Consumer complaint received 2025-09-25 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Auto debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Seized or attempted to seize your property
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Beginning XX/XX/XXXX I fell behind on my monthly payments. At that time, I had been unemployed for almost XXXX  months. I secured employment XX/XX/XXXX. I am paid XXXX per month and resumed payments on my debt to Citizens in XX/XX/XXXX. I was told in either XXXX or XXXX that because of the number of missed payments, I would be referred to the repossession department despite making a payment. I asked how I avoid this action, as it is an additional {$150.00} in addition to the {$460.00} payment for a total of more than XXXX each month. I was told make ' a payment ' before next monthly payment- I was neither told nor do I recall being told I would need to make the entire amount of my monthly payment to avoid repossession assignment. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was told by XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX that I was misinformed and that my payment of {$150.00} ( that was accepted ) would not prevent repossession until a full payment is received before end of month. I noted on the call I would be making my normal monthly payment in XXXX, as I made a payment in XXXX, the misrepresentation of previous rep, and that I would be filing a complaint. 

Additionally, during my call in either XXXX or XXXX, I attempted to make a payment and was told the repossession department was closed and because I had been referred to repossession, they could not accept my payment. I knew this incorrect because previous payments had been accepted on a Saturday and a rep told me 'they would note to my file payment was made to the repossession department ' on weekend and accepted my payment after making both the payment of {$150.00} and my monthly payment. I called back minutes later and spoke to a different rep, they accepted both my monthly payment and required that I pay the monthly payment + the repo fee despite being told by the previous rep they could not process my payment because the repo department was closed that Saturday. 

In total I have paid {$600.00} to Citizens- not to catch up on the payments but to prevent my vehicle from being repossessed despite my best efforts to get caught up and keep them updated. They have misrepresented information to me about the repossession fee, their hours of operation ( I was told they are closed on the weekend despite what the statement says that I receive each month ), and procedures. I surmise they want to push consumers to pay the additional repossession fees in lieu of getting caught up. While they have stated they don't want to take repossession of the vehicle and prefer for payments to be made, I was previously told to surrender the vehicle despite making payments to work toward catching up. 

Lastly, on previous calls they have refused to accept payments in the past unless I was making the entire monthly payment + the repo fee. When I questioned why they could not take some payment, the response was simply I needed to make at least the repo fee + my monthly payment or nothing. 

Note : This is a XXXX  year loan and I was current on every payment until XX/XX/XXXX. This has cost me additional financial and mental distress- constantly worried that my car will be taken if I don't come up with an additional {$150.00} each month to 'move it out of repossession '. I would be caught up if the repossession fees were applied to my balance instead of some nebulous repossession department.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation