When I first purchased my car, the agency financed it through CitiFinancial Auto. The monthly payments, in my opinion, were high, so I was ambivalent about accepting. My mother and I would share the payment of $401.52 to be able to get the much-needed vehicle. The car was purchased on June 17, and we were fine with that. We shared the expenses. However, I lost my job in November. I was left with a brand new $401.52 responsibility, but my mother managed to keep the payments going, and we were fine with that. I usually made my payments by phone.
However, CitiFinancial Auto was taken over by Santander Consumer USA circa September/October. My first billing statement from Santander Consumer USA was for October. When I called to make my usual payment, I was told that I had to pay a $10.95 Western Union fee along with my payment. I argued with them that under CitiFinancial Auto there was no such fee, and why was I required to pay it if it was not my fault that CitiFinancial Auto had gone under. I was required to pay it. I asked if I would be required to pay it if I paid online. Yes, I was also required to pay the $10.95 fee online. The only way I would be exempt from paying it was to send the payment through the mail by regular USPS.
I really didn't want to pay by mail because of the hassle of buying postage and driving to the post office to send it off; and, normally, I preferred to send my payments on time, and by mail they would receive it late. I felt uncomfortable writing checks with the funds not yet in the account, just so it would be received in a timely manner. Usually, payday was close to the due date. I sent that October payment by USPS, but after that I did not want to hassle with going to the post office, so I just decided to swallow the $10.95 Western Union fee and make my car payments online.
I would say that from then until now, I may have paid around $339.45 in Western Union fees just to be able to make my car payment. Monthly, I pay a total of $412.47 for that car payment, and I am still struggling, still being unemployed. The weight is on my mother's shoulders. I believe that something must be done to change that system. I make other payments online and no one else charges me Western Union fees. Is it fair?
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