Consumer complaint received 2018-09-10
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: TX
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan
Sub-issue: Denied request to lower payments

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX I purchased my new XXXX XXXX XXXX and made regular monthly payments on time. 

Due to unexpected financial difficulties, it became necessary for me to request a 60 daypayment extension. 

XX/XX/XXXX I electronically accepted a 60 day extension agreement. The customer service rep said my next payment in the amount of {$160.00} will be due on XX/XX/XXXX.

XX/XX/XXXX I discovered I was supposed to have paid {$240.00} by XX/XX/XXXX so I called Ally. The customer service rep said she was updating my extension agreement and I paid the {$240.00} on line making the next payment due XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$160.00}. 

XX/XX/XXXX I called customer service as I noticed my account did not reflect the payment arrangement. Spoke to XXXX who said the arrangement does not go into effect until I have made the other partial payment of {$160.00} on or before XX/XX/XXXX. She then became somewhat pushy trying to get me to make the payment today, ASAP. I finally told her I could not make it until between XX/XX/XXXX. In any case it will be made before XX/XX/XXXX.

XX/XX/XXXX Paid the {$160.00} that is due on XX/XX/XXXX. It will be posted XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I contacted customer service as I received a threatening letter dated XX/XX/XXXX from Ally stating I had until XX/XX/XXXX to pay the past due amount of {$770.00}!! NOTE : The letter is dated the day after I spoke to customer service on XX/XX/XXXX and was told my extension was being updated!!!

I was told the Ally customer service rep I spoke with on XX/XX/XXXX did not update my current agreement. Instead a new agreement was generated and mailed to me. Because the new signed agreement was not signed and returned everything expired.

It is important to note that not only did I not receive a new extension agreement, the customer service rep NEVER said an agreement was being mailed. Consequently, I did not know to be looking for one. 

I was further told because I contacted Ally and paid the required amount Ally would be mailing me yet another extension agreement for signature. I requested it be handled electronically like the first one but was told that was not possible. They could only fax or mail. This made no sense to me and, when questioned, customer service had no explanation other than they could not email. 

XX/XX/XXXX Today, XX/XX/XXXX, a full week later and I still have not received an extension agreement!!

XX/XX/XXXX I received the extension agreement dated XX/XX/XXXX ( almost a month late ) and it was mailed in an unsealed envelope with a postage meter stamp dated XX/XX/XXXX!! 

Clearly, the information given to me by Ally customer service reps has all been inconsistent and untrue. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX, a supervisor at Ally, called and left me a voice message to call her back. I called her back three different times leaving a voice message each time asking her to leave a detailed voice message for me and not just asking me to return her call. XXXX never called back. 

I continued to send emails to Ally through their web site recanting my communication timeline with them and asking why they are not responding, why will they not honor my 60 day extension agreement, what is Ally trying to pull? Is it their intent all along to repossess my XXXX since I owe very little on it? Ally never responded to my later emails. 

XX/XX/XXXX Again, I called Ally customer service as I had received yet another letter dated XX/XX/XXXX telling me I had until XX/XX/XXXX to pay the past due amount of {$1000.00} or risk repossession. This amount includes the two payments I was to have been given the extension for plus the added penalties. 

I ended up speaking with XXXX XXXX who said she was a supervisor ( ID # XXXX ) and told me she sent an email regarding my complaint to the Escalation Dept. XXXX further said I dont need to worry about repossession as this is still under investigation and no repossession order has been issued. I said an investigation does not take this long. Ally has been given all the dates and if all calls are recorded as they say they just have to pull those dates. 

I told XXXX that considering the lies and runaround Ive been getting from Ally the past 2 months I would like for her to forward me, via email, a copy of the email she sent the Escalation Dept and document what she told me about not needing to worry about repossession because at this point I do not trust anything Ally tells me. I need documentation. XXXX responded that she is not allowed to send emails. 

Clearly Ally does not want any of their communication documented which tells me they are trying to hide something.

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