Consumer complaint received 2018-08-04
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem — Problem with personal statement of dispute
Company: Mercedes Benz Financial Services (CA)

To whosoever this may concern I am having problems trying to resolve an inaccurate late payment that was reported by the Mercedes Benz Financial Services on my credit report. I have been working with the Dealership, where I have made the initial payment for my first two months of lease payment, and also the Financial Services to resolve this. Both have agreed to help me but have since then been having issues communicating with eachother. 

The dealership messed up my lease agreement thrice, for which I had to sign a corrected lease agreement ( as the previous one had a wrong sales tax amount in the lease ), on the XX/XX/2018. I made my first two months of my lease payment in the dealership at the same time. It has to be noted that, I have not been mailed, any documentation, explaining me how I start setting up auto-payments or even making my first payment to Mercedes Benz Finance. I reached out to the dealership for help and they informed me about the mistake and asked for me to come over to the dealership, which I did and made my payments at the dealership ( See receipt in the attachments ). 

The Detailed sequence of events is below : XX/XX/2018 - I have initially signed up for a lease with Mercedes Benz in XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) on the XX/XX/2018. The monthly lease amount was agreed to be XXXX $ with XXXX $ as downpayment. 

XX/XX/2018 - I do not see any mails explaining me how should I be setting up auto-payments and also the first payment instructions. I call the dealership for help when they inform me they have not been able to close my lease due to a documentation issue with the Service Agreement on the car. I offered to pay the amount there, but was told I would be getting a mail from the Mercedes Benz Financial Services department with the instructions and was also told they do not accept lease payments at the dealership. 

XX/XX/2018 - I was called by the dealership again, this time citing a mistake with the sales tax on my lease agreement because of which they have not been able to close on my lease with the Financial Services team again. At this point, I have not received any documentation from the Finance team over mail/email. I was also notified the fact that I have not made any payments yet and it would be best for me to make a payment for the first two months, which I was already due at the dealership. 

XX/XX/2018 - I setup an appointment with the dealership and the revised monthly amount has been increased to XXXX . I also asked to pay the lease payments for the two months I was due, which I acknowledged and paid ( See receipt for the amount XX/XX/XXXX*2= XXXX ). 

XX/XX/2018 - Mercedes Benz Financial Services team calls me saying I am yet to make my first payment and I let them know that I already made the payment at the dealership, and offered to send a copy of the receipt. 

XX/XX/2018 - I was called again by the FInance department, this time, I ended the call after sending an email of the receipt and also my credit card statement which showed that I clearly paid the amount at the Dealership for 2 months. 

XX/XX/2018 ( I think ) - I was called by the Finance department again, telling me that the payment I made at the dealership, of amount XXXX $ was not for the lease but was " to take the car out of the showroom '', when asked for more explanation on the statement, I was asked to work with the dealership. At this point, I was too tired to argue, and went ahead and made a payment again for the first three months. ( At this point, I double paid my lease for the months of XXXX and XXXX ) XX/XX/2018 - I see the Financial Services team has raised a delinquency mark on my account reported on XX/XX/2018. I call them and explain what happened, and they create a case for me XX/XX/2018 - I get my first mail from Financial Services, welcoming me to the Family ( This is expected to come within the first month of my lease ), which I assume was because my lease is finally underway. ( Please see attached ) I have created several cases since then with the Credit Bureaus and also the Creditor directly, explaining them the mistakes and the mental trauma that I was put through with appropriate documentation of receipts, email exchanges and explanation without much success. I am clearly not at fault, but have not been served any explanation into what is happening, wither from the XXXX XXXX of Mercedes Benz at XXXX XXXX or the XXXX group of Mercedes Benz Finance. I also offered a good will payment of 10 months in advance without any luck. 

This was my first payment on the lease and have since then been current on payments. I still spend a lot of time over phone and the dealership. 

I am working with a XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), who is the Director of Finance at the dealership, who also called up the Finance Department, acknowledging it was a problem on the dealership and the Finance Department twice, but this is not helping either.