Consumer complaint received 2017-02-08
Company: World Acceptance Corporation
State: AL
Product: Payday loan
Issue: Charged fees or interest I didn't expect

Complaint:
I took out a {$400.00} loan from XXXX to get some more credit established. They gave me a check. I had the check deposited into my savings account. My payments were {$80.00} a month for 6 months or so. This was in XXXX of XXXX. I made my payments perfectly. I went in to make a payment one day and I asked what my balance was and they told me it was {$160.00}. I decided to pay off the loan all together. Meaning the loan was paid in full. Between 6-9 months later they sent me a payment statement saying that I owed a payment. Knowing I had paid it off I disregarded it. A month or so later I received another payment statement saying that I again needed to make a payment. The following day I went by World Finance Corporation located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX AL XXXX to find out why I was receiving these payment requests. They told me they were sorry and that I would n't be getting anymore and once again clarified to me that my loan balance was indeed XXXX. I did n't get anymore payment requests in the Mail. I got my paycheck about 4 days ago on Friday the XXXX of XXXX XXXX direct deposited into my bank account as usual. I pay a few bills as Is the norm. I check my balance yesterday and I 'm wondering why it 's so low. Thinking there 's no way I spent that much. I call my bank and World Finance Corporation has garnished my money. They took {$260.00} out of my bank account, and my account will be frozen until I pay the " remaining '' {$380.00} that I " owe ''. I was furious. How on earth could this be happening. I had been told twice my loan balance was XXXX. As in I did n't owe them anything. They only take cash payments. The receipts I was given were gone as this was to my knowledge paid for over a year ago. I regretfully did n't keep the receipts. I went by XXXX and they say it 's been sent to corporate call corporate, as if they have nothing to do with it. I spent an hour talking to someone at corporate saying that I had paid my loan off but I did n't pay the Fees. Fees? I was told twice my balance was XXXX. Why would they not include fees with my balance owed? Why was n't I told yes your balance is XXXX but you do have fees remaining? I could 've taken care of the fees the same day. I pay all my bills electronically since I had paid off my loan in Cash with World Finance Corporation. I have no need to make sure I check my mail. I get home yesterday and check the mail as I live in an apartment and I have a court summons saying I 'm being taken to court by XXXX. Dated XXXX XXXX XXXX. It 's 19 days old. I did n't even have a chance to fight it. Even if I had I would 've had to get a lawyer or something because the receipts are gone and because I was n't expecting anything like this I dont check my mail box but maybe once a month. I 'm having to pay over {$1000.00} for a {$400.00} loan that I was told was paid for and that my balance was {$0.00}. They failed to mention the fees. I can only assume this is the case for all there customers. Management must instruct them to never mention fees because they want this to happen. I 'm having to scrape up money to pay the remaining balance so that I can get my account unfrozen. This is absolutely insane. How is this not illegal? Wrong was done here. Something has got to be done. My Fianc and I have a XXXX son who 's in daycare at {$90.00} a week. This is brutal to our budget. It 's placing enormous undue stress and anxiety on us both unnecessarily. I 'm embarrassed that I had to tell my boss to give me a paper check because my account was frozen. I feel I 've been preyed upon through legal loopholes engineered for legal Theft. I can not stand a theif. I was stolen from. XXXX stole money from me after I was told twice in person that my balance was {$0.00}. Never again. I 'll write 50 reviews. I 'm going to expose this as much as I can.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation