Consumer complaint received 2025-08-22 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease — Changes in terms mid-deal or after closing
Company: Bridgecrest Acceptance Corporation
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
I contacted Bridgecrest through their text chat system to request a one week delay on my car loan payment. I was not behind and had been making regular on time payments. I was expecting a simple process, but what followed left me feeling humiliated, helpless, and emotionally drained. The representative I spoke with did not assist me in the way I expected. Instead of processing my request, she began pressuring me to agree to increase my monthly payment. I never asked for a modification or to restructure my loan. I simply needed a short delay. 

She began telling me that my payments were not going toward the principal in a way that showed ownership, and that I was not being a good steward of the loan. She said things like this is what other customers do and this is just advice but framed it in a way that made it feel like a condition for being helped. It felt manipulative and shaming. She turned a basic support request into an opportunity to lecture me and question how I manage my loan. 

She also insisted I explain my hardship in detail. When I gave a clear and respectful reason for my situation, she continued pressing for more personal information. She said she could not move forward without a more complete explanation. I was already in a stressful situation, and having to defend myself to someone who clearly did not want to help made it much worse. I felt like I was being interrogated and judged. 

I clearly explained that I needed to make my payment one week later, which is a common and reasonable request. The representative responded by saying they do not offer deferrals, as if that ended the conversation. At no point did I ask to skip payments or change the loan permanently. I was asking for a short delay. It was her responsibility to understand what I described, not dismiss my request based on terminology. Her refusal to process the request appropriately created unnecessary confusion and made the situation worse. 

I want to make clear that at no point was I trying to avoid responsibility or delay repayment indefinitely. I was upfront and honest about my temporary hardship, and I was simply asking for the smallest bit of flexibility. Instead, I was met with resistance and unnecessary demands. 

Eventually I asked to speak with someone else, and the second representative I spoke to granted the delay without requiring additional details, without trying to shame me, and without pushing me to increase my payment. This shows that the first representative either misrepresented company policy or was intentionally gatekeeping access to assistance. 

The contrast between the two representatives was jarring. The first made me feel as if I had done something wrong just by asking for help. The second handled the situation professionally and without bias. The fact that it took escalating the conversation just to receive basic support is unacceptable. 

After the interaction with the first representative, I felt defeated. I began to question whether asking for help had put me in a worse position. Her approach was not just unhelpful, it was emotionally damaging. I left that conversation feeling like a burden rather than a customer. I had done everything right up to that point, and I was made to feel like I was doing everything wrong. 

I have screenshots of the full conversation and am willing to share them. My experience is not isolated. Public consumer reviews on sites like the XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX describe Bridgecrest agents as aggressive, unethical, and unwilling to support borrowers seeking short term assistance. The conduct I experienced appears to reflect a larger pattern. I am asking that Bridgecrest review the conduct of the first representative, ensure payment delay requests are handled with fairness and professionalism, and confirm that no changes were made to my loan terms based on that conversation. No one should have to feel ashamed or pressured when asking for a simple delay in payment.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation