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Signet Financial Services - One of the most PATHETIC mistake oriented organizations. They totally mishandled my December payment then required me to use Western Union to wire the payment (again). After Signet realized they posted my payment to the wrong account, they told me that the cost of the wire was non refundable. Here's a letter I sent to every organization I could find. This letter is on file with the Better Business Bureau, and other organizations are working on it, but the principle still remains:
January 15, 1999
Signet Banking Corporation
Executive Offices
Division of Customer Affairs
7 North 8th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
RE: Signet Financial Services
Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is ******* and my account number is *******. I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the handling of my car loan account for the month of December. Using Phone Pay on December 22, I authorized two checks (928 and 929) for payment toward my account. When the checks had not cleared 5 days later, I called Signet for status. I was told that there was a problem with the numbers. This was the only information I was given and was asked to wait a couple days. No one at that time asked me for new numbers. After calling again on December 31st, Signet told me the same two check numbers were tried again and the numbers were "OK" this time, even though nothing had changed (check numbers or routing numbers). At this point, it was posted to my account on December 29th. Again, this was all the information I was given. If there was a problem with my check numbers, Signet should have given me details about it.
Since January 3rd, I've called Signet frequently to check on the status of checks 0928 and 0929. The status was always the same, it hadn't cleared. When I called January 14th, I was told that the checks were returned NSF. Because I knew the money was always in my account, I called my bank (Mellon) to check of the status of these checks. My bank informed me that those checks never attempted to clear. They also informed me that I have no NSF returns on my account for the months of December or January. Something is seriously wrong with the way this payment was handled, and the error obviously points to Signet. If an inquiry has not been launched as I was told it was, it should be launched immediately.
Also, I don't understand why, when the payment never even attempted clear and an inquiry launched, I would be asked to use Western Union to send the money in. It's as though I'm being penalized for an obvious mistake on Signet's part because the cost of doing that comes out of my pocket. Because of Signet's mistake, I am paying for it with a negative credit reference and a Western Union payment.
As Jamie (Collections - I don't know his real name) demanded payment "or else we'll come get the car", I demand that I am refunded the cost of using Western Union each time ($16.00 total) and a letter of apology for the headache incurred from dealing with Signet. I also demand a letter of apology from Jamie for requiring that I use Western Union to send the money (I later found that this is an illegal tactic). I also demand copies of the returned NSF checks that supposedly were returned from Mellon Bank and the copies of the routing numbers that I initially called in. In addition, I demand that my credit record is cleared of this nightmare.
Sincerely,
**********
CC: CSC Research Department, Houston, TX
Marj R., Signet, Aurora, CO
Loan Servicing Enterprise, Dallas, TX
Auto Marketing Network, Tulsa, OK
Federal Trade Commission, Dallas, TX
Federal Trade Commission, Denver, CO
Federal Trade Commission, New York, NY
Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC
Federal Trade Commission, Atlanta, GA
Better Business Bureau, CO
Better Business Bureau, DE
Better Business Bureau, OK
Better Business Bureau, VA
Better Business Bureau, TX
Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., Arlington, VA
Colorado Consumer Protection Unit, Denver, CO
Delaware Division of Consumer Affairs, Wilmington DE
Oklahoma Consumer Protection Unit, Oklahoma City, OK
Texas Consumer Protection Division, Austin, TX
Virginia Division of Consumer Affairs, Richmond, VA
US Office of Consumer Affairs, Washington, DC
American Council on Consumer Interests, Columbia, MO
Alliance for Consumer Rights, New York, NY
Center for Consumer Affairs, Milwaukee, WI
Southwest Research and Information Center, Albuquerque, NM
Public Interest Research Group, Washington, DC
Consumers Education and Protective Association International,
Philadelphia, PA
It never ceases to amaze me how you can
be required to rush a payment in if you really did screw up, but
when these jack-leg companies screw up, they're not required to
do anything. If anyone knows of an organization that can actually
take action against a company such as this, please e-mail me at
[email protected]. I know the money due to me is not a lot, but
now it's the principle.
Thanks for your time.