Consumer complaint received 2024-03-04
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease — Problem with fees charged
Company: VW Credit, Inc (FL)

In XXXX, XXXX, I, entered into a financial contract with Volkswagen, for the XXXX Volkswagen XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Prior to then, I had previously entered into a leasing agreement with Volkswagen for the same vehicle.

During my time with the vehicle under the leasing contract, automatic payments were authorized and regularly withdrawn by VW, Credit , Inc. beginning XX/XX/XXXX, in the amount of {$620.00}.

I later made the decision to buy or purchase the vehicle and entered into a financial contract with Volkswagen on XX/XX/XXXX. During which time I do not recall being advised it was necessary to manually input, and/or update any payment information with Volkswagen. At said time, Volkswagen was already in receipt of my bank account information, and was previously authorized to make regular monthly automatic payments. 

I was advised on XX/XX/XXXX that the next scheduled payment was due on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Sometime between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, after realizing payment had not been taken from my bank account as previously advised, I personally contacted Volkswagen Credit, by way of phone call to inquire about the delay in withdrawing the first monthly payment. 

I was explained by an agent on behalf of Volkswagen that my payment information would need to be input into their system over again, as it was considered a new account or different account than the previous lease. Accordingly, I provided the agent with my bank account information over the phone and authorized the first scheduled payment of about {$570.00}, to be withdrawn at the time of the call. The agent provided a reference number for the transaction after the call, which I did not write down but can be heard on the recorded call. 


The account information I provided to Volkswagen on or about XX/XX/XXXX, and repeatedly thereafter to serval agents/representatives I spoke to, was the same bank account information used in previous transaction history. Since XX/XX/XXXX, through XX/XX/XXXX, I had a history and report of timely payments to Volkswagen, through this bank account. 

Sometime in XX/XX/XXXX, after Volkswagen attempted to withdraw the first payment, they sent me a correspondence stating they were unable to receive the payment. It was not until about early XX/XX/XXXX, that I saw this correspondence as I regularly stay at my elderly fathers residence to help in care taking. 

On or about XX/XX/XXXX, immediately upon becoming aware of the issue with payment I made contact with Volkswagen Credit by way of phone call, to inquire about what the issue was and provide payment as previously agreed upon by the terms of the contract. 

I authorized the representative to withdraw a onetime payment in the amount of about {$570.00}. During said call I was advised by the representative, and now for the second time, that payment was being withdrawn as authorized. That agent also proceeded to provide me with a reference number, that I did not write down but can be located in the recorded call. 

Sometime following that call, I received another correspondence from Volkswagen that stated they were unable to receive the payment that was authorized during the XX/XX/XXXX, phone call. 

On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I made contact with Volkswagen Credit by way of phone call in an attempt to once again address and identify the issue ( XXXX ) surrounding receiving payment. I was advised by an agent or representative of Volkswagen that I should contact my bank and inquire about why the funds were not being authorized.

As advised by the representative from Volkswagen finance, I contacted XXXXXXXX XXXX  to inquire on why they were not releasing the funds, and explain to them the financial burden this was causing me. As at the time, I was being advised by XXXX that I was responsible for late fee ( s ) due to the late payments which had not been received. 

During my phone call with XXXX, I discovered that they did not reflect any charges, whether accepted or declined, from Volkswagen since XXXX of XXXX. 

Upon receiving that information on or about XX/XX/XXXX, and to avail, I again made contact with Volkswagen Credit, and demanded to speak to a supervisor concerning my issues. During which time a representative by the name of XXXX, transferred the call to supervisor XXXX, at extension XXXX. 

I explained to the supervisor all the previous issues I had, and that my bank was stating Volkswagen did not attempt to charge my account. After going through multiple incompetent agents, very apparently unmotivated in identifying what the issue was, supervisor XXXX, at extension XXXX, was able to identify that one of the agents incorrectly input my bank account number, and added an additional digit that should not have been included.

In light of the negligence on behalf of the VW credit representative who inaccurately took down my information, and every representative I spoke to thereafter who failed to correctly identify the issue despite my pleading to thoroughly look into the issue, supervisor XXXX agreed to waive the late fee ( s ), as well as additional charges that would have been applicable. 

Further, during the call I discussed with supervisor XXXX, that the credit bureau was going to receive a correspondence on behalf of Volkswagen stating that in fact, the payments for the months of XXXX and XXXX were NOT supposed to have been late, despite VW reporting the same due to negligence, and a scriveners error made in the VM credit department.

After much begging and pleading to the Volkswagen Credit department for the issues to be properly investigated and resolved, a supervisor was able to identify the issue was not on my part. However, Volkswagen was fully prepared to charge me for two months worth of late fees, as well as additional fees.
That said, I authorized two months worth of payments, {$1100.00}, to be withdrawn from my account, at the time of the call with supervisor XXXX. 

Since authorizing the funds to be withdrawn on XX/XX/XXXX I have suffered a financial hardship as a result of the exuberant charge on my account. My agreed upon monthly payments were {$570.00}, and not {$1100.00} as withdrawn in XXXX. 

I authorized for this amount to be deducted as I felt an obligation as a contract holder. Never the less, the issues that transpired after I attempted to accurately and promptly provide XXXX with my bank account information on or about XX/XX/XXXX, were directly a result of negligence by the Volkswagen Credit department. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I made contact with Volkswagen Credit department by way of phone call and spoke to supervisor XXXX, at extension XXXX. I advised that I was experiencing a financial hardship as a result of the issues directly caused by Volkswagen credit department. 

I requested to defer the next payment, for the month of XXXX, to the end of my contract term, and extend the final payment date from XXXX XXXX, XXXX, to XXXX XXXX, XXXX. XXXX XXXX, at extension XXXX, stated that a minimum of 6 monthly payments had to have been made on the account, in order to be eligible to defer a payment. To quote she stated the rules can not be changed, although I tried to explain to her that I had a prominent history of timely making payments to Volkswagen using the same account, up until I began experiencing all these issues brought on as a direct result of negligence by the Volkswagen Credit department. 

Therefore, I am unable to reach an agreement with Volkswagen as I feel a courtesy to me as a client is warranted, considering the financial hardship I am facing, and the negative impact this is having on my credit, which will in turn create further issues for my person in the long run. 

At this time I seek to reach an agreement with Volkswagen by agreeing to defer the next payment, for the month of XXXX, to the end of my contract term, and extend the final payment date from XXXX XXXX, XXXX, to XXXX XXXX, XXXX.