Consumer complaint received 2022-05-05
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: TX
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan
Sub-issue: Lender trying to repossess or disable the vehicle

Complaint:
I purchased the XXXX XXXX XXXX used in XX/XX/XXXX. When COVID19 hit in XXXX, I had already paid around {$45000.00} towards the {$62000.00} purchase priceleaving a balance of around {$22000.00}. My husband lost his first job in XX/XX/XXXX, went back to work for another company, and was laid off again in XX/XX/XXXX. We were also hit with a massive loss during the Texas XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. I managed to stay current on the vehicle payments until around XX/XX/XXXX. My husband 's unemployment had run out, and we had no income for 3 months from XXXX XXXX XXXX, at which time I had fallen behind on the XXXX payments. I called BBVA and asked about my options around XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX and was given the opportunity to extend the loan through deferment after making ONE Payment ; this qualified me for a 90-day deferment with an option to extend if the hardship still existed. The deferment was granted in XX/XX/XXXX when I could make the ONE payment that was required, which I made during XX/XX/XXXX. During the same month, PNC Bank purchased BBVA, and the process of taking over the loans began without any correspondence with me and the current status of my XXXX XXXX XXXX loan. I was scheduled to resume my payments in XX/XX/XXXX per the agreement made with BBVA. I did receive correspondence eventually, but this was a generalized letter to all BBVA account holders that stated they would honor the agreements made with BBVA before the takeover by PNC. When I made my XX/XX/XXXX payment, I tried to make an extra payment because I was told if I could make payments during the deferment time, I should do so because the prices at the end of the loan could be too much to be able to pay because of the interest that would accumulate. Because PNC took away the ability to make a payment with a debit card, which was the form of payment I always used with BBVA, I couldn't make sure the money would be removed instantly from my account and not delay the process ; PNC no longer provided this option. I was forced to set up an ACH payment, taking 5-7 days to process. During this time, XXXX unexpectedly debited my account a day prior and left my account with a shortage, and the TWO Payments for the XXXX were returned. When I found this out, I immediately took measures to make the ONE payment not to break the agreement. This payment went through on XX/XX/XXXX which I made early because my payment due date is the XXXX of each month. The following month on or about XX/XX/XXXX, I tried to log into my online account to make XX/XX/XXXX payment and was unsuccessful. I called to have my password reset and was then informed by a representative that my account for the XXXX XXXX XXXX had been charged off on XX/XX/XXXX. I was told to call back because the department I needed to speak with was not open on weekends. I called the following Monday and was told that it was not a big deal ; I could keep the XXXX as long as I made a payment on or before the XXXX day of the month and that as soon as I made my first payment, the 30 day requirement of payments would be in effect. She also encouraged and pressured me to set up ACH payments by using fear tactics that my XXXX was in jeopardy of being reviewed for repossession. I went ahead and scheduled to auto-draft the payment at that time for XX/XX/XXXX. After going over my bills the following day, I decided to call back and push to XX/XX/XXXX to auto-draft and schedule 6 months of payments. Once again, XX/XX/XXXX, came and went, and the withdrawal for XXXX did not try to process until XX/XX/XXXX. I was short on the withdrawal YET again due to other creditors hitting the account with charges I wasn't expecting. As soon as I realized this, I went directly to the local PNC Branch and hand-delivered the payment. IT was immediately deducted from my account, and I decided that all future payments would be hand-delivered. On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I received a text to contact PNC regarding my XXXX loan, and on the same day, I received an email from CFPB about the unlawful repossessions of vehicles by services of auto loans. I then contacted PNC and was told I was given the wrong information when they stated that once I made the first payment, then I would be required to make all future payments within the 30 days so I wouldn't face a repossession review and that my XXXX had indeed been reviewed for repossession and a decision to CURE and ACCELERATE had been mailed. Also, the reason for this was that I failed to make a XXXX payment. He excluded the fact that I tried to make a XXXX payment but had been denied access to do so because my account was charged off in XXXX. I didn't receive this letter until XX/XX/XXXX, and they received my XXXX payment before the letter was sent out. They accepted my XX/XX/XXXX payment, charged off my account, locked me out of my online access during XXXX, and wouldn't allow me to make the payment when I tried to ; they gave me wrong information about how to keep from being reviewed for repossession. After receiving another payment in XX/XX/XXXX, they sent a letter of intent to accelerate the loan by XX/XX/XXXX. I am STILL not past the 30-day mark of them not receiving a payment yet. I have to come up with {$4900.00} by XX/XX/XXXX, or they are coming to take my XXXX, which I have paid over {$45000.00} for to date. Not only this, I received a letter from my GAP Insurance carrier informing me that PNC contacted them and canceled my policy which I have paid, for now over five years. This jeopardizes me in the case of something happening to the XXXX, and I don't receive enough money from insurance to cover the amount that I owe ; PNC can sue me for the remainder of the balance left. How do they have the right to cancel a policy that I purchased, which leaves me vulnerable when they are continually giving me false information that put me in this predicament? I have escalated a complaint with my account through PNC to investigate. I would like to have all recordings and conversations reviewed and the BBVA documents regarding the deferment I was granted before the takeover by PNC Bank. They know what an ACH forces on a consumer, which is why they removed the option of a debit card payment. They force consumers into default who are already having financial stress. That is unfair trade practice, and they know it. Also, the online account portal is difficult to maneuver and without an increased level of skill, you would need assistance to get anything accomplished such as making a payment or requesting additional information on the account. Very hard to recover access if you forget the password. It is almost impossible without a representative and they are the only ones to unlock the account. So then you have to wait on hold to even accomplish the unlocking of your account password. Then they use the safety of the account as a reason for the level of difficulty. It is WRONG!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation