Consumer complaint received 2021-04-09
Product: Mortgage — VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — 
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company (FL)

Re : Complaint against Freedom Mortgage. Mortgagee : XXXX XXXX XXXX Loan Number XXXX ( VA Loan XXXX My monthly mortgage payment is XXXX and I have a scheduled additional interest payment of {$5000.00} per month, paid as a single {$7400.00} bill by Auto Pay on the first of each month. 
On XX/XX/2021, I reduced my additional principal payment via the Freedom Mortgage website. This was in anticipation of some upcoming expenses which would cause the Auto Payment to trigger a bank overdraft. Nevertheless my bank, XXXX, did in fact trigger an overdraft charge of {$29.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Freedom Mortgage just before my workday and waited 10+ minutes ; no one picked up. I called XXXX and asked them to put a Stop Order on the Freedom Mortgage payment. They placed the Stop Order and stated that if Freedom Mortgage attempted once again to withdraw the funds that I would see an additional {$20.00} charge to my account. 

On Monday another additional {$20.00} charge was registered on the XXXX website. At this time and throughout this time Freedom Mortgage 's website has continued to say that I had made my XXXX payment and that my next schedule payment was XX/XX/XXXX, offering to let me " Pay Now '' by a speed button they had placed on the first page of the website. When I opened deeper into the account it showed that my XX/XX/XXXX payment had gone through but I knew from my bank that this was not true. I called Freedom Mortgage 's customer service phone number, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX and was automatically transferred to the customer wait line. At XXXX XXXX the line disconnected. I called again at XXXX AM and again was automatically transferred to the customer wait line which disconnected at XXXX AM. In the evening after work I called 3 times. Each time instead of even getting placed into the Customer wait line the number immediately went to a busy signal. At that time I posted a principal only payment of {$3000.00} while waiting for their website to update and acknowledge that there was a problem with the XXXX payment or wait for their customer service representative to call. 

Over the next 2 days I called another three times and each time there was simply a busy signal. During this time I also repeatedly checked to see if there customer care number had changed but it had not. On XX/XX/XXXX, the Freedom Mortgage website updated stating some funds were " Posted to Suspense. '' My internet research informs me that " suspense '' means they have noted a problem with the XX/XX/XXXX payment. 

My complaints are as follows : First of all there has been no one to man their phones to help me rectify this problem before I was penalized. Secondly, their website failed to update to show me that they understood there was a problem with the XXXX payment. Third, their website did not allow me any ability to make the XXXX payment as it insisted that the next payment due was XX/XX/XXXX. Fourth, their website failed to take my modification of payment even though it appeared to go through on XX/XX/XXXX. Fifth their website is designed deceptively to their advantage. There is a " Pay Now '' button that allows one to make an advance payment on their mortgage rather than a principal only payment which takes several more steps and some understanding of how to navigate their website. Clearly this " speed button '' aids Freedom Mortgage by giving them interest early without actually reducing the total amount of interest that the mortgagee will ultimately pay which can only be done by making a Principal Only payment. Most importantly, their poor service has already cost me {$49.00} in bank charges and I am concerned Freedom Mortgage will also penalize me or take actions which will damage my Credit Rating.