Consumer complaint received 2021-02-01
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — Denied request to lower payments
Company: Bridgecrest Acceptance Corporation (GA)

On XX/XX/2021 I called Bridgecrest requesting a deferment. I explained I lost my job back on XX/XX/XXXX and had used my savings and stimulus payments to keep things going as long as I could ; however, I had gotten a part-time job making {$8.00} an hour. She asked me point blank, " What about your stimulus payment of {$600.00}? What did you do with that? '' I told her I had other bills to pay besides a car loan and I'd used part of that to make the last payment. I was told she could push the payment until XX/XX/XXXX, which is when another payment was due. I told her I wouldn't be able to make both payments ; they'd be lucky if I could pay the one due on the XXXX on the XXXX. She did not give me any information on deferment, state that it had to be approved, or that she was submitting the request. 

I was paid on XX/XX/XXXX and opted to make the car payment because I need transportation to and from work instead of putting food on the table. I do not live in an area that has public transit. So that left me with the payment that was due on XX/XX/XXXX. I called Bridgecrest again on XX/XX/XXXX, again requesting deferment. I read the FAQ on their website " Skip a Payment '' and understood that " Payment extensions are a service that may be offered to qualifying customers. This form of payment assistance requires account review and approval. '' I insisted on deferment and requested 3 payments be deferred to give me time to hear back from GA Unemployment and find full-time employment. The man wanted to know if I could make a payment then and there. I told him no. He wanted to know when I could make a payment and how much. I reiterated my request for deferment. He stated he put in the request, but could not guarantee it. I pointed out until this past payment all my payments had been on time. I had paid for 2 years ( minus this last payment which was pushed to XX/XX/XXXX ) on time. Most payments received before the due date. 

This morning ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I had a call from XXXX which my phone identified as a spam caller, but I answered anyway. I was on the line for about 20 seconds, repeatedly stating " Hello '' with no response before I hung up. I searched the number and found it listed as XXXX Collections. I called Bridgecrest Customer Service at XXXX and the man answering wanted to know if I wanted him to process my payment over the phone for a {$3.00} fee. I told him I wasn't calling to make a XXXX  payment. I wanted to know about my request for deferment and he said it was denied because I have an income. I told him, " Let 's do the math. {$8.00} an hour times an average of 20 hours a week comes to {$170.00} times 2 since I get paid bi-weekly comes to {$340.00} a paycheck before taxes are taken out. My rent alone is {$750.00}, electric {$200.00}, gas {$50.00}. Oh and groceries. So my math comes to {$680.00} a month before taxes - doesn't even cover rent. But you all seem to think I can make the car payment. '' He said I have income and can pay the car payment and have until the end of XXXX to get payments made before they begin to repossess the vehicle.