Consumer complaint received 2020-07-07
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — Lender trying to repossess or disable the vehicle
Company: Independent Dealers' Advantage, LLC (GA)

Complaint:
Customer service rep sent threatening text to my cell phone and was very rude and judgmental in her attempts to collect on our account over the phone. We typically pay our lien holder, IDA LLC on the last business day of the month equaling to 4 or 5 weeks worth of payments. The payments are {$140.00} a week. We purchased our XXXX XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on XXXX XXXX, XXXX and still owe {$7400.00}. Our loan was sold to IDA LLC and was told about it after the fact. We've been paying {$140.00} a week since XX/XX/XXXX and owe more money than what the vehicle is worth. This is preying on poor people and people trying to build their credit back!!! On XX/XX/XXXX, my husband and I spoke to customer service rep XXXX XXXX whom we've had problems with before. My husband explained he's XXXX and just started to work part time to help more paying bills. On XX/XX/XXXX I could only make one payment of {$140.00} XXXX they charge {$7.00} to process payments over the phone or on online which is ridiculously expensive ). My husband also called XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to explain our situation of being severely overdrawn at our bank ( almost - {$900.00} XXXX when I got my direct deposit paycheck on XX/XX/XXXX hence why we could only make one payment. He negotiated arrangments with XXXX XXXX to make another two payments on Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX. His paycheck was less than {$300.00}, and we have 3 boys in our household to feed. We were {$40.00} short on the two payments. Today XXXX XXXX sent a text to my cell phone stating to call her immediately at IDA to avoid our vehicle being disconnected ( shut off ) and that our account was " PAST DUE. '' " Make payment immediately to avoid further action. '' XXXX XXXX also called my cell phone and immediately took a rude tone with me. She accused me of lying about the payment arrangements made by my husband stating she had nothing on file after he'd just spoken to her. I attempted to remind her of the phone conversation that took place and tried to explain why they payment was {$40.00} short on XXXX. XXXX. She told me in a very rude tone that {$40.00} makes a big difference. As a mother of 3 boys and two stepdaughters, I became a little upset, began to cry, and asked her to tell me what she would have me do when I can not even have enough money to feed my kids right now. I asked her again to please advise me what to do while I was still crying, and she hung up. My husband called her back, and XXXX XXXX lied again that i hung up on her which is completely false. XXXX XXXX finally admitted she remembered the payment arrangements made to make payments weekly until we're caught up. IDA 's predatory collection and loan buying/servicing practices and poor ( worse than poor ) customer service needs to be addressed! This is one of several times IDA and XXXX XXXX have made threatening texts about shutting off our vehicle even though we're continuing to pay on this outrageously expensive loan that we had no part in borrowing from them. We're a family of five doing our best to make it through a pandemic. We have applied for help to get food and was denied. IDA offers no kind of help during the pandemic which is unethical and just bad business ... showing they care nothing about their customers who make them A LOT of money. They just prey on the working poor and harass and threaten them if just a day late with payment. All texts to my cell phone have been " call immediately, '' " PAST DUE, '' " PAY IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID FURTHER ACTION AND DISCONNECTION. '' We are responsible, loyal customers of theirs. I demand better, more respectful and compassionate customer service from XXXX XXXX and anyone representing IDA. During a pandemic when tensions, anxiety, and worry about our children is already at an all-time high, they have no right treating their customers this way.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation