I have been dealing with Option One since 1999. At first they were find, until my husband's business (which was trucking) closed down due to a fire and was out of work. We contacted Option One and let them know that we may be late on the payments, but that we would try not to be if at all possible. Well, that did not last with them. They would call us continuously harrassing us and threatening to foreclose on our home. Well, in the meantime, my husband and I decided to file a chapter 13 bankruptcy because of his business, but that we did not include Option One in this. We felt that we could get things caught up with them, which in turn we did. Well I have to say for 3 years "it was so peaceful" because of the federal law they could not contact us.
About a year into the bankruptcy, apparently a check was bounced in July and I was not notified by Option One (as well as my oversight) they waited until we fell over their 15 day grace period and tried to foreclose on the home again. Well, being in a chapter 13, they have to go through the U.S. Bankruptcy courts and our attorney. Well, we came to an agreement, which was to pay our regular payments plus an additional $286.00 for 6 months, which my husband and I did this faithfully. All of the late fees and attorney fees were included so they would be taken care of.
On August 28, my husband and I were finally out of the bankrupcty and low-and-behold, on September 21 we get a certified letter from GUESS WHO? Option One, threatening saying that we owed them August and September. Well, since the recent problem we had with them, we have been sending their payment every month with confirmation so that we have our proof. Well, they have had both of my payments since September 11 at 9:15am, which I called them and told them. Well, they insist that they did not have the September one but the August one was there. Well, both of those payments were in the same envelope.
On October 8 I received a phone call from one of their obnoxious customer service insisting that I will need to pay september and october. I again informed her that they have the September one. She informed me that maybe "it was lost in the mail". Well, sending it by confirmation I had already knew that they had it. I told her this, well she puts me on hold for about 5 minutes and comes back and says that they don't have the September one, well I was furious because in the meantime they either lost the check or was trying to hold it so that I would pay October and they would have an extra payment.
Well I told her that I would stop payment on that check and give her one over the phone, again placed on hold for 10 minutes, and this supervisor comes on and tells me that "if I knew how to do my banking then I would know that the August payment bounced", well I informed him that i did know this and in that envelope was a certified money order for August and a personal check for September. Well, he puts me on hold again and I get the other women that I talked with prevous who tells me to give her a payment over the phone, which was fine by me, Well, again I get placed on hold and the supervisor comes back on and says "no, we can not take your check you will either have to western union the money or a money order, which was fine, I told him on Monday, October 11 I would go to my bank (unaware that it was a holiday) and send a money order.
Well because of the holiday on Monday, October 11, I went to my bank Tuesday, October 12 and got a money order for the September payment along with a late fee. Well, I did not have my account number with me so I called Option One to get my account number.
Well, I got the pleasure of talking with one of their "obxinous customer service people again. This one "takes the cake". He tells me that I was supposed to do this Monday (which was a holiday) and I told him this so MR BRIGHTNESS tells me I should have gone to the ATM (hello, you can only get $250 at the machine in one transation), know mind you I was only calling to get a account number, then he proceeds to tell me that i have over $1,000 in late fees, which I told him that it was paid previously while i was in the bankruptcy with the extra payments we had to make for 6 months, he insist i was wrong, i told him that I had asked for my check back as well as a 24 month history.
Well, MR BRIGHTNESS informs me that I am late and wants to know why? Well, I told MR CLUELESS that you "people" held that check and never notified me. He states that they (OPTION ONE) was not aware that I was out of the bankruptcy and could not notified me, HELLO, they notified me on September 21. Talk abouta liar and I told him this. Then MR CLUELESS tells me to "just hang on to that payment and wait and send it with the one that I'm sending on October 15". I told him that I was not going to do this and PLEASE!!! Just give me my account number.
After 2 hours of this harrassment, MR CLUELESS finally gave me my account number and I told him that I send it with confirmation and have since 2001 and will continue to do so. I can not believe that a company can treat people with the disrespectful that these people do.
My husband insits that we will never see the check or the 24 month history payment either, which he is probably right. Now in the meantime I have never in 5 years been over 30 days late with them and my husband and I are going to refinance the house so that we can get away from them (Option One). But before we do I will consult with an attorney on them. After reviewing this report there have been 36 complaints against these people and for the life of me, there still in business. Just about every complaint is the same: customer service problems, holding payments so they can get late charges, fraudently represented themselves. I don't care what my husband and I have to do but I will make sure these people will pay for their mistakes.
My only "peace of mind" was when we were in the chapter 13. But with the refinancing going on I will finally get some peace, because we do not care who we get as long as we are away from these people at Option One. I agree that the Department of Corporation in the State of California needs to review and audit these people for the misreprentation that they perform and just maybe with enough complaints and people writing to the state of california something will be done.
Maribeth
CLOVER, South Carolina
U.S.A.
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