Consumer complaint received 2024-07-15
Product: Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan — Title loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — 
Company: RFNA, LP (TN)

Okay, I first started doing business with this company about four or five years ago-sorry I dont have exact dates, but my point is that I was a perfect customer for YEARS, always paying in full and on time. At first they gave me signature loans, never exceeding a total of about {$3000.00} altogether, in increments of approximately {$1000.00} given on three occasions. I realized that I was paying exorbitant interest fees but I really didnt have much choice, as I was facing personal emergencies and had nowhere else to turn to for a loan. All the time these professionals knew that I am permanently XXXX and my only income is Social Security XXXX. However, at the time I had some assistance from a boyfriend and my father in making ends meet. Fast-forward to XXXX  when my father had a bad fall and required live-in assistance, which I was happy to provide. But then another personal emergency arose and I sought the help of this company once more. As I had always been the perfect customer, paying in full and on time every month for years and never asking too many questions about what I was signing ( all the additional, expensive and unnecessary add-ons which Im now aware of-such as the auto protection plan I DIDNT NEED and the insurance plan, etc ), I completely did not understand WHY I suddenly had to put my car on the line, the only thing I actually owned that was worth anything. When all I got in return that last time was about {$800.00}, the least amount yet. At the time I actually had GOOD credit so they absolutely did not NEED to have me risk losing my car if something should happen, but being the predators they are, that is what they did. And of course, as life goes, something terrible DID happen. My father passed away and suddenly I was on my own with EVERY expense I had. This company totally took advantage of my belief that they had my best interest in mind when that was the furthest thing from true. So I did the best I could at making their ridiculously high payments, which in fact one monthly payment equaled over ONE THIRD of my total monthly income. Thats right, I get paid $ XXXX from SSD yet Republic Finance expects {$470.00} of that money to go to them! Even more outrageous and abusive is the sudden and UNEXPLAINED {$6000.00} increase to the total amount of my loan. I received absolutely XXXX notification or explanation as to why they added XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX to my total, and I received NO additional funds at that time. Now keep in mind that I never actually GOT even {$4000.00} total from them all this time and I know Ive paid that amount and more back at least a few times over through the years. Yet somehow, some crazy way, my current total balance is OVER XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, despite years of diligent payiments. I feel that they are expecting the impossible from someone who receives a pittance in XXXX every month due to her MENTAL ILLNESS. Now to make matters the absolute WORST, and my reason for escalating this issue to a government entity, is that they are threatening to take my car because I am behind on payments due to life happening and that pesky need to FEED MYSELF daily. ( I only get XXXX XXXX  monthly in food stamps as I was actually responsible and DIDNT have XXXX children for the state to have to pay for ). 
This entire situation has affected my physical and mental health to the point where Ive considered suicide to escape from the control that this AWFUL company has over my life. Everyone who works there should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of the poor XXXX people like me who are just trying to survive, yet they want to take every little bit we do have. It depresses me to tears to think that they can so easily take something that I worked for five years to pay off. I was an insurance agent for years before getting on XXXX and I couldnt imagine a supposed Professional abusing peoples trust in such a miserable and pathetic way just to earn a commission check. 
I should probably also mention that due to my XXXX being given for mental illness, my benefits are distributed through a payee-which this company was aware of and yet STILL had me and me alone sign paperworkwhich should in fact be deemed void, as I am not legally responsible to make financial decisions, according to the Social Security Administration .