On 4/7 Angelica, from the Auto Loss Control division at Citifinancial, phoned me. She said the insurers had already paid their share and that $998.26 remained owing. She asked whether I would pay $650 as a settlement to close it out, and I said yes. She said she would first consult her supervisor and then ring me.
On 4/18 I called and left a message. On 4/28 I called again and reached Tim Sharp, who said Angelica had left the company and that he would be handling my case. He planned to consult his supervisor and asked me to call the next day. I did, and was told once more to come back again within a day or two. I called again, and he still lacked an answer but promised a callback. I had given them my home, work and cell numbers. No call ever came.
The next contact was on 5/12, when I spoke with a Mr. Cast, who said the $650 had been approved. I asked to pay it in two installments, dated 5/23 and 6/23. He said I could send the money by Western Union, and when I asked about a certified check from my bank, he said that would work too. I also asked whether a letter or statement confirming the agreement and giving the payment address would be sent. His reply was that it would go out by mail.
On 6/11 Michael from the collection recovery office called me and said no settlement existed and that I now owed $1,742.22. He told me his office knew nothing about the earlier offer because it worked out of a different location. I asked for his supervisor, and he said someone would call me back. Nothing happened, so on 6/13 I called and sat on hold with music for 15 minutes before giving up. I tried every number to see if I could enter an extension, and none allowed it.
On 6/16 I finally reached Mary Beckhold. She said my loan had been written off and that my debt now stood at $1,801.46. Paying $950.00, which is 50%, would get my credit report to show the account as charged off and paid. I told her I would be contacting the Consumer Protection Agency about a practice of offering a settlement, dropping it and never answering, all while the loan balance climbs. My guess is that this happened because I had held the loan for a mere 1 1/2 years before the accident, and they want to win back some of what they lost on it.
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