I was contacted by this company near the end of last year. They offer to assist homeowners in modifying their mortgage. Being that we have had long-standing problems with our lender, we decided to check into this further. I was directed to Trustlink, an online feedback website, where people leave good or bad reviews of their experiences. This company had over 30 positive reviews. The BBB gave them good marks.in my research, I learned that our lender liked to offer temporary modifications only, and while they would promise that the customer could apply for an 18 month mod once the original 6 month mod was completed, I have yet to find any one person who ever was approved for this longer modification. So here comes Sanctuary Capital, telling us that for a flat fee of $2500, they can get a permanent modification for us. They state on their website that they collect NO MONEY UPFRONT—that they get the modification approved or "you don't pay". So we decided to move forward with it. They also state on the website that they provide you with your own log-in and password so that you always know whats going on with your case. They enter notes into the system and you are never left in the dark. Fantastic! Except for one thing—they don't actually do those things.
We signed on with them last December. They requested some basic documentation, which we provided. We were then notified that they are speaking with our lender, and that we are officially eligible for a permanent modification. So now, they start asking us to pay their fee... Hang on a second, their website said that they get you approved or you dont pay... Right? But sure enough, they are asking for the full $2500. When I questioned this, I was told that the approval was done, and that the sooner we could get the fee paid and submit the remainder of the documents they would be asking for, the sooner we would know the terms. I asked how long this part of the process should take, and I was advised that within 72 hours, we would know what the deal was. So we paid. It was at this point that we were supposed to receive our log-in as I mentioned... Well, we received it alright—but the original note that showed us receiving our password was the only note ever put into it. For FIVE MONTHS, I hounded these people to inform us where exactly we were in the process. And while they never had a problem contacting me to ask for updated documentation, no one could tell me why I couldnt see any updates, or how to fix it.
So, we were sending every document they asked us for. I then get a letter in the mail from our lender, informing me that our modification application was denied. So I call the lender, and was informed that they had not received a single document from this company, aside from the original application. Nothing. So I call Sanctuary to ask them what the deal is, and I was told not to worry, that the lender was lying to me, and that they would fix it immediately. I check with my lender and learn that yes, a new application was submitted, so we decided to wait it out a bit. But when our second denial letter came, I was really getting disgusted. This second letter was partially my fault, because I kept them waiting for one document. But once again, my lender informed me that they still had not received one single document. I was told that if they had received the other documents, they would not have denied it so quickly, but would have allowed more time to get everything else together. Sanctuary informed me that it would still work out, that they would apply a third time. I told them fairly loudly that I was not going to sit back another day and not have updates from them. I was told two weeks ago that they would redo the log-in for me so that I could see everything. Well, what they did, a week later finally, was create a whole new account log-in. When I say a whole new one, I mean that the original note was now gone, the case # was changed, everything. I was told that this was my file all along, yet things were obviously changed. This lead me to believe that this new file was wholly created from scratch very recently. There were entries in it, but they did not always match up to the email paper trail that I had saved.
Amanda told me that she would call me back to discuss the other issues I had concerns about. She never called. Through the next several days, I left repeated voice mail messages and even sent email. They sure could be reached immediately when they wanted my money... But suddenly, they were nowhere to be found! I do some more digging—I spoke to the CA attorney general's office.in that phone call, I was informed that it is a CA state law that they are not allowed to take one penny from a customer until the modification is 100% complete and approved. Clearly this didnt happen with me. So I leave them an angry voice mail—still no response. Then, I go on trustlink's website and left a public review there... What do you know—almost immediately I get a phone call back from Judi, one of the higher-ups at Sanctuary. She's trying to do damage control with me, and in the process she isnt telling me the truth. She claims that they cannot submit any documents until the full package is complete, but I look back through the notes in my log-in and they claim to have submitted several documents without having the full package. So, either they lied to me in their notes or she lied to me on the phone. Either way, dishonest... And that isnt the only dishonesty. We were asked for paystubs... We provided my wife's paystubs, and I work for myself. Later on, we were asked to provide a letter stating that my wife does not work or contribute any income to the household. They KNEW she worked. I even asked them about this—and I was told not to worry, that nothing bad could happen from it. Even in dealing with Judi last week, she talked out both sides of her mouth on this one. First she claimed to be outraged that someone in her company would tell a customer such a thing—and then she asked me to allow them to continue trying to get us a modification, knowing that they were lying to my lender in the process.in the end, she did offer a refund, which I agreed to. Her other offer was for us to wait it out another 30-45 days to see what they could get for us with the lender. I firmly believe that if I didnt have them over a barrel so badly that I would have had to fight to get my money back. It sure did help that I have the phone calls recorded—it's legal in my state to do it—and also that I had spoken with attorneys general in two states and an attorney. I'm certain that she was aware of the trouble they are facing because of the way they choose to do business. DO NOT trust these people with your money. There are other cases online of people who were told they werent getting their money back. Maybe Judi would have made good, and maybe she wouldnt have... But no one should have to fight this hard to get a service-based company to provide the service they have already illegally taken payment to provide. I have my refund, but I am going to spread my experience around so that others do not fall into the same trap.
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