Consumer complaint received 2021-05-18
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: VA
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Title loan
Issue: Problem with the payoff process at the end of the loan

Complaint:
I had an auto loan with Ally that was paid off in XXXX, XXXX XXXX. When preparing to sell the vehicle, I discovered that Ally never released the lien on the title with the Virginia XXXX. I called Ally on XX/XX/XXXX to have them provide a lien release letter to me so I could visit my DMV and obtain a title so I could sell the vehicle. The representative advised me that Ally is unable to email documents, has no brick and mortar locations to pick up documents, and can only be mailed ( 7-10 business days ) or faxed. I advised the representative I am working from home and have no access to a fax machine that day, so please mail the document and I will call back with a fax number once my wife is in her office. 

I called back on XX/XX/XXXX with a fax number and was told they can not fax the document for 24-48 hours. Having a DMV appointment that evening, I requested for the representative to call the department to see if it could be expedited. When the representative refused, I requested to speak with a supervisor. 

When the supervisor came on the line, they did not have any account information of mine to review, and simply reiterated that they could not rush the process. I asked them if they could please call the support office, and the supervisor said they can not because they department does not take phone calls. I requested to speak with someone who can contact the department, and was offered their manager. I was then placed on hold for two hours and 48 minutes without anyone coming back to check in. To date I have yet to receive an explanation as to why this happened. While on the phone, I utilized facebook to send a message to ally explaining the situation. I was told I would receive a call. 

I then hung up and immediately called back, requesting to speak with a supervisor again. I was told that the fax was sent over an hour ago. My wife checked the fax machine and there was no fax. I called back again and advised the rep that the fax was not received. The rep advised me she would call the department to request it be faxed again, which I assume was the same department that could not be contacted in my previous phone calls. The rep returns to the phone to advise that it can be refaxed, but will take another 24 hours so the department can ensure all info is up to date. I am not sure what information would have changed within the hour that would cause them to want to retain the lien on a vehicle that was paid off in XXXX. 

At this point I received a call from the executive office of ALLY. I provided all information on the situation and was advised by the employee that they would research and call me back. I stressed that I had an appointment with the DMV that evening and needed this situation handled by XXXX XXXX EST. I was advised that they could not guarantee it could be completed, but they would definitely call me back. I never received a call back for the remainder of the day. I sent another facebook message to the company that night expressing my displeasure. 

The following day, XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call back from the employee from the executive team that I previously spoke with, and he advised me there still was no update. I asked him why I was not updated prior to XXXX XXXX EST yesterday when he was advised of the pending DMV appointment. The employee became somewhat confrontational, advising me he never told me WHEN he would call me back. I then advised him that while no specific time was provided by him, it is good customer service to call back with any update if they are aware that this is a time sensitive issue. The tone of the representative was that he was doing me a favor for looking into this situation. 

As of writing this letter, I have yet to receive any updates on why there is still a lien on the title to a vehicle thats loan was paid off in XX/XX/XXXX, why I was placed on hold for almost 3 hours, and I have yet to receive a lien release letter. The next available DMV appointment is a month away. This issue has caused me to lose the sale of my vehicle, and to delay the purchase of a new vehicle, and to miss out on the vehicle I was looking to purchase. While I do not have exact number, this situation stands to cost me thousands of dollars due to the missed opportunities to sell and purchase a new vehicle. The customer service received over the phone is some of the worst I have ever experienced. I have informed the company that I will also be moving the {$72000.00} invested with Ally Bank as well due to this experience.

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