Consumer complaint received 2024-09-21
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — Denied request to lower payments
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION (VA)

On Saturday, XX/XX/year>, I spent over an hour with a representative going over my account for my car loan and my options to get my account current while helping myself get into a better financial position to remain current. After I made my next payment for XXXX, he suggested I call again to ask about another extension, which I did on XX/XX/XXXX. At this time I was completely under the impression that the extension would put my account on hold for 3 months just as it did the year prior. 

In late XXXX I received a notice in the mail stating that my next payment was due XX/XX/XXXX. I immediately assumed that was an error and contacted Truist. 

I called and expressed my concern to a representative. She expressed to me that the extension credited me for the months of XXXX, XXXX and XXXX given I was close to 90 days late. I responded to her that neither of the last 2 representatives told me in over an hour and half collectively what she just did in 30 seconds. I didnt know that was a condition/alternative method of using the extension. 

The bottom line was that come XXXX I wasnt going to be in a position to pay {$580.00} nor did Truist have any other measure to assist me. The representative then put me on a hold and then the call went dead. I ended up having to call back and speak to XXXX more representatives and repeatedly being either disconnected or being put on such an extended hold that I was forced to hang up after close to 20 minutes. The last representative I spoke with was kind enough to return to the call after putting me on hold and assured me that an investigation would take place in which the calls would be listened to between myself and those I previously spoke with and that I would be contacted. 

I was never contacted. So on XX/XX/XXXX I decided to enter a nearby Truist branch and speak to a banker. She was kind enough to call the loan department where the representative assured her that I didnt owe anything at the moment and that my extension had been approved and my next payment wouldnt be due until XX/XX/year>. I was relieved and assumed that the investigation had taken place and that it was found that I was misinformed and given a false impression on how the extension would be enacted. The banker also informed me that I would receive a confirmation letter in the mail. 

2 weeks passed and I had still not received a letter and collection calls were still coming each morning. The representative I spoke to had absolutely no knowledge of any investigation or extension confirmation in regard to my account. I returned again to the same branch on XX/XX/XXXX to speak to a banker and she was even surprised at my news. 

We were eventually transferred to the same representative in the extension department that I had spoken to on XX/XX/XXXX. He was adamant that he had given me the proper information the day that we had spoken and in response I assured him that had he given me the understanding and knowledge that the extension would not be used in the same fashion as it was the year prior due to certain details that I wouldnt have asked for the extension at all b/c it would have been counterproductive to use my last extension yet still owe in the next few weeks. He then expressed how the extension being used to cover me between XXXX and XXXX benefited me and apologized for not being more clear at the time that we spoke. At this point it felt like I was being gaslit and an apology doesnt help me get out of the situation Im in. 

The representative then reached out to his leadership for assistance. He extended to me that she would pull the calls and someone would get back to me within the week. However, right before we ended the call he told me that she went over the notes from past representatives and stated that everything I needed to know was in the paperwork I signed. I then asked What happened to investigating the calls?. His supervisor changed her mind, claiming " it was unnecessary ''. Which translated to me, She doesnt feel like it. 

Every avenue Ive been directed down for assistance from Truist this year has been denied and at this point I have absolutely zero confidence in speaking to anyone over the phone ever again because the call representatives are clearly not trained properly. Every single time I call I receive misinformation of some sort. That is not assistance.