Consumer complaint received 2020-04-02
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — Denied request to lower payments
Company: Independent Dealers' Advantage, LLC (GA)

IDA should be ashamed of their predatory collections and business practices during this state of emergency involving COVID-19 global pandemic. Though I've made ALL payments on time, IDA would not work with me on payment arrangements since my paycheck was significantly short this month. They should not be allowed to prey on the working poor, and they must provide hardship programs during this pandemic. Today, it was made obvious to me THEY CARE NOTHING ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS BY PAYING OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH INTEREST RATES. 

I contacted them via email on XX/XX/XXXX stating : " Hello. As this COVID-19 crisis has hit us, I've not been at work for several weeks now and will tentatively return to work on XX/XX/XXXX. I just got paid and was disgustingly shocked at how much was taken out of my check in addition to not being paid for the " extra '' like after school tutoring ( I turned in my timesheet so not sure why that wasn't on my paycheck ). The amount is significantly lower to really limit me in paying all of my bills, including my car payment. I've attached XXXX 's, XXXX 's, XXXX 's, and XXXX 's paychecks for documentation of the drastic difference in pay. Being my bank account was already overdrawn and had already gone over my overdraft privilege of - {$500.00}, this significant decrease in pay has seriously hurt my family in such desperate times. 

I'm letting you all know in writing so we can work together to come up with a solution .... possible deference until I receive our stimulus check of roughly {$3400.00} ... .partial payment until I get paid again and can caught up on the past due balance. After rent, water, lights, and car insurance, I have {$300.00} left and haven't bought enough groceries and supplies to get us through this quarantine. It's my greatest hope we can work together on a solution to get my account paid up as soon as possible. Thank you! '' I received a threatening text from one of IDA 's reps today stating, " Payment is past due. Vehicle will be repossessed and/or disabled if payment isn't made. Broken payment arrangement on XX/XX/20. Please contact IDA immediately. '' Well, I'd already emailed them to document in writing and providing documentation ( my last four paycheck stubs indicating this month 's drastic difference in my pay ). I also called today to explain what's going on but had to leave a message. A rude rep returned my call and cut me off before I could even explain what was going on and how it's affecting my family. She said she received my email and that they don't do hardship programs. I offered to make one weekly payment of {$140.00}, and she refused my offer. My loan was sold to IDA in XXXX, GA by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, GA without my knowledge until after the fact. IDA is charging outrageous interest rates. {$140.00} weekly for a XXXX XXXX XXXX with XXXX miles on it is ludicrous. However, with my husband going through XXXX XXXX   XXXX XXXX within 3 months time back in XXXX, our credit has suffered as a result of him being on XXXX now, and we were forced to purchase a vehicle from a shady used car dealership. They prey on the working poor, and it's shameful. 

Since my loan was purchased by IDA, I've only received two receipts so I never know how much I'm paying down on my debt. You can only pay online if your account is current. They keep telling me I'm past due {$600.00}, but I began making payments with them as soon as I received paperwork from them in the mail. Their business practices are unethical and highly questionable. Their customer service reps also need to be trained in how to deal with their customers in a nice, sympathetic, and professional manner. 

During this COVID-19 pandemic, auto loan companies like IDA should not be sending threatening texts when families are already under a high level of stress. They should not be allowed to use predatory collection measures during a state of emergency. These people have no moral compass whatsoever. I email Mr. XXXX, the owner, personally forwarding the email I'd sent to their general email address. I have not received a response just as I did not receive a response from the customer service rep though she admitted to reading it. She had the time to send a nasty text, however. This company needs to be stopped immediately before other families such as mine are hurt too.

To the owner of IDA, I also added in my email : " A customer service rep of yours was very unsympathetic to my family 's situation this morning and was borderline rude to me and then to my husband when he called back after I was in tears after getting off the phone with her. See emails and documentation of my significant decrease in pay this month attached below. I have XXXX sons at home during this quarantine. Thanks to IDA, I have been forced into making my full car payment instead of seeing my children get what they need during this pandemic. I thought surely someone at IDA would have a heart and offer some kind of help, but I was sorely wrong. I urge you, sir, to provide customers some type of financial relief during this COVID-19 pandemic. I understand your business is open to make profits, but considering the high interest rates charged I feel a temporary deferment plan could be implemented. I have a college student, a high school student, and a XXXX year old with XXXX that are depending on me and to have transportation in order to get supplies while we're in quarantine. I have {$200.00} in my bank account. My husband 's XXXX of a whopping {$720.00} comes in Friday. XXXX  is giving us until Friday to pay {$600.00}. Please advise how we can give most of our money to IDA and feed our family. We can't get govt. assistance, churches are handing out very little food, and we do not have any family support system. When we make this payment on Friday, just know my children will be doing without due to IDA 's unethical, predatory business practices. If any solution can be made, I'm more than willing to work with you all. I've made my payments faithfully since my loan was sold to IDA. I've received two receipts the entire time I've been a customer and both were from XXXX XXXX who was always very nice. The other reps really need training in customer service. Please help me with a solution in order to best provide for my family. '' It is my greatest hope the owners and employees of Independent Dealer Advantage LLC will correct their methods and business practices, especially when it comes to collections. This really should be illegal during a national crisis.