Consumer complaint received 2018-10-31
Company: AMERICAN HONDA FINANCE CORP
State: NE
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Lease
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Unable to receive car title or other problem after the loan is paid off

Complaint:
Due to my own error, my vehicle was repossessed by Honda Financial Services ( HFS ) on Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX. On Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX I asked for and received a Lease Payoff Inquiry letter from the company. This was required by my bank to secure a loan to payoff HFS and retrieve my vehicle. There was a specific address on the letter to overnight a Certified Check. A representative at HFS told me to send the check to a different address but they could not give me this address in writing. My bank refused to send to an address on a sticky note and would only send to the address on the official letter. The check was overnighted via XXXX  XXXX on Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX with a tracking number provided to HFS that day. When I called on Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX to check on the status of my overnighted check, I was told that because it was sent to the incorrect address, the check could not be found, and this was not HFS ' fault, it was my banks fault. I made several calls to HFS that day and provided them with proof that the check was delivered to HFS and a copy of the check was faxed by my bank to an agent at HFS. I was finally told that a supervisor would return a call to me within 24-48 hours. After many probing questions, was told that the call would be returned within 24-48 business hours. As of Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST I have not received a return call from a supervisor. On Friday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST, I received a call from an agent at HFS who told me my check had been found but because my bank made an error by sending it to the address on the official letter and not on my handwritten sticky note, the check could not be processed until Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX at the earliest and was told to not call back until after XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. During this entire process I made several calls to the creditor service who was in possession of my vehicle asking questions and asking that my vehicle not be shipped for auction. They told me to have HFS contact them with frequent updates, so this didn't happen. I asked many of the agents at HFS to please contact the creditor and let them know that I had sent funds to pay off the loan and repeatedly asked what the storage fees would be. I also asked that the storage fees be waived from Thursday XX/XX/XXXX when I can show proof that Fed Ex delivered my check and it was received by HFS. HFS agents told me it was up to the creditor to determine the storage fees. I called the creditor and had told me it was up to HFS to determine those fees. As of today, Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX, I do not have an answer from anyone. I called HFS on Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST as instructed and was told that my funds were received, and the vehicle would be released to me. I was directed by XXXX to call the creditor and get my vehicle, still no answer to my question about storage fees or waiving fees from XX/XX/XXXX forward. I put in a second request on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST for a supervisor to contact me and was told I would receive a call within 24-28 hours. I called the creditor on Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST and was told that my vehicle had been shipped away for auction, HFS had not contacted them until 10 minutes prior to me calling them, and I needed to call HFS to get my vehicle returned. I called HFS at XXXX EST on XX/XX/XXXX and explained the situation. I was told they had no idea what happened, it wasn't HFS ' fault, and they would call me back within 45 minutes. I called HFS back at XXXX EST when I had not received a call back within 45 minutes and was told it was the creditors fault that this happened, but they would get my vehicle delivered back to my location. When asked for a timeframe ( a day, a week, a month ) I was told they didn't know and there was nothing more they could do for me. I requested a call back and it was agreed that HFS would call me back with an update. When pressed for a callback timeframe ( a day, a week, a month ), I was told they didn't know and I should just wait. I pressed for a more exact time that I would receive a call back and was told " 15 minutes '', and as of XXXX EST on XX/XX/XXXX, had not received a return call. I called HFS on Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST and spent XXXX minutes on hold before being transferred to a voice mail with no description of whom I was leaving a voicemail for. I called back to XXXX and was transferred to the correct department. I was told they were monitoring the situation. There was still no timeframe, no offer of assistance, and no resolution to my request for waiver of storage fees or even an estimate of what the storage fees are XXXX {$1.00}, {$100.00}, {$1000.00} XXXX. After pressing the issue, I was promised a return call today, XX/XX/XXXX, updating me on the progress of returning my vehicle but was told not to call back, someone at HFS will contact me. Through this entire process, I have been repeatedly told not to call back ( they will contact me ), it's not the fault of HFS that any of these events have occurred, and they have no solutions for me. HFS has my money, {$17000.00}, and my vehicle.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation