In November 2013, I applied for a loan off my vehicle from TitleMax located on Burnet Road in Austin. The people there were nice and were helpful in rescheduling my payments if needed due to my travel schedule. All my payments were made on time and was advised that there were no penalties for early payoff.
In September 2014 I went into the Burnet office to make my payment and they told me that they couldn't take my money because they were transferring my account to TitleMax of Texas on Springdale Road in Austin. They could call me to tell me that I had payments due in a day or two but not one person from this office called to tell me that they would no longer be servicing my loan. This, from my home, is a 50 minute drive. I was told that they didn't know why they had to move my account, that it had something to do with some new program that they are going to be implementing. I asked about the new program and Lucia, General Manager of the Burnet location stated that she didn't really know that it has something to do with me having full insurance coverage on my car.
I asked what I needed to do to stay at their location that the other location was too far out of my way. They said they can not help me that all loans are being transferred to this other location oiutside of Travis County lines. I was told they would call the new location and let them know that I was coming over to make my payment the following morning and that all my documents would be transferred over there.
I get to the new location the next morning and NOBODY knew anything about me coming there. They charged me $33.00 to file a new title transfer fee for the lien to change it to their name instead of the Burnet Road one. I, had also been advised by the Burnett office that the Springdale Road location only charges you for the interest rate not taking your principal amount down at all, unless you pay over the amount and tell them it is to go to the principle.
Everything that is stated on the website and that I was told at the location on Burnet no longer applied to my loan EXCEPT for the Springdale location would honor the interest rate of that Burnet had given me of 3.9% -- as long as I am not late or I do not want to borrow more money off of the account that I had paid down. At that point it would jump up to their rate ranging from 8.9 - 14.9%. I spoke with 2 managers and 3 different agents while at the Springdale location, none could tell me why I was being moved except that they are outside Travis County lines where the other store is within city limits.
I am being ripped off by these people, I now notice on my paperwork that the Lender is Ivy Funding Company LLC with an address in Savannah, Georgia. I asked for the district managers name and number of both Austin locations, both stated they would give their district manager my name and they would return the call that they aren't allowed to give out the number only their first names. I called the 1-800 number for the home office in Savannah and asked to speak with a supervisor there and the man answering the phones stated that he would take my name and number and email it to a supervisor and they would call me back within 24 - 48 hours. Are you kidding me? You can't even call the home office and speak with a supervisor?
Today, on 10/30, after driving an hour to make my payment at the Springdale location (VERY INCONVENIENT), I decided to call the Burnet location and told them I wanted to know their loan process and interest rates because I had a jeep I would like to bring in and see if I can get a loan off of it. Vanessa stated that I can bring it in with proof of income, drivers license and clear title and they could do my loan today. I asked if it mattered if I had full insurance coverage or not on the vehicle, she stated it did not matter that they can do the loan today. Do I want to make an appointment? I said not just yet thank you.
Once arriving home (an hour later), I called the Burnet location again and spoke with Lucia, the General Manager, and told her I wanted to know why they had moved my loan if they were still doing loans there per Vanessa and I's conversation. She stated that they are doing a new type of loan but it isn't in their system yet. (The same thing she told me two months earlier when she moved my loan to the much farther location on Springdale Road). So, I told her that Vanessa had invited me in to do a loan on my Jeep stating what I needed to bring with me and that everything could be taken care of today. Lucia states then that the Jeep would then be moved to the location on Springdale Road. I said so, you are telling me that your location has done NO loans for 2 months? For 2 months they have done no loans and they know nothing about this "new" program that they are being told they are going to start doing. She said that is correct.
If that is correct, then why was I told to go in with my Jeep by Vanessa to do the loan today? I asked for the district managers name and number. She stated that they aren't allowed to give that info out - that she can take my name and number and have him call me. I said no thanks, I have heard enough bull between the two stores and their lack of knowledge and inconsistency with the "rules" that are stated on the website -- that I was going to write my complaint letter with all the names and people I have spoken to from all 3 offices (the two in Austin and the home office in Georgia, to the Better Business Bureau of Texas and Georgia, the Texas Attorney General, the Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner, the Internet Crime Complaint Center for fraudulant advertising, the Federal TradeCommission and some of the local television stations.
Then I found the report and decided I would write here as well. I am going to write to anyone and everyone that will listen. Hopefully, there will be more of you in the Austin area that will do the same.
TitleMax of Texas Reviews
In November 2013, I applied for a loan off my vehicle from TitleMax located on Burnet Road in Austin. The people there were nice and were helpful in rescheduling my payments if needed due to my travel schedule. All my payments were made on time and was advised that there were no penalties for early payoff.
In September 2014 I went into the Burnet office to make my payment and they told me that they couldn't take my money because they were transferring my account to TitleMax of Texas on Springdale Road in Austin. They could call me to tell me that I had payments due in a day or two but not one person from this office called to tell me that they would no longer be servicing my loan. This, from my home, is a 50 minute drive. I was told that they didn't know why they had to move my account, that it had something to do with some new program that they are going to be implementing. I asked about the new program and Lucia, General Manager of the Burnet location stated that she didn't really know that it has something to do with me having full insurance coverage on my car.
I asked what I needed to do to stay at their location that the other location was too far out of my way. They said they can not help me that all loans are being transferred to this other location oiutside of Travis County lines. I was told they would call the new location and let them know that I was coming over to make my payment the following morning and that all my documents would be transferred over there.
I get to the new location the next morning and NOBODY knew anything about me coming there. They charged me $33.00 to file a new title transfer fee for the lien to change it to their name instead of the Burnet Road one. I, had also been advised by the Burnett office that the Springdale Road location only charges you for the interest rate not taking your principal amount down at all, unless you pay over the amount and tell them it is to go to the principle.
Everything that is stated on the website and that I was told at the location on Burnet no longer applied to my loan EXCEPT for the Springdale location would honor the interest rate of that Burnet had given me of 3.9% -- as long as I am not late or I do not want to borrow more money off of the account that I had paid down. At that point it would jump up to their rate ranging from 8.9 - 14.9%. I spoke with 2 managers and 3 different agents while at the Springdale location, none could tell me why I was being moved except that they are outside Travis County lines where the other store is within city limits.
I am being ripped off by these people, I now notice on my paperwork that the Lender is Ivy Funding Company LLC with an address in Savannah, Georgia. I asked for the district managers name and number of both Austin locations, both stated they would give their district manager my name and they would return the call that they aren't allowed to give out the number only their first names. I called the 1-800 number for the home office in Savannah and asked to speak with a supervisor there and the man answering the phones stated that he would take my name and number and email it to a supervisor and they would call me back within 24 - 48 hours. Are you kidding me? You can't even call the home office and speak with a supervisor?
Today, on 10/30, after driving an hour to make my payment at the Springdale location (VERY INCONVENIENT), I decided to call the Burnet location and told them I wanted to know their loan process and interest rates because I had a jeep I would like to bring in and see if I can get a loan off of it. Vanessa stated that I can bring it in with proof of income, drivers license and clear title and they could do my loan today. I asked if it mattered if I had full insurance coverage or not on the vehicle, she stated it did not matter that they can do the loan today. Do I want to make an appointment? I said not just yet thank you.
Once arriving home (an hour later), I called the Burnet location again and spoke with Lucia, the General Manager, and told her I wanted to know why they had moved my loan if they were still doing loans there per Vanessa and I's conversation. She stated that they are doing a new type of loan but it isn't in their system yet. (The same thing she told me two months earlier when she moved my loan to the much farther location on Springdale Road). So, I told her that Vanessa had invited me in to do a loan on my Jeep stating what I needed to bring with me and that everything could be taken care of today. Lucia states then that the Jeep would then be moved to the location on Springdale Road. I said so, you are telling me that your location has done NO loans for 2 months? For 2 months they have done no loans and they know nothing about this "new" program that they are being told they are going to start doing. She said that is correct.
If that is correct, then why was I told to go in with my Jeep by Vanessa to do the loan today? I asked for the district managers name and number. She stated that they aren't allowed to give that info out - that she can take my name and number and have him call me. I said no thanks, I have heard enough bull between the two stores and their lack of knowledge and inconsistency with the "rules" that are stated on the website -- that I was going to write my complaint letter with all the names and people I have spoken to from all 3 offices (the two in Austin and the home office in Georgia, to the Better Business Bureau of Texas and Georgia, the Texas Attorney General, the Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner, the Internet Crime Complaint Center for fraudulant advertising, the Federal Trade Commission and some of the local television stations.
Then I found the report and decided I would write here as well. I am going to write to anyone and everyone that will listen. Hopefully, there will be more of you in the Austin area that will do the same.