A company called Peak 5 (which keeps mysteriously changing names - first, it was Centrix Financial, which was acquired by Flatiron, before it became Peak 5), the lien holder through which my car is financed, is giving me the run-around. They're as bad as Henderson-Webb, the management company of The Bluffs apartments, where we live (Columbia, Maryland).
I called, and spoke to one gal who said, "Hold on," once I explained my situation and told her the extension of the manager I had spoken with on Saturday. I had known of the history of this company for bad dealings with their customers. I had seen many a complaint online, and I was already nervous and wary. As customers we shouldn't have to feel belittled and scammed when we confront corporations who get our G.D. money, who thrive, because of OUR business; and yet see fit to treat us like criminals at times.
The manager, Lori, whom I initially spoke with on Saturday, despite my fears, was kind and helpful and made copious notes on my account. So, I'm guessing she is new. I made detailed notes of the whole conversation as well, writing down her phone number and direct extension, etc. I came away very pleased. The reason I called her was that an issue with my due date not coinciding with the date they auto-debit my account monthly was causing me to show as delinquent in my payments. When I set up my account with this company to debit my bank account each month, we set it up to coincide well with my pay periods, and that was mid-month. At that time, it was never explained to me that the due date did not correspond to when they saw the payments deducted. I started to get harassing calls. One guy even said to me on my voicemail, "Call us back by noon, or else."
At this time, my auto-debit was set up like clockwork. I have never missed a payment.
When I called about this, they said that even though this discrepancy of 12 days would not affect my credit, it would add up in late fees. I asked to change the due date, and they couldn't do it over the phone. They explained that I'd have to sign a form that they could mail out to me. They could not fax the form that I had to sign to do this. Yet I could fax it back to them. Fine, so they said they sent out the form. When I received it, I opened it that day, and it had a due by date to have it signed and back to them. The date had already passed! So, I was frustrated and busy, as we all are, and laid it aside to deal with soon. My payment came out, and the harassing phone calls were stymied until the beginning of that next month. They began again. I kept thinking, "Are these people so stupid that they can't put two and two together and determine that I am paying on time as of the date set up for my automatic payment, and not intentionally paying them late?!" But I guess that's how companies are. No one thinks out of the box, and everyone has that narrow little function they perform without much thought or human emotion.
As I was saying, the manager, Lori, was very polite and helpful (but I'm now not so sure she was truthful, probably just telling me what I wanted to hear, because then she could wash her hands of it and send me into phone tag hell). She told me that, in good faith, she would authorize removal of the late fees. All I had to do was make one call today to Customer Service, where someone could read her notes and make the change. Having dealt with so many of these amorphous companies by now, alarm bells went off in my head. I wasn't sure why Customer Service would have the authorization to make the changes, and a manager would not, but I thanked her and saved my notes.
Today I called back, knowing how these companies work by now, and expected the worst. I got it too, unfortunately.
I gave the lady on the phone a rundown of my blood type, last will and testament, and the exact coordinates of some gold I hid on the bottom of the Indian Ocean, etc. Then I explained carefully what had transpired with Lori, and why I was calling. She verified that there were notes on the account, as Lori had specified. She seemed skeptical. Inexplicably, she put me on hold and disappeared, and I was suddenly on with a guy who was clueless as to why I was transferred to him. I had to re-explain the whole situation over. Then, this second c/s rep. disappeared from the phone without a word, and I was transferred to yet ANOTHER guy. And, I re-explained, again, the entire situation. A third guy came on, and still no resolution. He was rude from the get-go. He launched into how "it was my fault" and not Peak 5's, and he said he would not remove the late fees. He was a c/s rep., and not even a manager. I wrongly assumed that if Lori had authorized this, he had to make the change. That was what she'd led me to believe. I explained, politely, that she was a supervisor, and had authorized this (I mean I figured she had some pull at least). I said that she had been very clear that this would be allowed. I told him she had fixed my due date, which made me current, so that this discrepancy would not happen again, and I would be on time for my last 7 payments. He was hostile, seemed to be on a roll, and kept repeating the same lines like a broken record. I'd had enough and I finally hung up in the middle of his spiel, because I was obviously getting nowhere with anyone.
I then called back, trying to reach this Lori, seemingly the only sane person in the area, if even to leave her a message. Curiously, even though I called the main 877 number, I never got the general options menu that usually greets callers. A guy picked it up immediately, and again requested that I regurgitate the personal info diatribe. I told him I needed to dial an extension. He said he did not know how to transfer me. Then, he said okay, he'd try, and I was on hold for a while, and he returned to tell me it was a dead extension. He said I could speak to another manager on the floor, if I desired. I said I'd rather leave a message for Lori somehow (pity I didn't have her last name, too, but it was probably made up anyway). Then, this rep. said he was going to get out of his chair and go see if Lori was at her desk.
After he left, I was on with the fifth person in my 20-minute span of trying to get assistance. Al Hall, the current supervisor on the floor, came onto the line. I re-re-re-repeated my story, and told him I hoped he could help me, because everyone seemed to be enjoying playing "musical chairs" with me. I expressed that I was very upset. I was just following up on something I'd already been told was taken care of. I continued being tactful and maintaining an even tone of voice, because I realize it does no good to get huffy with c/s people. I know this, because I did this job myself over 10 years ago. And, let me tell you, I was an angel compared to some of the irate people I got on the other line during that stint of my life.
This supposed "Al Hall" (even sounds fake, eh?) listened to my story. He said Lori was there today, and he said he'd take down both of my phone numbers and have her call me, esp., he said, because she was the one who began the process with me (fending off any responsibility that could fall upon him). He said that this matter will already have gone to the accounting and research department, and it will be up to them to make the final judgment on whether to remove the fees or not. He said it might not go through to them today, and may take some time. Likely story. I had no way of knowing if I spoke to a real, honest-to-goodness person of his or her honestly stated true identity today, or someone who is sitting in a freakin' living room in Compton smoking a joint and subcontracted out to do this by Peak 5. Something tells me I will never get a follow-up phone call from Lori, Lala, whomever, and that this issue will never be resolved to my satisfaction.
Why are companies this way these days? Tim and I were talking about this yesterday. It seems as if corporations, especially, in their customer service processes, have become untouchable monsters. There seem to be no options for consumers to voice their plights. Sure, you can register a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, but that doesn't address your personal woes.
I guess all I can do is rest assured of the fact that I am doing my best to live a good life and treat others kindly. I may not win every battle. I just wish everyone strived to do their best in what they do, instead of delighting in being combative to the very people who are the lifeblood of their existence, the reason why they have jobs in the first place, esp. in this faltering economy, where many are not so lucky.
It's about the principle more than anything else. If I had been told that I should have followed up sooner, and thus owed the amount. Fine. But when I am told I am guaranteed a reprieve, I expect to receive the benefits of this promise.
