Consumer complaint received 2018-05-24
Company: Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc.
State: AL
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Title loan
Issue: Charged fees or interest you didn't expect

Complaint:
I took out a loan on my XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX with Express Check Advance for the total of {$1200.00}. The pay back amount was {$1400.00}. During the course of signing I questioned XXXX XXXX, the manager who drew out the loan, multiple times regarding the payment method for the loan. Before signing, I asked her multiple times if loan amount would decrease with each payment I made and I told her that I was only interested in the loan if there was a set number of monthly payments until it was paid in full. She reassured me multiple times that there would only be monthly payments, that I would not have to pay it all back at once. My mother, who witnessed her telling me this after she had came outside to take photographs of the car, asked the same question I had asked and was told the exact same thing. After telling me what my monthly payment would be, she told me I would have somewhere between 11 and 12 payments After paying four months into the loan, I started questioning why the remaining balance was not decreasing, and spoke with the agent XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX asking her why the balance was not decreasing like the manager XXXX XXXX told me it would be. XXXX informed me that what XXXX told me was incorrect, that the payments I was making would never decrease the total loan amount. She told me in her own words that I would never be through paying for the car unless it was paid all at once. I informed XXXX that this was not what the manager XXXX XXXX had told me and explained to me when I was signing the paperwork for the loan. Following this matter I and my mother called corporate and have spoken multiple times with the regional manager XXXX XXXX regarding the loan. My mother verified everything that XXXX XXXX had told us regarding the loan. XXXX, upon speaking with her, stated to me and my mother that XXXX was no longer with them, that she had been fired for fraudulently having me enter into a contract. The regional manager XXXX XXXX confirmed with my mother that she had to let go of XXXX XXXX because of the contract that my mother and I see that I was scammed with fraud and false pretense of gain for Express Check Advance 's profit. I was mislead and taken advantage of trusting Express Check Advance and the store manager XXXX XXXX to be honest and upfront with me, believing her to be true. XXXX XXXX 's word should have been bond as legal and binding, but instead I was mislead with fiery lies and deceit because it was the first title loan I have ever done. I was deceived by manipulation and false statements into entering a contract with Express Check Advance whom by which I was taken advantage of. I have already paid {$660.00} from the total of {$1400.00} cent. I should only owe {$770.00}, based on the explanation of XXXX XXXX while I was signing the loan, should be the remaining balance owed on the loan. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I went to the XXXX XXXX, XXXX and XXXX dealership in XXXX AL and spoke with the sales agent XXXX because I was considering trading the vehicle in. XXXX called Express Check Advance that same evening, around XXXX, speaking with XXXX asking for a 21 day payoff amount for the vehicle. He was told that the payoff amount would be {$740.00}. XXXX can be reached at ( XXXX ) XXXX. 

Today on XX/XX/XXXX my mother and I called Express Check Advance asking for a payoff amount and XXXX gave her the amount of {$770.00}. After receiving the payoff amount, I went to XXXX. Over the phone, XXXX gave sales agent a 21 day payoff amount of {$1400.00}. I told her over the phone that that was not what she told me the pay off amount was earlier today and she started talking about added interests among other things. She also spoke with myself and sales agent XXXX very rudely. My mother and I have complained about XXXX 's attitude multiple times with XXXX XXXX as well. So to keep from dealing with XXXX 's attitude, we called XXXX XXXX at XXXX telling her about XXXX XXXX nasty attitude and the way she talked to people, and asking for the correct payoff amount from XXXX XXXX directly. My mother and I informed and asked XXXX XXXX if the payoff amount we were told originally, of {$770.00}, was correct and she said yes. After speaking with her, we called XXXX back at Express Check Advance telling her we had spoken with XXXX XXXX. XXXX was very rude again so we hung up and called XXXX XXXX back at XXXX. We told her how nasty XXXX 's attitude was and that we were just calling to get the payoff amount because we kept getting different payoff amounts, which we were mislead into this fraudulent contract from the beginning by Express Check Advance 's manager XXXX XXXX. At XXXX we received a phone call from XXXX XXXX telling us that the payoff amount was {$1000.00} which we informed her was not what she told us at XXXX XXXX today. XXXX XXXX then told us that Express Check Advance 's corporate office made that decision, not her. 


I have recorded conversations from day one in XXXX of speaking with XXXX XXXX up until the XXXX of XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX apologizing over and over for how XXXX XXXX, Express Check Advance 's manager took advantage of me, fraudulently having me enter into the contract, and agreeing with me when I explained to her how XXXX XXXX mislead me, telling me that my payments would be finished between 11 and 12 months. XXXX admitted that XXXX XXXX did not explain the contract to me the correct way and how she, XXXX, had to explain it to me the correct way after I was asking after each payment why my balance had not dropped as I was informed by XXXX XXXX it would.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation