Consumer complaint received 2025-03-17 00:00:00
Product: Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan — Title loan
Issue: Problem with the payoff process at the end of the loan — 
Company: Mercedes Benz Financial Services
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
I bought a XXXX Mercedes Benz XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I financed the vehicle for 65 months through XXXX, a finance arm of Mercedes Benz, which is now Mercedes Benz Financial Services USA , LLC ( MBFS ). I made each and every payment and requested the release of lien in XXXX. 

My address in XXXX was XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX. I changed it with MBSF in XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX, an address that I still use for receipt of mail to this day. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, MBFS claims to have sent a letter to the XXXX address stating that payment was due as of XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$1300.00}. I never got that letter, but continued to request the lien release. A copy of the letter was received from XXXX at my request in XXXX. 

Whenever I called, I would never get the same person, even if I asked for them, and the people answering were unable to read notes from prior conversations I had, so I needed to go over everything again and again. At that point, I had pulled my bank records and reviewed each payment, and saw that every check had been cashed and every payment made. XXXX was unable to provide an account statement or tell me why something was owed. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX claims to have sent another letter now asking for {$1300.00}. It was sent to the XXXX address. I did not get it. A copy of the letter was received from MBFS at my request in XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, MBFS claims to have sent another letter now asking for {$1300.00}. It was sent to the XXXX address and the XXXX address. I did not get it. A copy of the letter was received from MBFS at my request in XXXX. 

I continued to make calls to MBFS trying to get this resolved. I then sent a letter on XX/XX/XXXX stating that I had paid everything in full, wanted the release, and asked for proof that something was owed if they still claimed it. I got no response, and MBFS has no records indicating that they responded or provided proof of the validity of the debt as required by law. 

I did not follow up, nor did MBFS. Almost 10 years have passed. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I traded the XXXX vehicle to a Mercedes dealer. After I closed on a new-to-me vehicle, the dealership learned that MBFS was still claiming an amount was owed and would not release the lien on the car. I got {$1200.00} for the trade. I made several calls to MBFS  and spent hours on the phone. They were initially unable to find any record of the debt using my name, social security number, contract number, vehicle identification number, or any other means. After many of these calls, they said they were able to pull some records, but the computer system they used had been changed over and all of the records were not available. 

Now MBFS is still claiming that I owe {$1300.00}. I have made repeated calls to MBFS and they will not provide me with a statement of account or any other means to determine that a balance is owed. I pointed out several times that this debt is barred by the statute of limitations ( expired at least 7 years ago ), and that attempting to collect is in violation of the law and without providing validity of the debt is illegal. The lien should be released. 
I had a conversation with XXXX from MBFS on XXXX. We identified : Phone number : XXXX Account : XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX said : The account was charged off in XXXX He was sending original documentation to prove the debt He was sending several collection letters The maturity of loan was XXXX MBFS had received my letter of XXXX and read it to me MBFS needs me to pay {$1300.00} to release the lien. 
I wanted proof something was owed. 

Several hours later, I got a secure email from MBFS. It did not include the items XXXX had promised. I wrote back : Thank you for sending this. I do not see included the document creating the liability, meaning the note or promise to pay and the terms. I do not see a calculation of what is owed and why. I do not see an account record showing when I made payments and when they were applied. I went through all of my records in XXXX to assure all payments were made. I also do not see any indication that I waived the statute of limitations ( 3 years in most places, including XXXX  ). I sent a letter in XXXX ( read to me by XXXX so I know it was received ) asking for proof of the debt. Under federal and state fair debt collection law, MBFS was required to provide that information within 30 days. No activity has occurred in 10 years. Please send the remaining documents as soon as possible. 

I have spoken to many other MBFS representatives since then. I have not gotten any further information about why they claim money is owed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation