Consumer complaint received 2020-11-18
Company: NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
State: VA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
1. I applied to Navy Federal Credit Union XXXX NFCU XXXX for a refinance loan for my home. In working with Ms. XXXX XXXX, an agent and/or employee of Navy Federal, I wanted to be as transparent as possible, I declined an appraisal waiver that was offered and sought an appraisal of the value of my home ( hereafter appraisal ). 

2. In a phone conversation, Mr. XXXX verbally communicated that the cost ( fee ) for the appraisal would be {$490.00}. ( offer of verbal contract ) 3. NFCUs Ms. XXXX stated that I could not hire my own appraiser for this service, as NFCU policy was to hire an appraiser for the processing of the loan. 

4. I agreed that the {$490.00} for the appraisal could be applied to my Navy Federal Credit Card. ( acceptance/agreement to verbal contract ) 5. As Ms. XXXX and I agreed to the appraisal and the cost and the method of payment, she applied the charge to my credit card. 

6. I paid the fee for the appraisal in advance of the service being performed. 

7. The transaction date of the charge to my credit card is indicated as XXXX 2020. The date that the charge posted was XXXX 2020. The price of {$490.00}, as agreed, was charged. 

8. Subsequently the appraiser contacted me to arrange a date to view and appraise the property. She stated her name as Mrs. XXXX XXXX. We agreed that XXXX 2020 would be acceptable to both of us to conduct the appraisal of my home. 

9. According to the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation ( DPOR ), Mrs. XXXX holds an active license for Real Estate Appraisal. She is a Certified Residential RE Appraiser a. Name : XXXX XXXX XXXX, bXXXX Virginia License Number XXXX c. License Description Real Estate Appraiser dXXXX License Status Active e. Rank Certified Residential RE Appraiser f. Address XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX g. Initial Certification Date XXXX14 h. Rank Effective Date XXXX i. Expiration Date XXXX XXXX. According to theXX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX SCC ), XXXX XXXX XXXX is the registered agent of, LLC XXXX entity ID XXXX ). 

11. The registered office of Mrs. XXXX Capital City Appraisals is 6.3 miles driving distance ( using a map software ) from my house. 

12. The principal office address of Mrs. XXXX  Capital City Appraisals is 17 miles driving distance ( using a map software ) from my house. 

13. The appraiser, Mrs. XXXX, arrived to the property on the agreed date and time. She arrived with a male partner, whose full name I did not record. The man stated that his name was XXXX and he was a contractor. There is a XXXX XXXX, who holds a valid contractors license with DPOR and at a common address with Mrs. XXXX. 

14. I escorted the Mrs. XXXX through the interior of the house. Her partner, XXXX, collected measurements and information of the exterior of the house. They collected the information that Mrs. XXXX deemed necessary and required to fulfill the task. 

15. Mrs. XXXX did not indicate that she did not intend to complete her task. Mrs. XXXX. They departed with all questions answered. 

16. Ms. XXXX contacted me to explain that the appraiser had declined to complete the appraisal. 

17. During this conversation with Ms. XXXX, she told me that Navy Federal would credit {$390.00} of the {$490.00} cost for the appraisal in good faith. The difference was explained to be a trip charge. 

18. I was uncertain of what a trip charge consisted and why it was being assessed. 

19. We agreed to deposit the funds into my account at Navy Federal. 

20. {$390.00}, of which Ms. XXXX spoke, was deposited XXXX 2020 into my account at Navy Federal. 

21. I did not receive the service for which I paid, which was an appraisal for {$490.00}. Even with the good faith deposit, I was left with a trip charge for {$100.00}, for which I did not ever agree to pay. 


22. The appraiser willingly declined to complete the task, for which Navy Federal had collected payment from me. 

23. I reconfirmed the location of the appraisers locations from the Virginia DPOR and SCC. If traveling from the closest location, Mrs. XXXX is 6 miles or approximately 12 minutes away from my home. 

24. After reviewing the transaction, deposit, and appraisers location information, I do not agree with the cost of the trip charge. Therefore, I dispute the trip charge. 
a. I did not agree to pay Navy Federal for a trip charge when I agreed to pay for the appraisal. 
b. I did not agree to a trip charge when I paid my funds. 
c. I agreed to pay {$490.00} for an appraisal, which the appraiser declined to perform after traveling to the property. 
d. The desire to decline to produce an appraisal is not an action or fault that I caused.

e. This was a willing action that the appraiser chose to decline to perform the task for which I had paid.

25. The only agreement that I have with Navy Federal was a verbal contract, an agreement to pay {$490.00} for an appraisal to be performed of my home and to obtain a copy of that appraisal. I paid the fee. The appraisal was not generated. Navy Federal credited {$390.00} back to me and deposited this into my account. I dispute the trip charge of {$100.00} as there is no basis for the charge.

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