Citizens Automobile Finance won't discuss mixing up billing

I called for a pay off on my SUV on 8/25/2008.
I was not happy with the results.

Citizens Automobile Finance has been refusing to accept payment on my car. They keep sending the check back to my bank. I called them and they said it was because I had taken out bankruptcy. I have still be making payments on the car. The refusal of payment just started a couple months ago.

On September 28, 2008, I sent my payment to Citizens Automobile Finance by FedEx (like I usually do), I put a stop-payment request on the check because I did not receive a return receipt stating the FedEx package had been received by the company. I immediately issued another check-I sent it by FedEx as well (I did this because I was already behind on my payments). Every check I have issued to Citizens Automobile Finance since then has been done by forced payment according to my banking institution. I don't know why Citizens Automobile Finance would have to force a payment; I only put stop-payment on one check.

Citizens want you to be late on your payment! I am having difficulties and foresee problems with payment. Payments are up-to-date and on-time. Do not want to get behind and mess up my credit. They refuse to give me an extension on payment until I am 30-days late and they report to the credit bureau. So much for being responsible!

The most incompetent bank I have ever seen. Absolutely no help or cooperation when contacting them with regard to a pay off I made on a car loan. Totally inept from the telephone personnel right up to the supervisor. Would rather walk then finance another vehicle with them.

I just financed a car through them on 11/10/08 and still don't have the papers for payments - which is due in 10 days. After reading all of your posts, I think I will be getting a money order each month to make my payments! I'm concerned they will screw up my credit.

I have the same problem with my RV loan. I will never forgive Chase Bank (BankOne) for selling the loan to Citizens in 2006). They have miss-applied payments and have told me that I can't pay extra principal with each payment. The customer service is terrible.

I just paid off the loan on my Avalanche, and Citizens Auto sent me a bill for $490.00 more. What is the deal? I'll call them tomorrow and find out what is going on!!

I have had nothing but trouble dealing with Citizens from the first time I called them for help when I lost my job. They told me the amount to pay, if paid by a certain time they would not report it to my credit bureau, but they fail to keep their end of the bargain. They allow 10 grace period, but phone payments and on time mailed payments are being held for over 10 days so they can assess a late fee. I had to set up a payment extension for one month while i was off from work for surgery and they said my payment had to be current, which i did, but 4 months later, the extension was finally applied but I also paid for the month they extended. I went back to the beginning of the loan and i have overpaid and am ahead. My recent statement says I'm owing a $70 late fee, but when I called them they said I was current. I dread working with the company any longer but have no choice as I cannot payoff my loan right now. Lenders beware.

You jokes gettin ripped off.

mr427ford wrote:

I have the same problem with my RV loan. I will never forgive Chase Bank (BankOne) for selling the loan to Citizens in 2006). They have miss-applied payments and have told me that I can't pay extra principal with each payment. The customer service is terrible.

They finally started sending out payments in 2009 that would allow you to pay extra principal, before you had to send it 2 checks. I sent in a payment that they say went totally to principal. I talked with them to see how they came up with this figure, showing them that if I had made the mistake of writing my payment wrong, and did put the payment amount in the extra principal box, then the extra in the other payment box should have been applied to payment, the principal reduction on my statement doesn't show either amount right, they couldn't answer why this didn't show up. They said they would get it straight, as of yet they still haven't. I've never had a late payment on any bill in over 10 years and have the credit statements to prove it. I owe way under what my car books for and a salesman I know said to watch them as they will try and repo me and blame me, he said to contact the Attorney General in my state and let them talk with them.

I am having trouble with two misapplied payments (one in Feb and one in April '09). I made the payments on time...actually a little ahead of time and both were applied to the principal and not to the loan. Then they wanted to charge me interest and late fee payments for THEIR MISTAKE. I have spoken with several people there, always asking to speak to a "manager" but I always get the bull from them about how they are using a new computer system and they haven't got the bugs worked out of it yet. Honestly, how difficult is it to enter in the amount of the loan payment and to enter in the amount of extra principal paid. This can't be that difficult!
I just read about someone's credit problems two years after she paid off the balance of her car loan. They had trashed her credit for not having paid the full amount...unfortunately she paid in full the amount given to her as her pay off amount and got the title to her car as paid in full. They just neglected to tell her that they had given her the wrong amount.
It makes me dread paying off my loan with them now too. So others beware of this company. Oh...and when you ask to get a name of a VP or CEO, they won't give you any names. Hmmmm....no one wants to be responsible???? Something is fishy with this organization. Definitely not customer service oriented.
BEWARE!!!

In January I called Citizens (CAF) to try to work out payment arrangements for my auto loan because my job was eliminated due to the economy. I'm on the last year of a 4 year finance with good repayment history. CAF refused to work with me at all. They told me to be late or refinance the vehicle. Since then I have been late with payments, having been out of work for 5 months, and have tried several times to get them to lower the payments until I got back on my feet - all to no avail. Last week I talked with someone who called and I set up a post dated check. The woman told meit would put my account back in good standing and prevent repo. Tonight some woman called me to demand the 590 dollars I'm behind and told me that the calls will continue until I pay up. BTW, the woman last week charged me an additional $20 for the privilege of getting my account bank in standing without repo; I'm so sick of dealing with these often rude, obnoxious people I'm just not answering my phone anymore. I work now and If I ever finance another vehicle, it will absolutely not be with CAF.If anyone ever tells me they are buying a vehicle I'll tell them if the dealership comes back with CAF offering to finance, walk away.

Citizen's really is having a computer error with their processing system for doing payments, but have constantly admitted they don't know when they will be fixing it, thousands of consumers are having the "misapplied as principal payment" and the only way the bank ever catches it is if you, the consumer, calls in about it...so don't expect any help from them soon! They're also outsourcing now to a company in Chicago that doesn't know what they're doing that cause people to make payments stating that your payment must have been lost in the mail (when it was really applied as principal!)

I just got financing through this bank on a new auto. I have been waiting for my payment coupons or somethig to come in mail to make payment haven't gotten anything yet. After reading all the commnets not very happy about having this company as my new finance company.

Does anybody know the corporate office #?

What# do i call to talk to someone about my acc. have been with them 2 yrs. auto payment have never gotten anything from them showing how much i owe

I too have Citizens Auto for my car loan. I have paid my payment as much as 5 days late and never had a late fee. They mail out a statement to me once a month and It's always there. Haven't had too many problems with the car loan but will never bank with them again they are a nightmare to bank with!