Remember me... repo? Can they do this?

[DisneyDreamer04]

Well,

I thought I would ask here, since I got good advice before... Last month, I was on here asking about walking me thru a repossession. Well, I spoke with them, they agreed to defer the two payments I was behind, if I made one. We did. Now, today I had 4 phone calls on my phone telling me I needed to contact them today or else?? I called and they said that if I didnt pay them 647.14 today, that tomorrow it was going to recovery services! I was shocked. I thought all was good, we werent behind anymore trying to play catch up, and all was good. They informed that the deferment didnt go thru, and that I had to pay today. Tomorrow, I was going to pay our other payment (July's) and they want it, and the two others. They didnt want to work anything out, but to tell me it was all my fault and had no one to blame but ourselves, and they were going to come and take it, if I didnt give them my check acct# to draft out of. I tried to explain that wouldnt do no good, as I didnt have hardly 100.00 in it. The worst thing was I thought we were doing ok. I had established a budget, and we were thinking we could dig out of this mess. So, I sit here like I have just been hit with ton of bricks. Crying. My husband's old beater of a truck is not even working right now, because the water pump has gone out, and while trying to take it out something else happened. So, we are done to a one car family, and need this car, or he cant get back and forth to work. THis is still a shock, and he doesnt get paid again until this coming friday. I have applied several places for fulltime and part time retail anything, and I never get a call for an interview, and he is doing everything he can.

On top of everything they were very mean and hurtful, and made me feel worse than I already did. Now, I guess I get to sit up all nite trying to hear if they are coming to take in the middle of the night, or never leave it at walmart or the grocery store, and who knows what else...

Any advice??

 

[BelleBeautyandtheBeast]

Maybe call again and hopefully get someone different to talk to. I would think that a 2 month deferment would not be a big deal, my car loan bank offers me 1 month loan deferments in the mail all the time.

Otherwise could you take the money for the payment you were going to make for July to fix your husband's truck?

Or contact legal aid?

 

[mickeyluvr004]

I would call and ask to speak to a manager, you are trying to make good on this loan and I would tell them that you are trying your best.. I would think that it would cost them more to repo it than to give you a defferment. What happened and why didn't it go thru?? With the unemployment status these days I would think they would want to work with you as not everyone is looking to buy any type of vechile these days, Good luck and let us know how it works out and don't forget to get names of who you talk to this way if you talk to a manager and then 2 days later so and so calls you, you can say well I spoke with --- and it's all set...

 

[DisneyDreamer04]

I just wish they would be willing to work with me alittle. They did tell me when I got off the phone with them in june that it was all ok, and it went thru. Now, it is a different story. Please know that I dont excuse our mess financially, but I cant pull money from thin air.

What happens when they do take it? I mean how soon till they sell it and ding dong us for the difference? Can they work out some kind of payment arrangement?? Or no?

 

[mindyd]

I would call back a lot of times it really makes a difference in who you talk to. I would explain you talked to them last month and you have kept up with what they said you needed to do and maybe they will work with you.

 

[akcire]

Call your loan issuer back, you may automatically be routed to collections based on your personal information. Do not type any information into the VRU, instead # out until you get a live person. Ask that person for a customer service supervisor, or manager, tell her your story.....if you get it worked out ask that person to put a collections hold on your account, this prevents future collections calls. If you are on a payment plan, and fulfilling it in good faith they need to keep their side of the deal. Keep in mind collectors get paid and bonus to bring accounts current, that person that called and treated you like crap, they get a cut if they can get you to pay while on the phone.

I talk to collections people every day at my job, when I am helping people resolve banking problems. If this loan is with a bank, and calling does not get you anywhere, then you need to go to a local branch and meet with the branch manager.

Good Luck

 

[rogers803]

Try to call them in the a.m. If someone will work with you go to the lender and get it on paper. if they take your car it will be auctioned and they will send you a bill. i would keep trying to find someone to work with me, who is the lender?
good luck. your not the only one in trouble.

 

[firsttimer2007]

You might check into collection laws in your state. I thought if they accepted a payment from you then you had so much (not sure how much) time until you have to make a payment again. If they accept that one then they can not reposses again until so much time.

So as long as you are making payments on time and regularly then you should be okay.

You ARE talking to a collection agency. They WILL lie to you. The only way they make money is to collect from you. So make sure you are making payment to the bank NOT the collection agency.

Of course all of this is said without knowing your situation.

 

[Grumpy'sWife4Ever]

I think it is quite possible that because you are in arrears, your name got kicked over (via computer) to the collections dept (often an agency that contracts out, not an actual part of the "company") and they could have no info on you except how much you owe. All they want is for you to pay because that is how THEY get paid. Don't panic until you call and talk to the actual finance department of the original business you contracted with. And I know that those collections people can be rude and nasty (and they DO lie and do intimidate by illegal means) so don't let them get to you! Screen your calls until you can get this worked out, there is no need to let them browbeat you any further......

 

[lillygator]

what car lloan com is this?

 

[Cruise]

I agree with the PPs. Anyone saying "give me your checking account number so we can draft the money now" would set of warning bells in my head. YOU need to call your loan company - the same number you called back in June to try to work it out.

 

[DisneyDreamer04]

My car loan is thru Citifinancial auto. In June I called the number on my invoice statment, today I called the number that was given to me over the phone. I did call twice today, as I was in such a panic. The lady I got the last time I called wasnt any nicer. She just said that I had only paid XYZ this year, and they were tired of cutting me a break. I was two payments late, not including July's payment that is coming up due tomorrow. I had every intention of making a payment tomorrow thru moneygram tomorrow. But she said it wouldnt do any good if I didnt have the other 647.14 to go with it. So, now if they are coming to get it, is there any need to make the payment?? I know that sounds bad, but as tight as our money is... I kept my end of the deal for the deferred payment, and now I have no idea what to do. I dont know whether I should call the people back on my statement or the others. Apparently, they are citifinancial too. That is what is says when I call anyway.

Thank you guys for the great advice, though. I just knew everything went too easy and it was too good to be true.
I swear, It is so easy to get depressed about this stuff, because when you are digging up out of a hole, and it just seems someone is on top shoveling it right back down on you.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Call the number on the statement first thing in the AM.

Be polite and firm and ask for a manager.

 

[Kycha]

I agree with PP's. The number you called today was a collections company and not the loan company or bank your loan is through. The way they spoke to you today is a tactic some collections companies will use to get you to settle your account. Whatever you do, do not give them you bank account information. Like Handbag Lady suggested, call the loan company directly and ask to speak to a supervisor. Good luck, and things will be alright.

ETA: I just wanted to add that how this collections company treated you, verges on harassment. It might be a good idea to read up on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. It is there to help protect debtors. You have the right to notify the collections company to no longer contact you. It has to be done in writing though.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf

 

[wickywinn]

My loan is thru citifinancial too. I've been late a couple of times on my payment and know that the citifinancial calling you demanding payment IS in fact a collection agency, not the citifinancial loan company. Call the number on your bill and speak to a manager. They should have in front of them that your are on some sort of repayment plan and will probably tell you that it's collections that is calling you - and will still continue to call you- until you are current.

 

[mkymouse1928]

Just because they identify themselves as the lender when you call the number doesn't necessarily mean they are that company. I work for an outsource company (not collections) and we are instructed to identify ourselves as the lender. As stated before, call the number on your statement, not the number that was given to you by the collections person. Also, do you have the name of the person who helped you before? Try contacting that person. Hang in there. It will all work out.

 

[PinkRhombus]

The way they treated you IS awful...but I have to ask. You set this up last month. When did they tell you the other late payments were due by? Is this month's payment you were getting ready to make...is it late? I mean, even by a day or two?

 

[JoliBug]

I agree with previous posters that you were probably talking to a collections agency. That being said they are making demands that they have no legal right to. I found out over a year after my divorce that my ex had charged something on an account I thought was closed and I never recieved a bill so I was unaware until it went to collections. I freaked out and gave them my bank account number for montly payments because that is what they said I had to do in order to keep it out of court, which would hurt my security clearance. A few weeks later in our Financial Peace class I learned that them telling me that was illegal. You do not have to give out your bank account information because if you do they could potentially take out any amount that they want to. I would call citifinancial. DH had a personal loan and his house through them and they have always been really easy to deal with when his ex did not pay her part of either for several months.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The way they treated you IS awful...but I have to ask. You set this up last month. When did they tell you the other late payments were due by? Is this month's payment you were getting ready to make...is it late? I mean, even by a day or two?

The OP said "deferred". As I understand this, it means the loan is extended two more months beyond when it should have been paid in full. I've been wrong before, but that's how I see it.

 

[Familycircus]

The people you are dealing with over the phone are what is referred to as first party collections, an outsource company that Citi has contracted with to handle their collection calling. I have worked for a collection company that had two branches. First and third party collections. First party identifies themselves as the lender.
Do you have a Citi office near you? We have our second mortgage and took out a loan on our car through Citi. The people in the offices have been very accomidating and helpful. They have a branch locator on their website. Find the closest one, don't call just go there today. They may not have your loan at that location but they should be able to be of some assistance. The other thing is we can go to the branch and make a payment there. If you find one close that might be a better option for you instead of giving your acct info over the phone and dealing with the collection folks. If the loan is at collections, Citi would report your payment to that company as what is called a "direct".