Consumer complaint received 2019-10-15
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: CA
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Title loan
Issue: Problem with the payoff process at the end of the loan

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I was XXXX and needed my first car for work. I found a solid used vehicle on XXXX and because we are in rural XXXX California, went to a dealership in Oregon to purchase the vehicle. My mother co-signed on the loan as I did not have credit at the time. 

Time passed, and I have no complaints about 5/3 Bank during the time the loan was open. I made every single 72 month loan payment on time. I relocated in XX/XX/XXXX back to the original address on the loan. Before making the final payment in XX/XX/XXXX, I called 5/3 Bank and confirmed the mailing address ( my  new address ) and confirmed the payoff amount. I asked if there is anything at all that we need to do to complete the end-of-loan process. I was told there was nothing further to do but wait for the title in the mail. 

XX/XX/XXXX - No sign of the vehicle title. I had my mail forwarded from my prior address and I did not have any missing mail to my knowledge. 5/3 states the title was mailed but provides a " release of lien '' to take to the DMV. I take the release of lien document to the DMV in California and I am told the vehicle was never issued a title in California and I will need to obtain a title from the lender. I contact the lender again and request a title as the first title was never received. 

XX/XX/XXXX - The title does not arrive. Instead, we receive a second " release of lien '' document. I call 5/3 Bank again and explain the issue with this document at the Cailfornia DMV. They state we have to go to Oregon DMV. My mom drives to Oregon and goes to the Oregon DMV. They want {$93.00} for a duplicate title, and they also need the Oregon license plate of the vehice. Since the vehicle was purchased at an Oregon dealership, we never had the Oregon license plate number. Even if we were willing to pay for a document that should have been furnished by the lender, we could not obtain the title in Oregon without the license plate information. I was reassured by a representative that 5/3 bank would order a duplicate title and that I could expect it to arrive in 2-3 weeks. 

XX/XX/XXXX - No title. My mom spends an hour on the phone with 5/3 Bank, getting a different answer from every representative. I call, and I also get different answers. " Well, the address was changed so we sent the title to the prior address '' " The title was never issued, you have to go to the Oregon DMV '' " The title was sent electronically to the California DMV. '' Now, 5/3 has involved a third party! We have been instructed to contact " XXXX. '' My mom contacted the third party on XX/XX/XXXX and they did not have any answers for her because it is a " bank issue. '' Yesterday, I contacted 5/3 Bank and was told to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX ( which is on eastern time and is a time inconvenience for those of us on the west coast ) and I was on the call for 20 minutes before they dropped me on a transferred line to 5/3 bank. Finally, 45 minutes later, I spoke with a supervisor at 5/3 who told me the case regarding our title had been open since XX/XX/XXXX and they can confirm they " ordered '' the title TODAY. TODAY - almost 90 days after I initially contacted them in XXXX to find out why we had not received the title. I am concerned that they have not actually ordered the title as I have heard this promise from them before. We are trapped in their failure to simply order and deliver a title.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation