Consumer complaint received 2022-12-02
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Lease
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease — Unable to receive car title or other problem after the loan is paid off
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (NJ)

After terrible customer service and following all of the needed steps within a short given time period instructed by Chase Auto to provide full payoff on my Auto Lease, Chase has failed to provide the final Vehicle Title document in a timely manner prior to the lease expiration date of XX/XX/XXXX. After many phone calls from myself to the customer service center and from a local Chase branch manager, Chase Auto informed us there is no records on file - either that states the vehicle was placed in my name and no general copy of the title transfer. They informed me that the record was sent in regular USPS mail on XX/XX/XXXX and that I should receive within 10 business days - It is XX/XX/XXXX and I still have not received my vehicle title in the mail as they suggested. 


Full Story, Dates and Details On XX/XX/XXXX, call to Chase Auto to request a second lease extension on my XXXX XXXX XXXX due to a delay on the availability of another used car I'm looking to purchase. My first lease extension was set to expire on XX/XX/XXXX. Chase Auto representative advised me that I was unable to request another lease extension until 1 month out from the lease expiration date. I was told to try calling back to request an extension on XX/XX/XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I call Chase Auto customer service back and ask for a second lease extension. Chase Auto only allows one lease extension to customers so the representative asked what was the reason for the request and I explained it was purely due to a delay on the other car I'm looking to purchase. They submitted the request and informed me that I would hear back within 1-2 business days of the result of the second extension request. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I was told that one additional month could be available to me but not a full XXXX month extension. That unfortunately is not long enough so I requested for information regarding what the payoff amount would be on the car and process information to go that path if a lease extension is not available to me. The representative transferred me to another department where they gave me information regarding the full payoff amount. I requested the paperwork for payoff be sent to me via email and through postal mail. They informed me that would take another XXXX business days to get it in the postal mail and a couple days to receive the information via the Chase online message center ( but they wouldn't send any correspondence to my direct email ). 
Checking everyday in my physical mailbox and logging on to my Chase online account to find the requested payoff documentation and forms- did not receive this important information until another week later, on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, in the online message center. 
After reading the paperwork and read that payoff funds should be received by XX/XX/XXXX - I immediately gathered the funds for the full payoff ( which includes state taxes and fees ), and had it deposited into my personal Chase Checking account for Chase Auto immediately. 
Chase Banking ended up placing a hold on the deposit as of XX/XX/XXXX, not allowing the money to be made available immediately for the payment back to Chase Auto. I went to my nearest Chase branch to help me figure out how to approve and clear the funds in my account. This took one full business day on XX/XX/XXXX for the branch manager to help get it approved. On XX/XX/XXXX had the branch manager make a cashiers check for the full payoff amount of {$20000.00} and he had it sent overnighted via XXXX for Chase Auto to receive by XX/XX/XXXX - a day before the payoff due date of XX/XX/XXXX. 
No confirmation of the funds were received. No communication directly from Chase Auto on next steps. A week later on XX/XX/XXXX, I call to confirm how the title is being sent. They said they take up to XXXX business days to process the funds for the payoff prior to releasing the vehicle title in my name. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Chase Auto again and they informed me that they cleared the funds and they already sent the Title in regular postal mail and that I would receive it in XXXX business days. I asked why a title was sent in regular mail and not expedited and they informed me it was because I didnt leave a FedEx account number on file, otherwise they dont do that on behalf of the customer. Chase XXXX failed to inform me that was an option available to me. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, the date that I was expecting to have the title in time by, I proceeded to return back to my local Chase Bank branch to see the branch manager who helped me through this process to ask if there is anything he can do on his end to give me documentation that the cashiers check was received and cleared on Chase Autos end. I received a cashier check receipt showing the funds cleared and was deposited by Chase Auto on XX/XX/XXXX. 
The branch manager called Chase Auto and asked for confirmation that the title was sent out. The branch manager was informed the vehicle title was just sent out that day on XX/XX/XXXX. He proceeded to ask on my behalf if there is any documentation at all stating the vehicle was transferred into my name or if they have any copy of the title on hand. Chase Auto confirmed they did not. Once the payoff was received, they immediately sent out any record they had out to me and have nothing on record at Chase Auto group. 
Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I still have not received any information or the final vehicle title documentation from Chase Auto directly. This should be immediately rectified solely by Chase Auto for failure of timely services and improper handling of personal property.