These people are a disgrace. I didn't intend to do business with them, but my original lender sold my loan to them before the ink was dry on the closing documents.
So, I said WTH. My payment was the same, and I was feeling a little upset about the bait-and-switch the original lender had pulled on me. Why shouldn't I want to do business with people who wanted to work with me?
I was a little put-off by the website. You can't log in from the company's main website, but that was a minor annoyance. Still, it has to be one of the least appealing and most counterintuitve sites I've ever encountered. I got my autodraft payment set up, though, after investing a little time and effort.
For a year or so, everything went fine. As long as the only relationship was me making the payments and them applying them to my account, everything went fine. As soon as I needed ANYTHING from them, though, this changed.
My first (still unresolved) issue with them deals with holdback funds for some repairs. When I bought this place, the owner put some money (about $1500) into an escrow account so I could get some work done. It was winter in Montana, and exterior paint is a bad idea when it's so cold. Anyway, I started trying to get these funds in the spring. I made a call in April -- then another in June -- then another in July. All three calls ended with the customer service rep telling me they needed to "research the issue" with the promise of a callback the next business day. They all lied. I'm nearing the dawn of another winter, and no one has EVER called me back.
Also, this year I was approved for 100% disability through the VA. In Montana, this qualifies me for a major reduction in my property taxes. The county office provided me with a letter stating that I was eligible for this program, but that wasn't good enough for good ol' Frank-Am. The county clerk was stunned. She said she's never seen a lender that wouldn't lower a mortgage holder's payment. Nope, though, not good enough for this fly-by-night outfit. They need a copy of the tax bill which doesn't come out until later this month. In the meantime, I've overpaid my escrow by $180 per month for eight months. Are they going to pay me interest on the amount they've over-collected? I'm not holding my breath.
The final straw was comparatively minor. I pulled up my account online last night to ensure my electronic payment had posted. It had, but I saw a $5 charge on my account under the heading "Fees" with the descriptor "other fees." Well, thanks for the detail -- that was sure helpful! I sent an email inquiring into this, and I was notified that someone would contact me within 24 hours. I'm sure you can guess what happened today. Nothing! At least they're consistent.
Customer service is an alien concept to these people. I'd say the suck, but that would be an insult to things that suck. There is a silver lining. I'm a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy. I was pretty happy with the terms on my loan, and I'd have probably just rolled with it if I hadn't had all the problems I've had with these people. I started shopping around, and I discovered I can save about $80/month with another lender. Truthfully, if I'd even broken even I'd have probably gone forward. I want nothing to do with this company, and neither will you if you're not a masochist. read more