Consumer complaint received 2019-09-30
Company: CreditNinja Lending, LLC
State: SC
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Payday loan
Issue: Can't contact lender or servicer

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I foolishly took out a loan with CreditNinja. 
This is a payday loan yet CreditNinja did not align my paydays. I requested that they line by payment dates up with my paydays as they were supposed to do when the loan was issued. I was told I had to mak

e one payment and then that action would be done. I made the one payment and then receive
d an email telling me to sign new documents to set my payment dates up to be in accordance with my paydays. I did that. The documents clearly showed that I made the one payment already and my SECOND payment was due XXXX XXXX. As soon as I submitted the documents, CreditNinja began harassing me for a missed payment. 
Upon correcting my due dates, CreditNinja increased my payment amounts. This is predatory lending!!! I have been taken fully advantage of with this bait and switch tactic. On XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a complaint and demanded CN set up new payment terms of {$50.00} per month for 12 months. I demanded my account be marked CURRENT/UP TO DATE/IN COMPLIANCE/IN GOOD STANDING with this arrangement. 
CreditNinja responded to the XXXX XXXX complaint with a letter dated XXXX XXXX. I, however, did NOT receive notification until XXXX XXXX. This letter stated " As a one-time courtesy to you, we have added a note on your account to reflect XXXX dollars ( {$50.00} ) due monthly via check, beginning on XX/XX/XXXX, until your remaining balance is paid. As of XX/XX/XXXX, interest was halted and will not accrue any further. As of XX/XX/XXXX, your remaining balance is {$1500.00}. '' I did not agree with these terms and responded to the CFPB complaint that I would contact the company directly. On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent an email to the company. It read : " I borrowed {$1000.00} and have repaid {$460.00}. I have {$530.00} remaining to repay what I borrowed. I demand CreditNinja agree to new payment terms of {$50.00} per month paid via check for 12 months for a total of {$600.00} bringing my total payments to {$1000.00}. I want my account marked CURRENT/UP TO DATE/IN COMPLIANCE/IN GOOD STANDING. 
I did not receive the response from Credit Ninja until XXXX XXXX as it was not sent to me but via the third party, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As a counter response I agree to : 1. First payment of {$50.00} due XXXX XXXX rather than XXXX XXXX as I was not notified of the acceptance of this payment arrangement in a timely enough fashion to have it begin in XXXX. XXXX. Interest continues to be halted and not accruing which means my interest free balance is actually, {$530.00} to repay the {$1000.00} interest free. 3. Payments will be made by check by the XXXX of each month for XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX ; XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX ( {$39.00} ) XXXX 4. My account is immediately marked CURRENT/UP TO DATE/IN COMPLIANCE/IN GOOD STANDING '' On XXXX XXXX, CreditNinja simply responded " Our letter response was required to be submitted within the same CFPB portal platform. Your XXXX payment will still be accepted after today ( XX/XX/XXXX ). Please continue to submit your payments by the XXXX of each month until your remaining balance is paid, as noted in our letter response. '' None of what I stated in my email was addressed. There is NO rule or regulation stating CreditNinja may only communicate to me via CFPB. This is absolutely false and is yet another demonstration of this company 's horrendous customer service. 
On XXXX XXXX, I sent a response email with the same demands as in my XXXX XXXX email. On XXXX XXXX, I followed up as I had no response. On XXXX XXXX, I followed up as I had no response. On XXXX XXXX, I followed up as I had no response. 
On XXXX XXXX, CreditNinja responded : " Our letter response was required to be submitted within the same CFPB portal platform. We are not sure what response you continue to be looking for at this time but your account is now in collections, the agreement is that the interest has stopped on the loan but you are responsible for {$50.00} a month payments until the loan is paid off. We are unable to change the status of your account. We have a duty to report your actual payment performance and we will furnish that information accurately. '' Again, there is NO such requirement as CreditNinja claims. CreditNinja has a duty to communicate with me not via CFPB. They have failed to do so in a timely fashion. 
On XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, CreditNinja finally responded. They stated as a final courtesy, we are offering to eliminate all interest and fees, and only collect the remaining principal due. Attached here is a payment schedule agreement, with the payment amounts and payment schedule you requested, plus an additional month of buffer time. The amount we lent you ( the amount we deposited in your bank account ) is {$1000.00}, and as of the date of this letter, XX/XX/XXXX, we have received a total of {$370.00} in payments from you. You have made a total of two payments : a {$320.00} payment on XX/XX/XXXX and another {$50.00} payment on XX/XX/XXXX. Therefore, the remaining amount of principalis {$630.00}, excluding all interest and fees. 

Yet again, Credit Ninja provided false information. I had paid {$510.00} NOT {$370.00}!! 

On XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, CreditNinja sent me a new agreement which states Attached here is a payment schedule agreement, with the payment amounts and payment schedule you requested, plus an additional month of buffer time. The amount we lent you ( the amount we deposited in your bank account ) is {$1000.00}, and as of the date of this letter, XX/XX/XXXX, we have received a total of {$510.00} in payments from you. You have made a total of three payments : a {$140.00} payment on XX/XX/XXXX, a {$320.00} payment on XX/XX/XXXX, and a {$50.00} payment on XX/XX/XXXX. Therefore, the remaining amount of principal is {$480.00}, excluding all interest and fees. If you sign and return this attached payment schedule agreement by XX/XX/XXXX, we will accept {$50.00} per month beginning XX/XX/XXXX until the remainder of the principal amount is paid. In other words, if you sign and return the payment schedule agreement, we will agree to reduce your balance from {$1500.00} to only {$480.00}. 

I signed and returned the agreement on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. 

I called into CreditNinja this morning ( XXXX XXXX ) to make my payment which is due. The representative stated he could not take my payment as I am no longer a CreditNinja customer. He stated CreditNinja sold my loan. 

This was NOT part of the agreement. I upheld my end of the agreement yet CreditNinja AGAIN did not. 

I want my account marked CURRENT/UP TO DATE/IN COMPLIANCE/IN GOOD STANDING and PAID IN FULL due to CreditNinjas complete and blatant predatory lending practices.

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