Consumer complaint received 2018-07-18
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: MT
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Problem while selling or giving up the vehicle

Complaint:
This is issue started when my mother XXXX XXXX got preapproval from her bank to purchase the vehicle from me, through Citizens One. She was approved on XX/XX/18 and the only document left to process the loan was the pay off letter. The bank does not accept verbal pay off confirmations it has to be in a memo. So since XX/XX/18 my mother had tried calling XXXX to get this. She was not able to get through to anyone. Then on XX/XX/18 my mother attempts calling in the early morning hours, with no luck she informs me and I start attempting at the end of XXXX XXXX start of XXXX XXXX and the automated phone system was not working. It kept denying my fax of 14 day pay off letter and would automatically redirect me to the consumer finance rep but no one ever answered or I could never get through after astronomical waiting time. I then tried the collections line XXXX and spoke to representatives that kept transferring me back XXXX and at one point transferred me over the mortgage/home loan department that said they couldn't do anything as they are strictly mortgages and said they'd find someone to get on the line and then redirected me to the consumer finance at XXXX. This was even after repeated attempts at asking to get a supervisor or manager on the phone to help me get what I needed. 

At about XXXX or XXXX MST I informed both my mother and boyfriend of the struggle and both of them proceeded to call in and hold for the same department or to get someone that could help. It seems no one was listening to my request to get someone higher up with a higher title to get this letter sent. There were instances when I was on the phone and after an hour of waiting it would hang up two consecutive times and the last few times it did that I just gave up. It was after XXXX XXXX my time and my mother 's bank, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, has to have documents sent in by XXXX XXXX EST which is XXXX XXXX MST. Well my boyfriend, XXXX XXXX, was able to get through to someone which is surprising as he's not the account holder and every time I asked for a supervisor I was redirected to the automated line system and I was getting very angry I wasn't trying to get anyone in trouble I just wanted the letter sent. 

XXXX texted me and said an " XXXX '' gave him this number XXXX that was for managers so I called it. Again, another automated system that says, " You have reached the immediate customer response team if you know the extension wish to reach please dial it now, '' then a dial tone is hear for a few rings then it says, '' currently there is no one staffed for this line, '' then hangs up. So I told him and then he calls back and does the same process until he gets to speak to a manager that said they were sorry they had no idea that the number wasn't working and that they'd fix it and if a supervisor did not call me back Tuesday XX/XX/18 to call that XXXX again and someone would help. I just want to add they had all of this noted, some of the reps said I can see the notes and see you've been calling from the notes log so they knew I was after this one thing. 

In total with the amount of time me, my mother XXXX, and boyfriend XXXX XXXX spent was over 7 hours. I was on the phone for 4 o XX/XX/18 I get a call from someone stating they were a supervisor, that they were gon na waive the fee associated to have it faxed, it will take 1-2 business days, and put a " rush '' on it as the bank is only allotted so many days for a loan application and the loan officer is leaving for vacation at end of business close today XX/XX/18. Well it's now XXXX XXXX MST which means it's XXXX XXXX EST and still no letter has come through.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation