Tidewater Motor Credit is THE WORSE auto financing company you'll ever have the displeasure of dealing with. I would recommend, 100% and unequivocally, against them.
But if you have no choice, it would behoove everyone and anyone who falls for them to read up on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act to protect your rights when dealing with this company.
They are a high-risk financier of auto loans and know who they are loaning to so those lurkers being paid by Tidewater Motor Credit to come here to defend them need to remember that before excoriating people who have legitimate and just complaints against this company, your Masters knew who their customers were to begin with.
Tidewater does not have customer service people. They have used-car salespeople/collection agents working the phones, so if you're calling to get an extension on your payment (I haven't, so you lurking Tidewater lackeys need not assume this applies in my case), don't expect any customer service. You'll get collection service personnel who will do everything and anything in their power to get you to do auto-withdrawals from your bank account (H*LL NO).
I have been late TWICE, and not in the sense of weeks or months, but A DAY or two. And this was beyond my fault, but it was because of my suddenly remembering it was around that time that I needed to make a payment that saved my arse.
Afraid of getting a bad mark against your credit for being a day or even a few weeks late? Everyone knows, creditors may not report a bad rating to Credit Reporting Agencies when a payment is made less than 30 days late or they are in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. They know it and so should you. CRAs can only report late payments when they're 30 days or more late. If you know you were less than that and Tidewater reports you late, get it removed via the CRAs.
Those two times I have been "late" was because Tidewater Motor Credit themselves mailed the monthly statement out late, and I didn't get it until four to six days after the due date. It might shock you lurkers to know, but there IS life outside of paying Tidewater Motor Credit on time, so if they want you to pay on time THEY SHOULD BILL YOU ON TIME.
So, Tidewater Motor Credit sent out my monthly statement almost a full week AFTER the due date. Did they care? Nope. They begin calling one day after the due date! The first time I was kind enough to pick up their call, and when they told me I was a day late, I told them I had not received their statement. Then that sweet-voiced collection agent - I mean, customer service rep - began schooling me about how I should memorize the due date and even though I don't receive the statement I should send payment anyhow, blah, blah, blah.
They also have a habit of calling each and every phone number you gave them, each and every day and leave the nicest messages with the sweetest voices. But when you call back, please, please, PLEASE don't expect that sweet-voiced collection agent - I mean, customer service agent - to be as nice.
This is why you should never, EVER call them. If you want to contact them, write them an e-mail or a letter. It also leaves a "papertrail" so if it hits the fan, you've covered yourself. And if you're looking for their help when times are tough on you (as the many reports here have shown you) fuggedaboudit. Customer service, as any good business will provide, is nonexistent with this company, so why pay them the courtesy and call them when you can write them and cover your behind?
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