We had fairly good credit with a local car dealer in the town we had been married in and lived for 10 years. When we traded in our Pontiac Bonneville at the dealer we purchased it from for a newer Bonneville, the car dealer went with Americredit Financial Services. Our initial payment was our old Bonneville plus $2000.00.
Well, we never received any payment book, or anything from Americredit. After the first month, I called them and they said they never received the first payment. I went round and round with them until they finally found it. Then they lost it again. Then they found it again. Then I was (according to them), late on my first payment. When I inquired about a payment book, they said it is up to the consumer to know when to pay, how much to pay, and where to pay so that is why they don't send payment books.
As the months went by, I would mail in my payment from Western Pennsylvania to Fort Worth, Texas. I would call to see if they received it. Nope! I asked if I could send it directly to their location instead of the Post Office Box. They said the bank picks up everything in the Post office box every day and posts all payments that day so that was the best location to send payments to.
A month would go by, payment would not get posted, and they would demand payment via Western Union. I would send in a payment via Western Union, costing me an additional $15.00. During conversations with Americredit staffers, they were would be rude and argumentative. I travelled a lot at the time and on several occasions I would have rather heated conversations with a "staffer" over my cell phone while driving and navigating heavy traffic in around Philadelphia, Pa. Ever drive on the Skulykill Expressway?
It always turned out two or three days after making the Western Union payment that my regular payment would post. This went on for about three years. Several times I had checks bounce because I removed the amount ($429.00 per month) from my checking account to make the Western Union routed payments.
Two days before my Bonneville got repossessed, I called to check on the account and was told I was paid up.
The day it got reposessed, I was driving on the Skuylkill Expressway when a representative called about the account stating it was past due again and that she had HAD IT with my account!
I said I would get in another payment but the same thing keeps happening. They admitted on several occasions they had trouble getting mail from Pennsylvania. (my relatives in Texas get all our mail on time)
When I got home that day, a repo man came and knocked on the door about 6:00 pm. He argued and made a spectacle of taking the Bonneville, towing it around the block several times and blowing his little horn (all he could blow).
Americredit auctioned the vehicle shortly thereafter and gor $5000.00 for it.
One week later I had another car. The dealer financed it. When he ran my credit report it came back stating that I was 33 days past due on my Americredit account. That's two payments, the last just due. He wondered why they would reposses on such a short notice with so little amount.
I've had great results with this card dealer with whom I've been dealing with for the past three vehicles. No financial problems whatsoever.
To this day I get an occasional collection agent trying to collect on the remaining past due to Americredit but I will never pay since they so badly mishandled the account from DAY ONE.
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