Consumer complaint received 2016-04-22
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: TX
Product: Consumer Loan
Sub-product: Vehicle loan
Issue: Problems when you are unable to pay

Complaint:
I had 2 payments left on my car loan XX/XX/XXXX. I was trying to close my bank account that my automatic payments had been made from for the last 58 months so it had {$0.00} in it. I called Fifth Third Bank ( 53Bank ) to pay off the remainder of my loan over the phone before my automatic payment was made. The loan officer I spoke to me assured me this was possible, took my new account info, and processed the payment. 

The next day I saw that she had sent the full payment to my closed account so I received an overdraft fee and my own bank 's ( XXXX ) fee. Then, per 53Bank procedure ( which I 'm not sure I ever agreeded to ), my automatic payment went through the same day so I got XXXX more fees ( XXXX from 53Bank and XXXX from my bank ). Again, per 53Bank procedure, they automatically tried my account again for the monthly loan amount and I received XXXX more fees. 

I called 53Bank again and they told me that loan payoffs can only be made by check ( the original rep said nothing about this ). At this point I elevated my claim to a supervisor who yelled at me and when I elevated the claim above her I got a voicemail. I left a message and never received a call back. 

At this point I tweeted at the bank and CFPB. The next day a resolution officer - XXXX - reached out on XXXX and we setup a call. He was able to tell me how to pay off my loan and give me his direct line if I had any questions. 

I mail in a check to the address the claims rep gave me but since I have had automatic payments setup since day 1 of my loan I never knew my account number or had access to my loan " coupons '' that would normally accompany a mailed payment so my check did n't have my account number on it to make it easy for 53Bank 's system and did n't realize this until yesterday. 

I call XXXX each week I do n't see my check cleared and he never picks up. I leave a message which is never returned. 

Now, my original payment is about to be 30 day past due and my check still has n't been cashed. So I call customer service. They go into their system to look at every check received since XX/XX/XXXX but do n't find a check of my amount. So they never received my check they help me get setup on the website, try to make a payment, any payment, and the site throws an error to call customer service who I 'm already talking to. So they transfer me to a supervisor who says they ca n't process it because it 's past due so I 'm transferred to claims. They are n't able to process it because of an unknown reason so they transfer me back to customer service. By now I 've been transferred so many times that the call quality is terrible so the lady I end up talking to thinks the line is dead and hangs up. I call again. Again, CS to Claims, to CS then CS supervisor - XXXX. 2 hours later the supervisor talks to IT who says there 's an unknown technical issue preventing any department from taking my payment. I ask XXXX if there is anyway he can send me documentation to prove that 53Bank 's systems are the reason that my payment still ca n't be processed. XXXX says he 's unable to make outside emails nor am I allowed to make a recording of his comments ( 2-party consent and all that ). I also asked every person I spoke to on the phone if they could see all the calls I 've made in the last month or so and they ca n't. There 's no way for the operators to follow my history with this issue. 

Why is it so hard to pay off a loan? What is hard about taking a check and cashing it?

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief