Consumer complaint received 2024-09-14
Product: Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan — Installment loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — 
Company: Zip Co US Inc. (NV)

Hi, I have attempted to contact Zip 4 times, ( today makes 5 because I sent them another ticket/complaint before coming here ) in regard to payments I have due and more specifically a payment due today on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I am aware that Zip says requests must be made 24 hours before the due date. This is why I contacted Zip 4 days ( 96 hours ) in advance when I placed my request. I reached out on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX. I said verbatim : " My money is VERY slow this month so I do have/have not received enough to be able to make/cover this payment on time. '' I sent in 3 tickets for three different Zip orders I have with the order numbers of : XXXX ( due XX/XX/XXXX ), XXXX ( due XX/XX/XXXX ) and XXXX ( due XX/XX/XXXX ). 

All those payments were too close together and I would not have the money to pay them. I have a great track record with Zip that goes all the way back to XX/XX/XXXX of me ALWAYS making payments on time and paying the entire balances on my orders. I have had to contact them in the past in regard to moving payment dates and they have done so and I paid them on time. If you need it, I do have email correspondence/proof of this. 

Anyway, when I contacted on XX/XX/XXXX, I specifically asked for all of my payments to be moved to the week of XX/XX/XXXX. I asked for that time because I knew that was when I would have more money and would be able to pay off my orders. Unfortunately, Zip had me input these details in their " Ticket form '' and the emails they send you to confirm they received your ticket does not provide this information, however, I know the company can probably show you upon you requesting since I am only the consumer. 

I got a response on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX by agent " XXXX XXXX XXXX. She said verbatim " XXXX XXXX, Thank you for contacting Zip Support. I understand that you're reaching out regarding the adjustment to your installment date. I know how important it is to be on top of your payments and to have your payment come out on a day that works best for you and I also know that circumstances come up where youll need to change a payment date. I'll be happy to help. 

Your payment date for your order ( s ) XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX has been extended by 14 days. This will also update your overall payment schedule. 

We hope this gives you some relief during such a hectic and uneasy time. You will see the new date ( s ) reflected when you login to the app or the Customer Portal -> Order -> View Order.

Please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help! '' The issue is that not only were my due dates not moved to my requested days, they weren't even moved 14 days ahead. They were
only moved ahead by a few days. The agent also moved payments that I did not ASK her to move, as you can see, I only listed THREE different orders, NOT SEVEN. The one that is due on XX/XX/XXXX, was only moved ahead by 3 days. Not my requested and definitely NOT 14 days. I asked for weeks, NOT days. This was a problem and when I checked my account and noticed, I promptly reached out to Zip. 

I emailed same day, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX, and said verbatim : " Hi, yes, these payments weren't moved to my request dates. I asked them to be moved to XXXX XXXX, but they show in my account as only being a couple of days ahead instead of weeks. '' I waited around 24 hours since I know that's standard but there was still no answer so I tried emailing again. I emailed again XX/XX/XXXX, next day at XXXX and said verbatim : " Hello? I asked for my payments to be pushed to two weeks ahead. I need more time for paying them. '' There was still NO ANSWER. I emailed AGAIN NEXT DAY XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX and said verbatim : " Hi I am trying to email you guys and have this corrected before another payment is due! I asked for these payments to be pushed further ahead and no one is responding after 24 hours! '' NO ANSWER AGAIN. So then I just tried to speak to a live person as a last resort. I tried doing live chat, on XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX. Please note, I am on PST time. I have uploaded the transcript of the live chat conversation to my complaint here. I spoke to " XXXX from Zip Support ''.

I explained everything to the agent and provided the screenshots where support was not answering. I was trying my best not to panic, as I was aware at this point that I was past Zip 's 24 hours rule and even though I had reached out numerous times, the company didn't do anything/respond in regard to the payments. All the agent said was that she was forwarding, expediting my issue to the " internal team ''. She THEN SAID the team is and I quote " already looking into this matter ''. I want to point out, that when I originally reached out to Zip about this, it was on Wednesday and this issue has been dragged out to today I was emailing and reaching out to the company during it's promised work hours/availability. It is not like I have been emailing this company on business days that they don't respond. According to Zip, they answer emails from all times and respond ASAP, " as soon as they can ''. They do not. The agent tells me that there's no ETA, but at the same time I NEED an ETA because Zip says you have to place requests within 24 hours otherwise payments can't be moved ( I attached a screenshot of where it says this on their website ). Well, I gave zip over 72 hours of me reaching out in advance and they NEVER answered about this issue. I blatantly ask the agent what should I do about the payment because I can't move it myself and I can't pay it and Zip hasn't done anything to at least pause it. I am aware that the CFPB themselves have pointed out that Buy Now Pay Later lenders MUST pause payment requirements during investigations and that the lenders MUST investigate disputes that consumers initiate ( I have attached this as well ). 

The agent gives me a robot answer saying " No worries, they will reach out to you directly. '' Obviously, this agent was stating the obvious here except no one had responded to me directly in over 3 days already! No estimate of when, nothing about the payment. NOTHING! She just says that my ticket has been escalated and she apologizes about the delay since they're getting " a high volume of tickets ''. This is ANOTHER ISSUE because this is listed NOWHERE on Zip 's website, nowhere on the submit a ticket page, no where on the contact page. NOWHERE. Even the agent that did respond to me didn't say anything about high ticket volume and longer wait times. There is not even a HINT that there is any kind of delay with their customer support. I have ALWAYS contacted Zip in advance about my orders ( I have more than enough proof of email exchanges for this ) and I have ALWAYS paid my payments ON TIME. I have been panicking about this because there is just no response from support and I have been ADAMANT about NOT having an penalties on this account and if I do, it ISN'T my fault because I did EXACTLY what the company tells consumers to do which is to reach out ahead of time. 

Today, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX, I sent in a complain ticket informing Zip that I would be contacting the FTC as well as the CFPB ( here ) about this issue. I have attached a few files here but if there is ANYTHING else you need, please let me know and I will try to send it. I have attached me emailing and the agent not responding, I have attached my transcript with the agent, I have attached what Zip says about when requests need to be made and the fact that I emailed way before that day, I have attached what the CFPB and the Truth In Lending Act says about issues like this and I have also attached Zip 's customer support page where there is no mention of any delays or high volume delays. I have also attached what their customer support ticket looks like and that you CAN select hardship as an option for payment issues. I have also attached Zip trying to charge me TODAY for one of the payments I said I can't make, over 3 days ago. Please note that Zip themselves says to expect a response within 48 hours! This is also in my screenshots. 

Thank you.