Consumer complaint received 2017-12-31
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: MI
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I purchased my first solo home XXXX. My mortgage was sold to XXXX who failed to pay my winter taxes then inferred I 'd have to pay the penalty fees. Since they could n't service my mortgage, I requested they sell it to someone that could. They obliged and sold it to XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I had auto-deducted biweekly payments with XXXX. Before XXXX even got my mortgage info, they told me they could do the biweekly payments as a courtesy because I had that service through XXXX. After multiple calls to various customer service reps and supervisors, XXXX still has inconsistencies in whether or not they do the biweekly payments, it depends on to whom you speak. XXXX has published brochures they send that clearly state on page 5, The terms of the loan do not change. Only who the payment is made to and where it 's sent changes ... .the terms of your loan do not change ... Only your account number and who you make the payment to changes after the transfer date. Clearly this is incorrect when they later informed me I can make biweekly payments but would incur a {$1.00} fee per biweekly payment and I would have to call them to inform them how or where I want the partial payments applied. I have a mortgage with them - how about they apply them to the mortgage! I did not have a fee with XXXX nor did I have to tell XXXX how to apply my payments to my mortgage. Furthermore, I receive monthly statements that clearly indicate they are not bills, that my mortgage payment will be auto-deducted from my financial institution. This is completely false. A XXXX rep and supervisor both confirm I am not enrolled in auto-deduction despite a letter signed by XXXX Senior Vice President, XXXX XXXX XXXX, stating I am. Had I not caught this, this could have had potentially negative consequences to my credit, I could have been assessed late fees, etc. XXXX 's misinformation, disorganization, and per their own admission in correspondence to me that they are " unclear on how to apply these funds '' has left me hugely mistrustful of them. I, a mortgage layperson, should not have to babysit XXXX and tell them how to apply my payments to my mortgage. I also should trust that correspondence they send me is accurate and if it 's not, I expect prompt correspondence of the error. This has not occurred as evidenced by the multiple statements that still indicate XXXX auto deducts payment when my credit union account indicates I manually send them payments. I allegedly filed 2 complaints regarding these issues w/ 2 different XXXX supervisors. I say allegedly because XXXX supervisor XXXX told me XXXX has no formal complaint process and complaints are handled internally, that they do not notify the customer. So I have no proof other than my documentation and a possible call recording on XXXX 's end and certified mail/return receipt that I have filed these complaints. But now I have this and also one with the FTC. I have lost time, wages, and incurred immense frustration in trying to resolve these issues. I have requested to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX that XXXX sell my mortgage to a servicer who can accommodate the auto-deducted biweekly payments without a fee and without me having to babysit them to apply the partial payments to my mortgage. I 've also suggested they update their literature and correspondence to accurately reflect the hidden fees and work a customer will have to incur, instill a formal complaint process so the customer can get written proof a complaint has been lodged, and also implement some training for all XXXX phone reps and their supervisors and the supervisors ' supervisors. Please see my attachments for more details and substantiated proof of my complaints. Thank you for your time.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation