Consumer complaint received 2015-08-28
Company: DriveTime
State: NC
Product: Consumer Loan
Sub-product: Vehicle loan
Issue: Taking out the loan or lease

Complaint:
From my experience with DriveTime, there was absolutely no reward or pleasant service once I stopped the process and questioned why the price was {$2300.00} more than originally agreed upon. As long as you are giving them a huge lump sum of money and do n't read anything you are signing, they are all smiles in your face. But as soon as you notice a mistake has been made and dispute their practices, then you become a nuisance to them. As quick as my money was taken and applied to an account that now ca n't be identified, I watched how tables turned. Customer Relations are supposed to be the highest level, but it 's comical how there is no way to identify me, but they quickly assigned me an account # that was on my receipt when they took my money!!! I have spoke to several representatives, and they all ( with the exception of XXXX ID # XXXX ) have an attitude of offense from the time they answer the phone, which is probably because they can identify who is calling with caller ID. So this could very well explain why I usually get disconnected at least once when calling for a status about my refund. When I finally get through to Customer Relations department, I get someone with a condescending tone reading me a generic script that basically says I can not get any help. If this company is all about set standards and support as they posted on XXXX, then why have I NOT received my refund of my {$1200.00} down payment yet. The manager, XXXX, was quick to print out the 'Vehicle Reservation Agreement ' when I inquired about my refund, and even highlighted the section that stated I should be receiving my refund within 7-10 business days. She handed me this paperwork, and lied to me in my face and tried to get me to believe that the 'Vehicle Reservation Agreement ' was the documentation to show where I had already paid the down payment. I knew she was lying because the dates on the paper did not reflect when I came in and made the payments. It just goes to show that XXXX uses deceptive tactics and proves to me that this is very much a common practice. The only thing that I have received within '7-10 business days ' is a letter telling me that by law they had to report this transaction ( that did n't occur ) to the credit reporting agencies. The address conveniently omitted my Unit #, which is the excuse being used as to why I did n't get my refund check yet. I am highly upset, but at the same time very thankful and relieved that I did not purchase a vehicle with this company. From my research, I have discovered they harass customers, do not report payments in good standing and furnish inaccurate information to credit reporting agencies ; among a long list of other things. DriveTime 's mission statement states " Innovative Credit Solutions '' and " Outstanding Customer Service '', but this is far from the truth and what they really stand for. It is absolutely awful how they advertise and try to appeal to the very consumer who they take advantage of, which are generally people who are trying to re-establish themselves. In my opinion, this company actually has the worse management and similar ( if not the same ) customer service complaints in multiple states. They use unfair tactics all while retaliating against customers who have become distressed due to their wrongdoing. This posting is a warning to others so you will not have to go through what many people have already gone through. Please do your research!!

Company public response: Company chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation