Consumer complaint received 2017-10-16
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: PA
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Billing problem

Complaint:
Purchased a XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX of XX/XX/XXXX. My first payment to Ally Financial was {$300.00}. I subsequently made a lump sum payment of {$5000.00} in XX/XX/XXXX which they labeled a payment reversal which I intended to be a " principal payment '' on the loan. They applied this amount to the unpaid balance instead of the principal. My next monthly payment went up to {$310.00} after that for some reason. I never really noticed it until later on in the year that this was happening. Then, starting in XX/XX/XXXXmy payment amount suddenly went down to around {$280.00} a month but the actual amount taken from my checking account was {$350.00}. Again, i never noticed this and did n't ask any questions until i logged in to see what the interest rate was and to possibly refinance this loan with another institution. I started receiving statements that my next payment was {$270.00} and it was n't due untilXX/XX/XXXX. I had been paying {$350.00} for 3 years and had never been billed the {$270.00} as my statement read. Called them and they stated that I was paid up till next XXXX because I was overcharged every payment and, in reality was paying ahead. I never authorized this. I should 've been paying {$270.00} all along. i think my payments actually went up when I made the lump sum payment back when I first bought the car. With me being paid up untilXX/XX/XXXX I figured I would n't need to worry about the loan again until the next payment was due on the date I just indicated. I called to get the payyoff quote and I asked to make sure that I was n't paying finances charges every month until my next scheduled payment in XXXX XXXX. The lady stated that I WOULD be charged finance charges every month up until my next payment and she even quoted me the amount. How outrageous is this. I 'm being charged finance charges again on the amounts i paid up until XXXX XXXX again? I got fed up with them and requested the payoff and that I was going to have another financial institution pay off the loan but I needed ( according the other Financial Institution ) that I needed a document, with Ally 's Letterhead quoting the payoff amount ) She gave me the payoff amount and I gave a fax number where it could be sent. It 's been over a week and have n't received the letter and ( after what I 've been reading in the BBB complaints ) do n't expect to see this payoff document. I 've read some nightmare complaints with the BBB over these people and I can relate to their situation ( s ). I really do n't know whether to wait until my next payment date (XX/XX/XXXX ) and take my chances with the fraudulent finance charges or just pay the loan off today. I would have to come up with the money myself since the Finance Co. I checked into would not approve a loan without the official document from Ally. Note : I have been making monthly payments of {$350.00} since the inception of the loan and my statement clearly shows the monthly amount to be {$280.00}. Hopefully all of this makes some sense. I 'm at odds and have no where to turn. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this complaint.

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