Back in 2001 my live-in boyfriend (now ex) wanted to purchase a car from drivetime. He went and filled out some papers and I went with him the next time he went and they told me it would be a good idea to be on the paperwork also to build my credit. I was hesitant but he convinced me that it would be the best for me in the long run. I was 20 years old at the time and had barely any credit. I went ahead and signed for a car with him and a few weeks later they called again to do some more paperwork but I didn't go that time.
We had some problems with the car but nothing major. A year later me and my boyfriend split up and I called Drivetime to make sure payments were being made to the car. They told me I wasn't on the account. I called back several times and talked to several different people and they all told me I wasn't anywhere on his account. They said that maybe he ended up signing the papers in his name only. I called back a few months later and one of the finance managers told me that there was a different girl on the account with him (his new girlfriend) and that I was still nowhere on the account. I asked them if they can look at the original contract to make sure. He said he would call the office in AZ where they keep the originals and have it sent to him. He said that if I'm on the contract he would give me a call but if I didn't get a call from him then I wasn't on the contract. He never called me back but of course I called them back a couple months later. I spoke to another finance manager named Walter. He told me that I was not on the contract and that he could not tell me about any information on the account including payments. I asked if he was absolutely certain that I was not on the contract. He said I was not and I asked if my credit would be affected if anything went wrong with the account. He said that I would not be affected in any way because I was not on the account. I asked him to note in the account that I called but he said that since I had nothing to do with the account he could not put that in the notes. I ended up calling the corporate office to try and see a copy of the contract for myself but they also told me that I was not on the account and that they could not send me a copy.
I left it alone after that but a year later in 2004 I applied for a credit card and got denied. I got copies of my credit report and a repo from drivetime was on there! I called the corporate office and after a lot of voicemails and call transfers I found out that the contract they have on file is the one I signed. They said that my ex bought a car from there with his new girlfriend and for some reason her name replaced mine on his other account too. My name was put back on the account after the girlfriend filed a dispute a few months after the car was repossesed. I explained how every employee I spoke to in the past told me that I was not on the account or on the contract. They said there was nothing they can do.
I went into the Drivetime that we bought the car at and they were familiar with this account. They said they were sorry and it was a "computer glitch". I made sure they noted everything my visit there in the account. They gave me the name to someone I could speak with at the corporate office. I called them and they pretty much told me that I could go ahead and take them to court and they would go there with the signed contract and I would have no proof of their error. He also told me that if I took them to court they would win and would order payments to be garnished out of my paycheck. They said that I could give them $1300 and they would call it even and I could try to dispute it with the credit agency later. I didnt have that kind of money and now i'm stuck with it on my credit.
I called the county bar association where they will let you talk to a lawyer for $35 and if they choose to take your case it would be at a low charge. The lawyer much told me that since they have that contract I couldn't really do anything about it and I should just wait until it comes off my credit.
A few months later I got a call from a collections agency. I told them the situation and that if they wanted a payment they should contact the primary on the contract. They said drivetime said I was primary. I told them I was not and that I have never even driven that car. I told them how Drivetime screwed me over. The lady was very understanding and said she would give me a call back to see if I had any other information. She never called me back.
I know now that I should have never co-signed with him and at the time i was young and stupid. If anyone knows anything else I can do about my situation please let me know.
L
oxnard, California
U.S.A.
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