Screwed by Chrysler

[Anonymous]

My name is Bill,

 My wife and I traded a '06 Dodge Stratus in on a '08 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad cab pick up in Oct. '07.

We were making regular payments and then we had a finacial problem and missed a few. We borrowed the money to get the payments back on track, but Chrysler was still carrying us as being 120 days late, on Monday

April 6, 2009 I received a call from their Repo dept. saying the truck has been charged off and they want to pick it up. Mind you that since we fixed the payments we've been paying on time, but they say they haven't received any payments for 6 months or so, now our credit is shot and I don't have a truck. How do I fix our credit? And how do we get the truck back. Information we have from an ex-employee told us we're not the only one they've done this to and since their Financial problem it's only getting worse. That's why he quit. Any sugestions would be greatly appreicated.

[Anonymous]

you can show them proof of payment and they should fix this issue... I hope at least.

Never dealt with Chrysler, thats one company I will avoid at any cost... If they were the last automakers standing, I would walk to work...

[Anonymous]

How many payments behind were you?   I'm not a repo expert but I thought they gave you the opportunity to correct the deficiency before they repo'd, It's probable they sent your account to collection and if you sent the  payment to regular payment address they simply took your money and didn't stop the repo process,  Underhanded but probably legal,

If you've got a record of the payment, talk to them and try to work something out, I'm not defending them but I did finance and payoff two new Dodge Intrepids ( a '96 and a '02) thru Chrysler Financial

Good luck,

[Anonymous]

Well every time we call and fix it with them, one person says it's good and done, then two days later someone else calls and says it's not and we still owe them money. so how do you we know who telling us the truth?

[clocktick]

For the ones that say it's "good and done" can you get their numbers and extensions?  This is so you can call them back in case they need to contact the ones that say you still owe them money.  Get the repo reps numbers and extensions too.  Heck, do a 3-way call with both parties until it's straightened out.  I would keep trying and do not give up until all parties know what's going on.  You don't want to get a suprise to pay a huge payment because they sold the truck at auction.  I'd get on this ASAP!

[DanielPlainview]

I had a similar thing happen to me after I paid a credit card settlement.  The credit wing of the company told me I was all paid up but the collection activity and credit report derogatories persisted.  The problem ended being a computer one --  once an account was flagged as being delinquent only certain people in the credit department were able to alter the records the collection department saw and vice versa.  I was only informed of this after I demanded to talk to someone "in charge".  Once I talked to her she fixed things, explained to me what was going on, and apologized.  I don't know who she was but she seemed like she was pretty high up!

Even though that was a credit card it sounds to me like that might be what's going on with you. Try to be persistent and politely demand to talk to someone in charge (honey works better than vinegar). You may have to persuade someone to give you the number of  a "higher up" under the promise of not telling where you got the number from (trust me, this has worked for me multiple times).  Honestly, I'm not sure what they'll be able to do now.  However, I am hopeful you won't be on the financial hook for anything else and that they'll be able to correct your credit report.  When possible get things in writing. 

Best of luck!  

[Schoolbuskid]

Just a thought, you need to get yourself a phone recorder, so that you have proof of your conversations.

[Anonymous]

1.  What is your APR and what was your loan balance when you began missing payments?  

2.  How many payments did you miss?  

3.  Does your contract have a "default" interest rate?

4.  Does your contract call for "daily accrual" interest for late payments?

5.  What is the "late fee" on your contract?

Here is the scenario.  Financing is not a payment, per se.  It is the payment of interest and principal.  When you miss a payment, some financing begins calculating daily accrual interest.  In addition most late payments incur and late fee.  Finally, some contracts may have an higher default interest rate for the daily accrual interest of late payments.

So, if you missed a "few" which I am assuming is 3 or so, you incurred 3 late fees and possibly default rate daily accrual of interest.  When you then make your normal payment, it goes to accrued interest and fees first.  And your payments may not have paid all of the accrued interest and fees.  Thus you may have never caught up on the payments, only paid down part of the interest and fees.

You need to figure this out, because if the repo the vehicle, the sale price will go to unpaid interest and fees first, then any remainder to the principal.  Then they will come after you for the deficiency balance.

[Anonymous]

Personally I think we are all giving you bad advice. I think you need to contact an attorney, with proof of all payments and a current credit report and have them sort it out. It may cost you more (a few hundred) but you will probably accomplish more that way.

[Anonymous]

I fail to see how reading the finance contract and calculating the accrued interest and fees to determine balance can be a bad idea.

In fact this would be valuable information to provide an attorney if he finds that Chrysler has indeed failed to properly apply or credit payments.  And if he finds out that he has failed to account for interest and fees that an attorney can do nothing about, paying $300 per hour to learn that is expensive.

Never turn your own destiny over to anyone else.  Make sure you are informed and understand.  Make sure that if you don't understand that this is not due to a failure to read your contract, do the math (all kinds of loan calculators online) and determine your position.  When you are sure the terms and math don't add up to Chrysler's accounting, then you may indeed decide to use an attorney.  But if you don't understand your circumstances first, you won't really know what to think when speaking to Chrysler or an attorney.

However, if OP does not want to go through the fine print....an attorney is always happy to be paid for the service.

Message Edited by txjohn on 04-11-2009 04:32 PM