenient. 

Back in the house I hated and had to escape from, held XXXX with no means of transportation to get back and forth to work. Later he told me that all the messages that I left for GM Financial to call MY number, they had called HIS number. Of course, he never answered and as always, let the calls just go to voice mail. I have since learned that there have been several voice mails left for him. 

After two days, I had a day off from work and after listening to how we wouldn't get my car back anytime soon ( with fees and payments piling up ) we would never be able to get it back and if I was XXXX enough to believe he would come up with all this money eventually, one or all of us would have been hurt, or worse, XXXX. 

I took my XXXX and went to a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX lot and got a car, just so we could get out and go back to safety. 

A letter was sent from GM Financial to my estranged husband on XX/XX/XXXX, two days after my conversation with agent XXXX XXXX XXXX  and it said that we had ten days to come up with {$21000.00} ( the  value of the car ) or it would be sold at auction. I also had 10 days to claim my personal belongings that were in the car or they would be discarded. I received that letter on XX/XX/XXXX, two days too late even though I had spoken with XXXX XXXX XXXX on the XXXX and advised that I planned to get the car back. I immediately called again and was sent to that good old voicemail. Once again, I left a message with MY number. I never got a return call, he did. 

One last ditch attempt I got through to GM Financial and was transferred to an agent in the Spanish speaking department. She couldn't help me but was able to verify that my number was listed on the account. 

Just yesterday I received a call ( left a voicemail ) from XXXX XXXX XXXX 's manager asking me to call and let them help me get in the vehicle of my choice? They have my phone number?? They want to talk to ME??? 

We are not living in the XXXX 's where a wife has to get " permission '' to own a car and the man is the decision maker and the only one with a voice. A female can walk onto a car lot and purchase a vehicle, can have a bank account and make her own money. Someone obviously forgot to tell GM Financial. 

After that long story, here is my list of complaints : 1 ) There was NEVER ANY communication with ME that MY car payments were behind at all, when two parties enter into an agreement, both parties should be contacted. Not one phone call, not one letter, not one email, not one anything. 

2 ) When told to " just come get the XXXX XXXX XXXX  there was never a call made to the co-borrower ( whom is driving said vehicle ) to ensure both parties agreed to that. 

3 ) I have left at least seven messages, all with MY phone number and I have YET to receive a phone call. HE has received every call back. WHY? 

4 ) I have a list of conformation numbers where payments were made but I have nothing to research and verify because I can't get them to mail me anything. 

5 ) My credit is damaged because a repossession has been reported to all 3 credit reporting companies. 

6 ) My car had XXXX miles when I pulled off the lot. It only had XXXX when it was repossessed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation