In April I traded in a vehicle that my wife & I could no longer use. We are both disabled, retired and on fixed incomes. We were 'upside down' in our auto loan and looked to get the best deal possible to do away with the negative equity on the vehicle we had. Our dealer, whom we've had many purchases over the last 3 decades, gave us the numbers and we were convinced to go with an Auto Lease on a 2006 vehicle.
The monthly payments were a bit much but since we were getting a vehicle we could use, the auto insurance was very reasonable and we were getting the special discounts, rebates, etc applied to the total price of the vehicle. It all seemed very reasonable at the time.
After signing all the paperwork, I noticed that the due date was on the 12th of each month. I commented about this with the dealer folks and they stated that the Due Date could be changed with a simple call to the Lease Holder (US Bank). We drove away with out new vehicle.
The next < day I located the 800 number for US Bank and went thru their automated system and FINALLY got to talk to a Customer Service Representative (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one). Since my account was so new I would have to wait until I made the first month's payment.
I explained that it might be difficult to make the first month's payment since my SSI-Disability Check doesn't get deposited into my Bank's checking account until the 3rd Wednesday of every month. The CSR said there was nothing that could be done until the first payment.
Fortunately I was able to make my first Auto Lease Payment on the Due Date of the 12th. I then called US Bank again and spoke to a CSR. I explained my dilemma of the possibility of being late with a payment because of my SSI Check Deposit Schedule. I was promptly informed that I could make a change in my Due Date by giving the Bank $50.00.
I was taken aback. I told the CSR that in all my years of buying cars, getting credit cards, securing mortgages and obtaining personal loans that I had NEVER had to give ANY financial institution a Fee for a Request to change ONE DIGIT on my Due Date. I only wanted them to Change the 1 in 12 to 2 for 22. I said that if that one simple change could be done, then I would never have a Late Payment.
I refused to give them an EXTRA $50 bucks.
In February of this year, my SSI Check was deposited on the 3rd Wed. It was past the Due Date for my Lease. I called US Bank and tried to pay with a Phone Check or to make some other arrangement. ANY Phone or Internet Payment had a Fee attached to it. Even if I signed up for US Bank's Auto-Bill-Pay, I could not change my Due Date (without the $50 fee) and US Bank would then attempt to withdraw funds that weren't available from my Bank (Wachovia) and both would charge me excessive fees for the processing of unavailable funds.
My Wachovia Bill-Pay Service had to manually send a physical check to US Bank (seems that US Bank (USB Dealer Services) and Wachovia don't have a direct electronic connection (like every other major bank in the United States has). The check reached US Bank on the 23rd.US Bank promptly assessed me a Late Fee.
For the last 24 hours, I've been trying to get the Payoff Amount of my Auto Lease from US Bank. They wil only sent it by US Mail or by Fax. I have a Fax Machine.in ALL the attempts that US Bank made to send me the Payoff Page (one page mind you), I only received the bottom half of the Fax. This potion had no Account or Amount Info on it.
At one point Friday around noon, I contacted their "ever-helpful" CSRs and finally determined that they had sent my Payoff Fax to a Telephone Number with a 303 Area Code. 303 is the Denver/Boulder Colorado area code. My Area Code is 770. I don't even know anyone in Colorado.
Frustrated, I went to my Auto Dealer, I needed some Recall work done to my vehicle and I stopped in to see if the Sales Mgr could contact US Bank and get the Payoff Fax. Afterall, the Dealer were the people responsible for 'hooking' me up with US Bank. They had to make at least 3 phone calls and was told that the Fax would be sent to them in the "next 2 minutes". It took over an hour for the Fax to finally come thru. And at one point, a CSR told the Sales Mgr that it would be One Business Day before US Bank would send the Fax to the Dealer.
Near the end of the last phone call to US Bank, I got on the phone with presumeably a Supervisor (she never would identify herself) and she told me about the different telephone numbers that were noted in my file. I told her that I had (starting with the first phone call Thursday and continuing on with every phone call from my home on Friday) given just one Fax Telephone Number with a 770 Area Code. She called me a LIAR and that I had given them the 303 code with a completely foreign phone number with it.
I started to lose my temper. I asked her, "Why the HECK (not hell, tho' I almost did) would I give a CSR a different Area Code and phone number when I wanted it fax'd to my home. She countered by stating that the person who sent the Fax was one of her best employees and never makes mistakes.
I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS with US Bank again, in any shape, form or manner.
I WILL NEVER HAVE an Automobile Lease Again of any type. I will drive a 1963 VW Beetle before I lease another vehicle.
To say this Bank is a money grubbing spendthrift gives insult to all those who overcharge for worthless or meaningless fees and charges.
To say this Bank's Customer Service Representatives are Idiots and Incompetent is an Insult to all other Inept CSRs around the WORLD.
I will tell EVERY PERSON I meet, have contact with, chat with on the internet or stand in line with; just what the US Bank is and how they mistreat what they ironically call their Customers.
They advertise 5 Star Customer Service on their website. It should be 5 Screws Customer Service.
BTW, I'm a career professional and have an accredited University BA. Even tho' I'm in the southern USA, I'm not some dumb yokel that has a double wide and rusty cars growing up in the weeds in my front yard.
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