I purchased a truck in March. I am disabled and terminally ill. I fell behind on my payments in October, and from October on, while I was very sick and not able to make a payment, I did not hear a word from anyone at Drive. Then I got a letter from a representative of Drive claiming there were several ways she could help me get caught up on my payments. I was 3 months behind. I was told that they could defer the payments I owed, but I would have to make one payment plus the interest before I could do that, or I could do a hardship refinance, which would lower my payments, but I would have to be current to do that.
I was getting calls from people who said they were assistant branch managers and could take care of my problem but needed me to be current first. I had at least 5 different people calling me a day, each 2 to 3 times. No one knew anything that was discussed with the last representative; they never note your account. Then you have a loss prevention representative who calls asking where you sleep at night and how many nights a week you are at your address.
In February I was contacted by another assistant branch manager who told me she was calling to try to collect one last time on the car. In our conversation she stated that my account had been charged off, and that if I wanted to do what was right, because the charge-off was not fair to the stockholders and owners of their company, I should try to start making payments and do the right thing. At that point their next step was to have their attorneys file a lawsuit against me to collect the balance due on the car loan. They would not come get the car, but just file against me.
I never got a notice that I was behind in payments. The invoices they send out never note if you are behind; they just show the next payment and that date. The account manager would call and discuss my account with anyone who answered the phone, giving out all the information as to how much I was behind, when I paid last and the payoff information, and then would tell the person that they should have me call within 10 minutes or they would file against me.
I was in the hospital at the time and got the message, and as sick as I was I returned the call within 7 minutes, only to be told that the person who had called me was gone for the day. I tried to call several times over the next few days and all I got was a voicemail service, Audiovox, that would not take messages. Their website never seems to be able to get emails to representatives. I think if enough people contact their attorney general's office and file a complaint, something might happen to them and their practices. I was told that a class action lawsuit might get their attention.
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