Consumer complaint received 2017-09-13
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Lease
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — Denied request to lower payments
Company: BMW Financial Services NA, LLC (NY)

In XX/XX/XXXX we leased a vehicle from BMW in the state of NY. My mother is the primary on the lease and I am the co signer on the lease - registration and insurance were in her name. In XX/XX/XXXX, ( my mother ) was admitted to the hospital where she spent 18 days with an XXXX from an inoperable XXXX XXXX due to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. My mother was discharged to come home the end of XXXX with not much time to live. Being her daughter I took Family Medical Leave ( FMLA ) from my place of employment to care for my mother with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. This was extremely difficult physically, emotionally and financially. From XX/XX/XXXX moving forward, the XXXX progressed and my mother XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX in a XXXX facility. As coping with the care and XXXX of my mother, exhausting all funds to help pay bills, including the vehicle lease and funeral expenses I have nothing left. I have not been working since XX/XX/XXXX ( FMLA leave ) and became officially unemployed XX/XX/XXXX all of which is no fault of my own. I am currently a XXXX XXXX XXXX receiving state XXXX for health insurance, assistance to purchase food and Unemployment. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted BMW financial services to let them know of my XXXX XXXX, sent over the death certificate and also explained my situation. I received an email response through the BMW secure messaging center acknowledging receipt of the XXXX XXXX and " options '' in regards to the lease. None of which I could afford and there were no other alternatives to help in this situation. The only thing I was able to do was to get the vehicle registered in my name and insured in my name which that was in order to keep the account current. I do not have thousands of dollars, no one to assume the lease, and no alternative resources. BMW financial services has not been helpful in any way. Other than offering a voluntary repossession as an option which is ridiculous since the account is current which I have maintained in good faith but this is causing further hardship. My credit is impeccable which is all I have left to my name and would prefer to keep it that way. 
Every rep that I spoke to at BMW financial services gave me different answers as well as being transferred multiple times to different departments. This is very frustrating and certainly was not building confidence and trust in the BMW brand. I am very disappointed in the brand and the way the brand treats their customers with inadequate help and determination in special circumstances. I have asked BMW to look at my individual situation and please consider alternate options that are reasonable, which to date they have not been able to resolve other than again a voluntary repossession, get slapped with tons of fees and thousands of dollars owed. Seems that BMW would rather go that route, lose money on the vehicle while their " current '' customer with excellent credit has their credit ruined. My brother XXXX XXXX 5 years ago, he leased a XXXX and they were very accommodating due to the unfortunate circumstances. BMW not so much - and in the future BMW will never have my personal business nor will they ever be referred as a brand to do business with. I am looking to resolve a reasonable accommodation not a voluntary repo!!