Consumer complaint received 2024-10-29
Product: Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan — Installment loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — 
Company: OneMain Finance Corporation (TX)

I. INTRODUCTION I am filing this complaint against OneMain Financial, located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, AZ XXXX ( hereafter referred to as " OneMain XXXX XXXX' ), due to the excessive and harassing behavior exhibited by its Branch Manager, XXXX XXXX. This complaint is based on XXXX XXXX 's conduct, which includes a high volume of calls and unprofessional, intimidating behavior that has caused me significant distress. XXXX XXXX has also misrepresented my consumer rights, implying that my only solutions were to make an immediate payment or to seek employment at OneMain Financial. This behavior is inconsistent with fair consumer practices and may violate protections established under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq., and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), 15 U.S.C. 1692 et seq., which some states have extended to cover original creditors. 

II. STATEMENT OF FACTS Excessive Calls From XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/year>, OneMain XXXX placed an estimated 63 calls to my personal phone. These calls were frequent, often occurring within a short timeframe of each other, and originated from multiple numbers identified by my phone carrier as associated with OneMain XXXX. No messages were left by OneMain XXXX, leaving the calls untraceable unless answered, causing further inconvenience and frustration. Attached as XXXX XXXX are call logs and screenshots documenting these communications. 

Initial Payment Discussion In early XXXX, I proactively reached out to OneMain XXXX to discuss my payment options, as I was willing to make payments despite financial limitations. A representative informed me that a payment of {$100.00} to {$170.00} could qualify me for a program to reduce my monthly payments by half. Additionally, I was informed that this payment would cover my partial balance for XXXX, leaving only XXXX 's balance outstanding. I expressed my intention to work towards making this payment. 

Harassing Call on XX/XX/year> On XX/XX/year>, at approximately XXXXXXXX XXXX, I received a call from an unidentified OneMain XXXX representative, who started the conversation abruptly with, " What are you going to do with the car? '' This approach was unprofessional and alarming, leading me to initially suspect a scam. The representative, later identified as XXXX XXXX XXXX, then engaged in a series of unprofessional and demeaning comments : She expressed disbelief about my prolonged period of unemployment, stating that she " never knew anyone unemployed for more than six months. '' She questioned my employability and skillset. 
She demanded an immediate payment of {$300.00}. 
She suggested that I should consider working for OneMain Financial to resolve my financial difficulties, saying it was " hard to believe '' I could not find employment when OneMain was " always hiring. '' Finding this behavior offensive and inappropriate, I ended the call. 

Complaint Filed and Follow-Up Call on XX/XX/year> Disturbed by XXXX XXXX conduct , I called OneMain XXXX again at approximately XXXX XXXX to file a complaint. Another representative reviewed the notes from my previous conversation and confirmed that inappropriate comments were documented in my file, including a note stating, " told the customer that OneMain Financial was hiring. '' This representative apologized for XXXX XXXX 's behavior and began an investigation into the complaint. She offered other payment options to assist with my account, and we agreed that I would make a {$70.00} payment by XX/XX/XXXX. 

Further Harassment by Branch Manager on XX/XX/year> On XX/XX/year>, at approximately XXXXXXXX XXXX, I received another call from XXXX XXXX, who identified herself as the branch manager and the representative from the previous days call. XXXX XXXX acknowledged that she was aware of the complaint against her but offered a dismissive apology, claiming I had " misinterpreted '' her statements about working at OneMain. Despite my explicit request not to engage further with her, XXXX XXXX continued questioning me about my vehicle and dismissing my concerns. She stated that as the branch manager, she was the only point of contact for my account. XXXX XXXX concluded the conversation by saying she would follow up with another call on XX/XX/XXXX. 

III. APPLICABLE STATUTES A. Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) Although the FCRA ( 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. ) is primarily focused on the collection and use of credit information, its provisions also address fair treatment by creditors, including behavior that may indirectly harm a consumer 's credit profile through harassment. Section 1681s-2 requires furnishers of information ( including creditors ) to report consumer information accurately and fairly, which may include refraining from coercive practices that could impact a consumers willingness or ability to resolve their account.

B. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) Although the FDCPA ( 15 U.S.C. 1692 et seq. ) is designed for third-party debt collectors, many states have incorporated its principles into state law to apply to original creditors. Under the standards of the FDCPA, XXXX XXXX conduct would likely violate the following provisions : 1692d ( Harassment or Abuse ) : This prohibits causing a telephone to ring repeatedly or continuously with the intent to annoy, abuse, or harass the recipient of the calls ( 1692d ( 5 ) ). The volume of calls from OneMain XXXX constitutes harassment. 
1692e ( False or Misleading Representations ) : This provision prohibits misrepresenting a consumers rights or available options. XXXX XXXX implied that my only solutions were to make an immediate payment or apply for a job at OneMain, thus misrepresenting my rights and options as a consumer. 
These actions, if analyzed under FDCPA principles, would likely qualify as harassment due to the frequency of the calls and the intimidating language used by XXXX XXXX. 

IV. RELIEF REQUESTED Prohibit Contact by XXXX XXXX XXXX I request that XXXX XXXX XXXX be restricted from contacting me directly about my account due to her unprofessional and harassing behavior. 

Require Ethics and Sensitivity Training for XXXX XXXX I request that OneMain XXXX require XXXX XXXX to undergo ethics and sensitivity training to prevent similar behavior with other consumers. 

Limit Call Frequency by OneMain Financial I request that OneMain XXXX limit its calls to no more than one per month, to be placed only when the account is 15 days past due, to prevent excessive contact and alleviate undue stress. 
V. CONCLUSION The behavior displayed by Branch Manager XXXX XXXX demonstrates a pattern of excessive communication, harassment, and unprofessional conduct that has caused significant distress and frustration. I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigate this matter, ensure that appropriate corrective action is taken, and provide any additional relief as deemed appropriate to prevent similar experiences for other consumers.