Consumer complaint received 2019-02-13
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: IN
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Billing problem

Complaint:
To Whom It May Concern : I have an auto loan through PNC Bank, and I have an issue with a late payment doe to PNC Bank not setting up my automatic payments in a timely matter, and significantly longer than they stated. 

My PNC Bank auto loan started XX/XX/XXXX. Payments are due the 25th of each month. As soon as I received the appropriate paperwork, I sent out the following information on XX/XX/XXXX : A check for XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX payments - to the PNC Bank Loan center The needed paperwork to set up automatic payments from my bank account - To the processing center address Please note that these two items were sent to TWO different locations, as per the instructions PNC Bank gave my upon setup of my loan. 

The attached DOCUMENT 1 is the form that I filled out to set up automatic payments from my bank account. On the form, it states that it will take approximately 30 days for the system to be set up. DOCUMENT 2 is a copy of the check that I sent on XX/XX/XXXX, paying for XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX payments, as I was allowing for this 30 day set up period. DOCUMENT 3 shows that this check was received and deposited XX/XX/XXXX. I can also provide a copy of my checkbook register. 

Since I sent the check and the automatic payment letters at the same time ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I assumed that as the start date for the approximately 30 days it would take to set up my automatic payments. I assumed that a large bank with a reputation like PNC would have taken care of my automatic payments by my next payment due date ( being XX/XX/XXXX, over 50 days after I sent my paperwork in ) Towards the end of XX/XX/XXXX, I received a phone call from PNC Bank that my auto loan payment was late. Upon learning this, I immediately paid my balance, but I attempted to determine my money was not automatically withdrawn from my bank account. I have funds moving through my account all the time, and I did not notice that my car payment wasn't being withdrawn. I was also working under the assumption that I had be before, in that PNC was a professional bank and they would have been able to process my payment information. 

PNC Bank was not helpful to my situation. They claimed to have launched an investigation concerning my late payment, to which they determined that the payment was indeed late. However, I was not debating that the payment was late, but that it was late because PNC Bank did not process my automatic payment information in a timely matter, and thus didn't withdraw the money that I directed them to take out of my account to pay the balance of my loan. See DOCUMENT 4 for PNC Bank 's response to my dispute. 

After I debated this issue with PNC Bank, I received a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, claiming that my automatic payment information was received and that they would begin withdrawing money from my account XX/XX/XXXX. I received this letter over 100 days after I sent my application, for a start date over 110 days after I expected it to start. See DOCUMENT 5 for this letter. 

At this point, I felt I had exhausted my options, until I found out about the CFPB. I called PNC Bank last Tuesday ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to try and argue my dispute. I spoke with multiple PNC Executives, each sending me to their superior. Most recently, I dealt with the PNC Executive Client Relations Dept, where I was not helped, but found more disturbing news. First, the PNC representative said that they were unable to prove that I sent in my automatic withdrawl form in XX/XX/XXXX, despite that all my paperwork ( that PNC Bank is in possession of ) is signed and dated in XX/XX/XXXX. Also, since I sent that form in the mail, the mailing data on the envelope would have been dated XX/XX/XXXX. 

Secondly, the PNC Representative claims that I faxed the form in, and that is how they received it. I did not send the form twice, and I did not fax it. I have detailed my method of sending my automatic payment information, and I DID NOT fax it. I am extremely concerned by this, as I am not sure who had control of my information during the 100 days my form wasn't processed. 

PNC Bank did not process my automatic withdrawl payment paperwork for my auto loan in a timely matter, causing my to have a late payment and negatively impact my credit score for something that was not my fault. In addition, I am concerned that PNC Bank did not have control of my personal information during this entire process, opening me up to potential identity theft. At this point, I would like this negative mark removed from my credit, as PNC Bank did not process my paperwork in the amount of time specified in their paperwork. 

Thank you

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation