Citizen's Auto Finance

August 11th, 2007 at 01:37 pm

Does any one here have any experience with this company? My new car loan is from Citizens. I have yet to receive any information from them regarding my loan, and my first payment is due on the 27th of August. So, Wednesday I finally found their phone number (thanks to a Yahoo Answers question--the phone number is not on any of my documents and I couldn't find a website) and gave them a call. They said they do the billing for the month on the 7th. Well, now it is the 11th, and I still don't have a bill from them. Plus, their website is really terrible and it costs an extra $12 to make an online payment. Really stupid.

My last car loan came from a bank that sent a book of vouchers at the beginning of the loan. Now I guess most companies don't do that anymore. I much prefer the old way, and I'd prefer to pay online. I think it is crazy to charge extra for that feature.

Posted in Uncategorized | 185 Comments »

185 Responses to “Citizen's Auto Finance”

Cary Says:
September 6th, 2007 at 11:38 am

Did you find out anything more about Citizens? I just financed a car and I have been trying to find out more about them. You referenced a website. Do you have the URL?
jdedit2001 Says:
September 6th, 2007 at 12:04 pm

Well, they are a subsidy of Citizen's bank (www.citizensbank.com). I'm not exactly sure how you use that website to pay your bill. Like I said, they don't have much of a web presence. And they charge to pay online. I just set up to pay via my bank's online bill pay, and that first payment worked fine.
wtym123 Says:
September 6th, 2007 at 06:20 pm

I got a car loan from Citizens almost 4 years ago. I have NEVER received a statement from them in the mail. I was in the same boat as you - no phone number, no account number.

When I setup my loan, I automatically debited from my checking. I haven't heard anything from them in 4 years. I threw away the payment coupon book - what a waste.

Wake up Citizens Auto Finance - make a way for us customers to easily access our loan information, and pay online without a big fee.
jdedit2001 Says:
September 6th, 2007 at 07:03 pm

You know, I had to go looking for their phone number. I finally found it through a Yahoo Answers question. Anyway, the person who asked the question also had trouble with statement delivery. I did receive my first statement, but the window between when it was delivered and when the payment was due was very tight. I'm considering refinancing through my bank so I can pay online and monitor my balance.
Clavigne Says:
September 12th, 2007 at 10:31 am

Wow - I am in the same position and I thought it was just something I had overlooked or not done yet. Can I get the phone number from you? I would like to try to do something about my situation and try to setup automatic debits. Thank you!
weenie Says:
September 13th, 2007 at 06:07 am

Does anyone have that telephone number? I too have the same issue. I bought a car on 8/27/07 and still have not received any information regarding my first payment. If they don't send statements or send any information, how does everyone pay their monthly car payments?
jdedit2001 Says:
September 13th, 2007 at 06:19 am

Their number is 877-265-3278. Weenie, they did send me a statement, but it didn't come until about a week before my first payment was due.
Tracy Says:
October 7th, 2007 at 03:32 pm

I feel SO much better having read these entries. I thought I was losing my mind. What a complete mess this Citizens Auto Finance is! Supposedly, my first payment was due October 2, 2007...I'm on the line with them as I type this; thank you so much for listing their number.
hmII Says:
October 17th, 2007 at 11:36 am

I am so glad I came across this page. I bought a car 8/15/07, financed through Citizens and I still haven't received anything in the mail from them. My first payment isn't due til Oct. 30 but I thought for sure I'd receive something by now. I was going to just send in a payment but then again I don't have an account number. Thank you for listing the phone number. Maybe I can get some answers or at least my account number.
eric Says:
November 5th, 2007 at 06:22 am

I'm really glad I found your page. For those of you who were as lost as me these people seemed must be "in an undisclosed location"

Here's what I have:

Citizens Auto Finance
PO BOX 255587
Sacramento, CA 95865-5587
PH:877-265-3278
FX:877-362-6623

no website that I can find - would love to have a customer service email

best of luck paying debt done JD!
Susan Says:
November 20th, 2007 at 04:56 am

I bet that is the way Citizens racks up more money from your loan...making it very hard to pay on time and adding additional money in order to pay over the phone or the internet...figures!
john Says:
November 25th, 2007 at 12:16 pm

I used to pay them via regular mail, till their envelopes ran out, for a year, every month I requested envelopes, none ever came. So I stopped paying them by mail and use my bank freepay now for allmost everything.
I tried phoning them but allways got either busy or voice mail which no one ever returned. I believe them to be a "don't care" company, otherwise they wouldnlt hide their phone numbers or e-mails to customer nosupport.
misty Says:
November 27th, 2007 at 09:30 am

I really hate this company...I was late with a payment and called them and told them the day that I would pay it...the called me the day before and informed me that it was late and wanted to know when I would be paying it...I already told them.. they have a bad communication problem..also I wish I could pay on their online website..but guess what they dont have one.. that would make it easier for me
cd Says:
December 14th, 2007 at 05:49 pm

I'm finally down to 4 more payments with this company and I have had many of the same issues as already listed - I contacted their customer service via phone and was told that I could pay online and given an access code. That code never worked and I never was able to make an online payment. I had one payment where it took them over 3 WEEKS to process. Of course, no give from them on not charging a late fee even though they lost track of the check after stamping it into their office. I will never finance through this company again!
JP Says:
December 19th, 2007 at 07:43 pm

Not sure if this will help anyone but you can pay your bill by going into any Citizens or Charter One location. They are in 16 states across the Mid-West, Mid-Atlantic, and New England.
Melissa Says:
December 27th, 2007 at 10:00 am

did anyone find a website to pay the car payments online?
Cynthia Murphy Says:
December 31st, 2007 at 07:10 am

Just talked to an operator regarding my sister's loan (I cosigned, dumb me). She is the first cooperative operator I've spoken to in all the calls I've had. I'm sick of paying the extra $12 using their one-time payment thing, I figured today using that system it will cost me an extra $720 if I don't figure something else out. Anyway, thanks for the tip about Citizen's bank, hope you're right about being able to pay there in person. The closest Charter One location to me is about 200 miles away. What a crappy sorry outfit. But hey, what a dope I was to cosign on a car loan for my sister in the first place, right?
Amanda Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 10:38 am

I bought a car and have recieved my payments promptly until this month, no bill. So I called the 877-265-3278 number and the guy just told me to send my payment to
PO BOX 42113
Providence RI 02940
I'm just going to put my account number on the check and not even wait for the bill anymore. Also, I found out there is a 15 day grace period. So that was nice to know. But like everybody else, I'm a little dissappointed that I have to deal with these people for the next 7 years of my live. uuuurgh.
JW Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 07:29 am

I've had a car loan with Citizens for almost 4 years now. They were also bad about sending the bill to me, but I ended up figuring it out.

You can take your payment to any Citizen's branch and make a payment there with a check.

Another option for people wanting to pay online is that if you open a Citizen's bank account (www.citizensbank.com) you can link up your car loan to your online banking. Then you can make an instant direct transfer from your bank account to your loan to pay it, or you can set up automatic recurring payments.

I find it very convenient now that I have figured it out.
G Lynch Says:
February 4th, 2008 at 02:41 pm

I thought I was going nuts with Citizens. They're LOGO " not your typical bank" is no joke...Ha Ha.
Try to change your address..... forget online payments...$12.50 ??? How about phone payments..$20 What a bloddy joke. We should start a club......G Lynch
Jim Says:
February 20th, 2008 at 07:18 am

Given the problems other people seem to be having, maybe there are two Citizens out there.

I'm on my second car loan with them and have never had a serious problem. Like another person, mine's linked up with my other regular Citizens Bank accts and I just do transfers when necessary.

Only minor negative is they did take their sweet time closing out my last loan...took about three weeks but that's the closes thing to an issue I've had with them.
Samantha Says:
February 20th, 2008 at 09:36 am

I was put on hold for 20 min only to be told that i had to deal with an automated system (with a charge!!) to pay by phone.... If you also need to pay check by phone here is DIRECT number to do so...

1 800 795 1700 !!

Hope Someone has more luck with this company then we apparently have... wow what a fun 4 1/2 more years this will be.....
Steve Says:
March 8th, 2008 at 05:56 am

If you notice that the people who don't seem to have problems, all have bank accounts with the citzens bank. What a scam to get people to banc with you.
Ray Says:
March 8th, 2008 at 07:59 pm

I have had a loan thru Citizens Auto Finance for 2 1/2 years now, and only once I did not get the statement in the mail. Sadly there is no branch near me so I have to rely on sending a check. A website to pay like pretty much any other bank would be really nice.
Cynthia Murphy Says:
March 9th, 2008 at 12:46 pm

I finally, finally got them to send my sister's monthly statement to my address, which is a hoot anyway, turns out my name is on first, then hers. At least this way I can save the $12.50 extra a month. All I care about is making those payments on time so as not to mess up my own pristine credit. My sister has a decent job now so is handing me the cash regularly. Again, folks, never ever be a cosigner on a loan for anybody or go with an outfit like this one.
Penny Says:
March 11th, 2008 at 02:55 pm

I had a problem getting my first statement. When i called they said don't worry it would get there and that I had 10 day grace period. I now always send my payment in before I get the statement. The statement always comes in about five days before the due date. Don't like the idea of my payment getting in past the due date even though they say it will not effect my credit. I too would like to make my payment over the phone or on line, but i will not pay an additional 12.00 to do that. I have five more years to go with them. If I do buy another car I will not finance with them.
James Says:
March 14th, 2008 at 05:59 am

I just got a loan with them because they beat my credit unions interst rate. Why pay more when you can pay less. I obtained the loan last saturday and I did find it strange that I was not given any information on the company other than a name. When I called my insurance to tell them who I had the loan with, I could not give them any other information about the company so they called the dealer and got the number from them. Thanks to your comments I went ahead and called in advance to avoid any of the problems that you all experienced. The lady on the phone was very nice. She informed me when my first payment is due and they should be mailing me the bill 20 days before the due day. I told the lady that I heard about may people having problems with receiving bills so she was more than willing to give me the address where I can mail my payment in just in case I don't receive a bill. I do not like paying my bills late so I will do just that. Thanks again for all of your comments so I can avoid having any problems.
Lacey Barnes Says:
March 16th, 2008 at 11:35 pm

My husband and I had a vehicle financed through Citizens Automobile Finance until just recently. We had no problem in receiving our monthly statements and our payments were always posted correctly.

Two months ago my husband had an accident on some black ice and the truck was a total loss. My insurance company was prompt in getting the claim and all the necessary information to Citizens. My insurance company sent Citizens the payoff which thankfully the truck blue booked for more than what we owed on it so we got some money back.

We received the check from the insurance company so I thought everything was ok and the account was closed.
A couple weeks after we received the check from the insurance we received a statement from Citizens stating that our loan was past due. I called them and talked to some lady and she told me that the payoff check was there but hadn't hard posted to the loan account. I waited a couple more weeks and called them back and still nothing. My insurance company had to place a stop payment on that cashier's check and issue another one w/ a certified letter. I know they received the check but the account hasn't been closed and they don't seem too interested in helping me. It's been 2 months since they have received payment from the insurance company but apparently these people have no idea how to post a check.

Good Luck on dealing with the incompetent customer service reps.
susan Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 05:22 pm

I am so glad I found this blog. I had entered everything I could think of but I could not find a number for Citizens. We had been getting a statment when all of the sudden it just stopped. I am now sitting on the phone waiting for someone to anser. Wait time???? Over 10 minutes. I have my phone battery does not die.
Suzie Says:
April 3rd, 2008 at 05:35 pm

OMG...what is wrong with these people? I just traded in a car and I had GMAC for my loan. I loved them! They were great and actually had a web-site. I had to hunt down the phone number to call Citizens and ask where the heck my 1st statement was...and of course I was told it's on the way..wonder if I'm late with my payment I can just tell them it's on the way and get away with it..hmmmm...
tom coman Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 07:38 am

I had arranged my financing through a credit union prior to purchasing the last vechile. The dealership brought Citizens to the table with a .25% savings. Not all savings are real. Each month I have called and requested a electronic fund transfere forms (eft)to pay the account, the recording stated the forms would arrive with in 10 days. I will be calling again to request the eft once more.

The .25% savings has cost me time and frustration. I am prepaing to call the credit union to move the financing there.
Shawn Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 09:41 am

I financed my jeep with citizens about 2 years ago and have not had any real trouble with them yet. It is kind of annoying to have to wait until the 15th of every month to get a bill thats due the 29th, but i found out through being late a couple times that apparently they have some kind of grace system (which someone above mentioned as being 15 days).
Now comes the big test though, I'm getting ready to sell my Jeep. I'm still paying it off so they have the title, so after reading all about their wonderful customer service I'm a little concerned about how long it will take for the whole process. Fortunately they just opened a citizens right down the road from me so hopefully i can simply go there, pay it off and have them send me the title right away. we'll see how it goes (crossed fingers)
Dantheman Says:
April 16th, 2008 at 05:39 am

well... all i can say is..

Im GLAD Im done with Citizens Auto Finance. I got shafted on my interest rate from the get-go by the bank and the dealer. never again. I'll use my Credit Union when shopping for a vehicle the next time... better "leverage" to use when doing "figures" buying a vehicle. One payment, with fees of course, to go. Im am so done with ever dealing with them. Hopefully there banking system is better I hear but I wont deal with them that way even though my best friend swears by them. This has been a loan from hell folks. I was always under an impression that IF they want your money sooner rather than later, that they would do online payments for free and that goes for ANY bank. I told them to kiss my butt the one time on the "over the phone" fees of $12 so Ive just been making the PROPER amount payment whether the payment was on-time of even late but Im sure they'll add this to my FINAL payment just to be jerks. we'll see.. I'll keep you posted.

Phone numbers for ya... 1-800-708-6682, one-time payment system with the $12 fee of course, 888-805-0200, title department which I will be calling here in a few days 1-800-708-6680, phone bank system 1-877-265-3278

Regards,
dantheman
helper Says:
April 21st, 2008 at 11:00 am

Citizens Automobile Finance is an indirect lender, that is they provide financing to consumers through automobile dealers. Many issues listed can be addressed by contacting your dealership, preferably the Finance/Business Manager or the Dealer Principal; they have access to personell within this division of the bank to address concerns/issues you may be experiencing.
Ryan Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 05:23 am

I'm really glad to hear I'm not the only one frustrated with this out of touch and out of date auto finance company. I can't honestly say that I've ever had any other auto loans, as this is my first, but my experience has been less than desirable. As multiple people have indicated, figuring out their phone number for customer service is like searching for Waldo on a ship full of pirates, their customer services representatives were completely unfriendly, unhelpful and uneducated in the way interest is caclulated, there is no online access to your account balance unless you open a checking account with Citizens, and you can't even pay your monthly payment online or elect to receive electronic bills in an effort to save this supposed doomed planet. I'd say they are not only NOT customer friendly, they are NOT environmentally friendly. I know, that is a stretch, but why not pile on all of their faults? I saved money by going with Citizens, but it was ultimately not worth it. This company needs to take some drastic measures to the way they handle customer service and their online presense. I've sought other financing and paid of my loan, never to do business with Citizens again!!!!
Ronnie Says:
May 5th, 2008 at 06:09 pm

I'm so glad i found this site I was looking for the phone # to citizens or an web site for over an hour, I have not received a statement in over 3 months and trying to make a payment this month and can't even get intouch with a rep. Hate this bank and will be trying to refi with someone eles asap
Bri Says:
May 8th, 2008 at 01:26 pm

I had a car loan with Citizens. I received statements every now and then. I made many phone payments and had to pay the extra because I did not want to be charged late fees or default on my loan. It didn't do me any good, because in December 2007, a "computer glitch" on their end caused their system to shoot out a reposession paper. My car was taken away at midnight on December XX, 2007. I had to pay $2200 to get it back, with a guarantee that I would be fully refunded once the situation was straightened out. I have sent them copies of all of my bank statements with my payments for the 17 months that I had paid them, plus extra each month towards the principal. I still have not received any money from them and when I called, they "just can't seem to find [my] account". I immediately acquired a new loan and paid off the car in January, and the account is still open on my credit report as paid satisfactorily. So...shouldn't they be able to find my account since it is still open?

Good luck to those of you who are unfortunate enough to have to deal with this "bank".
Mark Says:
May 20th, 2008 at 10:18 am

I had a loan with them. Now I can't find the title so I called them to get a lien release. Guess what they what $25 for it! What a rip off.

I justed called Chrysler Financial earlier for the same thing on another vehicle. No problem, no fee either. What a difference.

You never know.
Frank Meyer Says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Called The dealer from which I purchased the car. They said they have used Citizens Automobile Finance often. The free customer service number is 1-800-610-7300. After reading 38 statements dealing with this company I told the dealership I was not very pleased with the company they used to finance. We are return customers and I felt they should have notified me which company they ran the financing through. The Finance person at the dealship said this company will give longer finance loans at a lower rate. The car was was purchased for out daughter with lower payment in mind. Time will tell!
Eric Says:
May 29th, 2008 at 10:11 am

After reading the comments posted by other clients, I choose to refinance my vehicle through my local credit union after three months with Citizens and was able to get a rate 2% lower then what they had me at. Now when I called to have a layoff letter faxed per my CU's instructions, Citizens tells me that it will cost $25(!!!) to fax a piece of paper! Now this is just ridiculous, this place really does rake in the money.
Jay Says:
June 1st, 2008 at 11:53 am

If you want to make a one time payment via their web site, the url is http://www.citizensbank.com/onetimepay
trisha Says:
June 7th, 2008 at 06:03 pm

i have had the same problems...i used to get bills but now i havnt cant find the number anywhere. finally got it now i call and you need your account number...how the hell am i supposed to do that if they dont send out bills. wtf
Scott Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 09:20 am

Citizens is a complete joke. I purchased a new Tacoma in October '07 & didn't receive any statements. I finally realized my dealer placed my wrong zip code on the paperwork. I have called 16 times to get this corrected only to have them say "it is correct on my screen..". I requested duplicates...they show up with the correct address stickered over the envelope & the WRONG address still on the statement!!!
johanna Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 09:30 am

I've used Citizen's Auto Finance for over three years and have never had a problem. When I bought my car the first payment was due before I got a statement, so I didn't know where to send the check. I called them and the rep was helpful and I paid over the phone--I asked and he waived the fee. I then had the payment automatically deducted from my bank account every month, so that has been very convenient. I still get paper statements, and I've moved half a dozen times and they have been pretty good about keeping my address updated.
Scott Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 09:50 am

Amazingly, when I did not make a payment on time, because I had no statement, the "Overdue" letters came right away with the right address.....guess the repo man will find me as well.
Wendy Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 06:44 am

OK, I just bought a new car with financing from Citizens Automobile Finance at a really low rate for 66 months. I entered "Citizens Automobile Finance" in google to find the address, and this blog came up. I read it and FREAKED OUT!

DON'T WORRY if you have a car loan through them, I called the 1-800-610-7300 and spoke with a customer service rep and she hooked me up with everything I needed. It is true, their is NO online presence for Citizens Auto Finance because Citizens ONLY gives car loans to DEALERS not consumers - so they have not yet figured out a way for you and me to pay directly to "Citizens Auto Finance" .

Some facts to support this finding: "Citizens Auto Finance" is a division of "Citizen's Bank" (http://www.citizensbank.com) which is under "Citizens Finance Corp." and ultimately owen by the "Royal Bank of Scotland" (RBS).

THREE WAYS TO PAY AND TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR LOAN ONLINE.
I am a control freak. I have to get a receipt of payment or I worry AND I hate having to pay fees for making online payments. Here's what I found out...

How to pay:
1.) Use your online banking (doesn't have to be Citizen's Bank) to make payments. The trick? The payee is NOT "Citizens Auto Finance" it is "Citizen's Bank". If you enter the address on your coupon, (the 1-800 refers to this addy as the "regular address") you may find that your bank already has an established relationship with them. My payment took 2 days - that's it!

2.) If you live in the area of Citizen's Bank, open a checking or savings account. I live in the MidWest so this wasn't an option for me, but the customer rep I spoke with said that you could walk into any Citizen's Bank location and pay the teller as long as you have an account number for your loan. With online Citizen's Banking, you can make a "transfer" to that account (auto loan) from your checking or savings account - best part... It is instant!

3.) Call Citizens Auto Finance (syn. with Citizens Consumer Finance) and ask them to mail you the forms for Direct Withdrawal from your checking account where ever you live.
How to keep an eye on your loan - to make sure payments when through...
Easy. Go to Citizens Bank and enroll in the "Personal / Small Business" Online Banking (see pulldown Login on the left side column). You'll need the account number of your auto loan and your ss#. That's it! Now you can watch it as you pay it down. NOTE: You can't make a payment from here unless you have a Citizen's Bank checking or savings. Yes, you can do the one-time bill pay... but really $12.50? That sucks.

So there it it. They have a really confusing business structure and need to send pamphlets to the dealers so you know how to pay your loan before you panic and spent 2.5hrs on the phone on a Sunday. Well, at least I know Customer Service is available 24-7.

Hope this helps!
Wendy Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 06:53 am

Oh BTW! Hi JD! I don't know who you are but Citizen's Bank should start paying you $. You rule Google.
Scott Says:
June 12th, 2008 at 06:25 am

They are the multi-million dollar corporation. I have $29,000 loan. Shouldn't THEY try making it easier for me the customer to make a payment without expense or extra work????
Carisa Says:
June 16th, 2008 at 07:35 am

I'm not a huge fan of Citizens Bank, for a number of reasons...
1) all the "convienience" fees they stick you with. Most companies WON'T charge you any additional fees for paying onine or over the phone, or even if you sign up for paperless billing. I get a discount with my car inurance company for "going green" and switching to paperless billing. And the fees are ridiculous!!! 12.50 to pay online, and even more to pay by phone!!
2) I have yet to recieve a statement in the mail, and I changed my address (due to a move) over three months ago. I'm not sending a check in the mail with only an account number to keep it on the right track IF it ever reached the right place, so I have to take on the "convinience" fees and pay online.
3) I send up a post payment to be taken out of my account to make an extra payment for the month when I got my government rebate check. Citizens Bank tried to take the payment out of my account a day early, which caused my bank account to go negative, and I got slapped with two different returned check fees from my bank, and a negative balance fee. To make it even worse, Citizens Bank tried a SECOND time to take out the payment, and I got all the same fees all over again! I immediately called my bank and put a stop payment on Citizens Bank so I could figure the mess out, and the next day Citizens Bank took out their payment by using a different amount to bypass the stop payment! I asked my bank if that was allowed, and the rep. said companies "are good at finding loopholes to get a payment". Great.
So I really don't care for Citizens Bank. I've tried to re-finance through someone else, but no luck yet. I'm going to keep trying though, I really don't want to be under Citizens Bank for the next three years!!!
Lonnie Says:
June 18th, 2008 at 08:35 am

Please do not confuse the Citizens Bank with the Citizens Auto Financing Company....They are not even related. Citizens Bank is actually decent which is more than someone can say for Citizens Auto in CA. Not only did I get the run around, I also was not allowed to talk to a manager when I asked!!!!
Mitch Says:
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:35 am

Having the exact same problems. Purchased car 3 months ago and have yet to recieve anything in the mail. Called and was told where payments could be mailed to so did that first month. Requested form for auto payment from checking. Returned the form and have not had any deduction from my account 3 days after they said would post. Just got off the phone with them. They said if I am making auto payments I will not receive any paperwork in the mail. I asked how I would know anyting about my account status. They said I could go to there website and set up an account. Then they said they have to set it up for me. However, this could not be done without the account number that I have no idea what it is since I have never received any documentation on my account. Got the account number from the service rep and then he said he couldn't set up the account without info from my contract. As far as I know I never received a contract. He said there was nothing he could do now without the info from the contract. What a joke.
helper Says:
June 24th, 2008 at 01:22 pm

again, when you realize that there is a problem - because this institution is an "Indirect Lender", you should contact the dealership that arranged the financing for you as they have avenues to areas that consumers do not, and can get answers fairly quickly and easily.
Happy Says:
July 6th, 2008 at 05:00 pm

My husband got an auto loan through this company and their statement comes out late. We live in Texas and all our bills are paid online without any fees but I could not do so with Citizens Auto, RI.
I have learned to pay extra when we have it on loans, and you'd think the monthly interest would be going down. Instead I notice it going up. I usually have my check ready to mail and I sent off the bill the very next day I receive it. Mailing does take a while, and the daily interest for the month increases, too. So, if you are trying to save the interest, you can do an early payment by phone. The more you pay, the sooner your principal goes down.
I used to do that with Ford.
I tried to figure what system they use to figure out the month's interest, but the last person I spoke to at Citizens could not give me an answer. I still owe them a call. It's always good to not who you spoke to and the time and date of the call. I also note duration, for future reference.
Interestingly, my balance should be lower with my extra payments than what Citizens have me at. I had entered all the info on our auto lease with autotrader.com payment calculator, to calculate the payments and it shows a big difference.
Also, I have requested a payment history several months ago...still waiting.
We do need to keep tabs on what we are paying. I have noticed that on the statement, the interest due for the month is the difference between the principal and the the interest balance. So I am looking at all the payments and what interest I am charged when I send early payments. I am saving a little.
Scrumples Says:
July 11th, 2008 at 10:08 am

I have had my fair share of issues with these guys. I bought a Subaru two years ago, and had MAJOR issues with an address change. That move was from Ogden to Salt Lake City in Utah, about 30 miles. I need to change my address again, because I moved out of state. It took three months last time to get it corrected, I'm hoping I get a break this time, but I'm sure not counting on it.
scaredincleveland Says:
July 12th, 2008 at 05:05 pm

Just bought a new car and financed through Ciizens Auto. Bought on July 7th and first payment is due Aug 6th. Took this loan because it beat the financing on what we had by .22 percent. Was looking on the web to see how to pay online and ran across this blog. Can't believe what I am seeing here. We transfered the plates and they expire on June 18th wonder when i am going to get our registration and memorandium of title.Guess i will make a trip to the dealer and have the attorney general's number along with the two tv investigation reporters that i know personally. Hope i don't have to use this method.
TreyM Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 11:06 am

In Nov of 04 I purchased a new car, I had my financing all set up with my Bank prior to buying the vehicle. The dealer offered a lower rate through Citizens by about .5%. I went with them, had a 5.45% interest rate.

Everything went fine with them received statements ontime, paid them ontime, I was a little irked that I actually had to write a check every month instead of autodraft, but hey, I was saving .5%.

In Sep of 06, my wife and I separated (this was her car being financed)She stopped payment on the check in Sep, I got a late fee and immediately caught up the payment, in the process, I gave them my new address. Everything went fine for the next 15 months. In Jan of 08, it became necessary for me to re-finance the loan so that my now ex could afford the payments on the vehicle (everything was in my name). I called Citizens Bank to see if the would re-fi it (it had a loan to value ratio very low of 20%) they declined.

I went down to my local CU, obtained refi'd the loan to lower the payments for her. The CU sent the check out for the quoted pay-off that day. Should have been closed at this point. (1)

10 days later the CU called me at work and informed me that the check had been returned for an invalid VIN on the check. I went home, grabbed my file, brought the original contract with insurance card and verified the VIN, the VIN was correct on the check that the CU had sent, I called Citizens from the CU Lobby, read the Vin on the check to customer service, and they verified that it was correct, and that the CU should re-send the check, the CU did that very day. Should have been closed at this point again (2)

At the end of April (2 months later) I received a phone call from the CU saying they had not received the title yet even though the check had cleared, the same week, I received an e-mail notification from my credit monitoring service saying that Citizens was reporting me past due 60 days owing them $70.

I called citizens bank to find out what was up, and was immediately routed to the collections department, as with all collections departments, they were rude and treated me like a dead beat. when I informed them of what had transpired, they did not believe me. They informed me that they had been sending me notices regarding an outstanding balance of $16 from the pay-off, they said they were sending them to my old address, even though I had statements with my new address, and because my ex still lived at the old address, I had renewed my mail forwarding every 6 months from that address, and that I had never been notified of a balance, now this is where they show their true colors, they informed me, that it was "not their responsibility to inform me, it was mine". Basically when they returned the pay-off check with the vin, and the CU sent it back, they charged me an additional $16 in interest and two $35 late payments. I made a phone payment to clear up the title. And disputed the charges.

When it came to the correct address, they said I had never updated my address until I sent them fax copies of the statements that I had kept with the correct address.

Then they said I needed to get a copy of the letter that they had sent to the CU saying the check had an invalid Vin, I did that and sent them a copy.

Then they said I had to get a copy of the pay-off check with the Vin, I did that and sent it to them, then and only then did they believe me.

to make a long story short, it took 3 months, 30 phone calls, 10 faxed letters, 4 trips to my CU, to get a VERBAL confirmation that they were going to refund the money. To date, it has been 3 weeks since they admitted they made a mistake, I have seen no check, and no correction to my credit report.

Anyone reading this should do the following:
1) NEVER do business with this company no matter how good the rates are, go to a non-profit credit union where you can actually talk to a real person, trust me it will be worth it.
2) If it is too late to follow Rule #1, then you should immediately re-finance through another financial institution. When you obtain a pay-off amount, send another $200 just in case. Make sure the check is sent via an overnight company so that you can track the delivery. Call them every other day until you get confirmation that the title has been released.
3) If you disregard this advice because they are being nice to you now, just remember I told you so, when you go pay-off this loan, because their true colors will shine then.
Rafiq Says:
July 30th, 2008 at 01:32 pm

It is fantastic blog which gives the best info possible to all who has Citizens Automobile Finance Loan.

I just got a car last week for my son and dealer offered me a loan from that bank. The paper work does not provide any info about this bank. I got all that info from this blog and call them today to get my pay off letter as I arrranged loan through my CU with .5% less.

Here what it works:

First call them on phone 877 265 3278 (not 1-800-610-7300 as it hang you up) and go for zero to speak with loan specialist and ask about your account number ( I did not have any info about it)
She will ask for your last 4 digit of soso and car details and will provide you your account number.
Now she will transfer your call to automated number so you go for option for pay off by fax. It will ask your soso (last 4 digit) and ask your fax number. That's it.
The fax will be there by the time you reach there.

That pay off letter may be sent to your CU/bank to settle this loan.
My over all experience was not that bad. Hopefully it will help someone as I was helped with this blog.

Regards
SHS Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 06:19 am

Has anyone reported Citizens Auto Finance to the BBB or FTC? If so, please post...I am in the process of reporting and wondered if anyone else had done the same thing?!
treym Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 10:45 am

My BBB complaint was dismissed by the BBB as "Bank has tried every effort to resolve the situation, but customer is still not satisfied" I sent copies of all my supporting docs, about 10 pages to the BBB, and they still closed it, you have to remeber that the BBB gets their money from the companies, not the consumer, they follow what the companies tell them, not the consumer. I am almost to the point where I have a civil complaint ready to be filed in federal court.
SMP Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 07:08 am

Citizens does these things and more to rack up charges and make money. I got a really low rate from them four years ago but have paid for it in late charges. I am reporting them to the Attorney General. Here's another great trick they use: I usually send my checks about 10 days before the due date... guess when they clear my bank... 1 day after the due date with late charges. I have 12 documented times they've done this. I have return receipted everything and they get it and sit on it for 8-10 days till its late. CROOKS!!!! Oh yeah and I made more than 10 phone calls and probably 20 emails and 2 letters - over the course of 6 months to get a payment book.
RSO Says:
August 24th, 2008 at 10:15 am

Wow,
Thanks everybody, I too, have spent a bunch of time trying to find a web site and/or phone number. I now plan to go to my dealer to try and find out more info. When I bought the car I had suspicions about the dealer's honesty also,they tried to sell me the maintenance package and made it sound like I would be saving money, when I said I wanted to think about it, they said I had to make my decision that moment, I was foolish and ok'd it, less than 24 hrs later i realized I'd made a mistake and called the dealer to decline the package, was told ok, but that would not lower my payments, I'm definitely going to find out whats going on. i hope I don't have to take them to court, but will, even if it costs me, I'll also write MY attorney general.
Jennifer Says:
August 25th, 2008 at 07:42 am

I'm happy to read all about this company (citizens) I'm getting out... I'm going to transfer my auto loan to capital one...
Thank you, I obtained the phone number here in this blog because I couldn't find it anywhere.
Jennifer
Laurie Says:
August 28th, 2008 at 02:30 pm

This blog has been a great comfort to me. And, yes, I have filed a report to the FTC.
Happy Says:
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 am

If you have the money and the time, (it takes a little time and patience to go through the automated system, and set up ONE time payment information) payment by phone costs $12.50.
I make my payments promptly when it I have the money available. It cuts down on the interest you have to pay for the month.
Monthly interest is PRINCIPAL multiplied by Interest rate divided by 365 (days) multiplied by days of your billing period.
Ours is 21 days...So I could avoid paying interest for x number of days if I pay early rather than the due date which would be the full interest of the month.
The less interest you pay, the sooner you can be be rid of your debt.
With the difficult financial times we are going through you can opt for smaller payments and longer payment period, but ask before you sign if there is pre-payment penalty. If there is not a penaly, add a little extra to your monthly payment to bring down your principal balance as the beginning of the loan period, most of your payments are towards the interest, not your principal. And interest is based on what you owe on the principal!
It is a little victory and something we can control in our out of control lives!.
Good luck!
Sandi Says:
September 3rd, 2008 at 09:59 am

Citizens Auto Finance is crap. Ive had an auto loan now for 5years and have 2 more pymts left...NOT...(just called them for a payoff and the balance is way more than 2 pymts are) They have never sent me a statement which I have requested numerous times and couldnt care less about what I have left in coupons. Very rude, non professional attitudes and has no place in the finance world. Im just worried about my title and what nightmare I'll be going through to get it.Isnt there something or someone we can call to complain to., like better business or some government institution.
sean Says:
September 5th, 2008 at 11:54 pm

i brought this car @ ford in mahwah nj they're the worst on the planet.....got jerk with insurance gap..told me to come back to fix something in the car and ill get a loaner for the day...i went back they kicked me out. now citiens bank dont want my money cause they're not sending any bills....im cool wit that. fuck all of them
Karen Says:
September 21st, 2008 at 07:32 pm

I've had a loan for 4 years from Citizen's for my motor home. They are the worst! I can't believe they charge $12.50 to make a payment on line in this day & age! The problem I have is, I made a phone payment & paid the $12.50. Now they call my house phone & my ex husband's phone number on a daily basis saying the payment is past due. My payment is due the 26th of each month & they started calling this month on the 2nd! I talked to a friend who used to work for Citizens & she said they do this in an attempt to get people to sign up for automatic payments deducted from your checking account. The theory being if people get fed up with the daily phone calls, they'll just sign up for the direct debits! In my case it's not only annoying to get the phone calls at 6:00 AM!!! the calls to my ex give him an excuse to call me! As for making a payment on line, THEY should pay ME $12.50! I've been trying all weekend & their website isn't working. The people on the phone say it's working but the computers say otherwise! I will NEVER get another loan through this company again, no matter how low the rate is! Thanks for letting me vent & good luck to all of you! I agree with one of the comments a few posts ago - good luck getting your title from these people! I've been trying for 6 months to get them to switch my name to the 1st line on the statement. My ex's name appears 1st & mine is 2nd. The address change for my ex expired last month so the P.O. won't deliver the statement to me because my name doesn't appear 1st. I've sent my ex's signature along with a copy of my divorce decree & I still can't get anywhere with the idiots at Citizens! I'd sure like to know what CITIZENS these people service! It certainly hasn't been me & judging by what I've read here, they aren't servicing any of you either! Good Luck to you all!
Laura Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 03:59 pm

After reading this entire blog, I was pleasantly surprised to receive my statement on time. We picked up our new car at the dealer on August 23. Our statement arrived in the mail on September 6. Our first payment was due today. I went to a Charter One branch to make my payment. I politely declined when they inquired if I would like to open a checking or savings account with them. They then pleasantly accepted my payment. More importantly I got a RECEIPT which I will treat like gold after reading all the comments posted previously. So far, no problems... I will keep my fingers crossed.
Jon Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 08:43 am

For those looking to pay electronically for free, definitely check out your financial institution of choice's bill pay service. For example, I used my Bank of America bill pay service for "Citizens Bank". It just asked me for my account number, and the zip code where I send my payment, and I was all set to go. I scheduled a payment on the 21st to be paid on the 23rd, and low and behold, no issues. Verified payment with the automated citizen's auto loan phone service mentioned in previous posts. I believe BoA uses the checkfree network, so any financial institution that uses the checkfree network should work.

Just a few other notes:
- I bought my car around August 17th, didn't get a statement until Sept 21st. My first payment was due on Oct 1st.
- Customer service was friendly to me

Also, if you are wanting to pay off this loan or refinance before your first payment is due, but the origination of the loan was 30+ days ago, you are better off waiting until after your first payment has posted. It appears that if you try to pay off the loan before the first payment is made, they charge you interest from the day you purchased the car. HOWEVER, if you make the first payment before the payoff, you pay only a months interest plus the few days it takes to process your payoff payment. This saved me about $20
If you are tired of waiting for your statement, and just need your account # to make a payment or payoff, just call customer service... I wish I had done this from day 1.
Terri Says:
September 28th, 2008 at 09:59 am

Scary. They entered my zip code wrong and it went to new york before it ever got to ohio. I'm surprised I ever got the 1st statement. I called, concerned that I would get a late payment charge. The "customer service" lady yelled at me saying that it was my responsibility because I signed a contract. Explaining that I always pay my bills on time, I told her that they have a responsbility to get the statements to me on time and to the propert address. She didn't want to hear it.

So off I go to the Citizens branch. Guess what! Citizens Auto Finance is actually a division of Charter One, not Citizens Bank. I'm surprised the feds allowed such a similar name. That's deceiving and Citizens Bank is going to get a bad wrap because of Citizen Auto's poor dealings. Notice the different logo.

Down the street I go to Charter One. The teller could only process my payments, not help me in getting the address corrected. It has been a month since that payment was made (I made 2 to be safe) and I informed them of my address correction. I haven't heard anything from them - no statement or anything. My dealer said their contact person says I'm good to go. But reading all of these comments in this blog, I can't say I'm ok with any of this.

Like the others, I don't want my very good credit rating screwed up because of a bunch of clueless idiots at Citizens Auto. Maybe the lower rate isn't worth it.
Mel Says:
September 28th, 2008 at 04:21 pm

My husband and I fared well for the first while with our loan, but when we had personal financial difficulties everything went downhill. During that time we made EVERY good faith effort to communicate and work with Citizen's (Auto Finance) including trying to change the due date to match our payroll dates, sending them copies of our budget (Dave Ramsay's FPU), calling to let them know we would be late, etc. We did have a couple of bad months, but were able to get all caught up. Since then we can mail a check either before we get the bill or when we get it yet get late fees EVERY time. Once we mailed a check three weeks early but it didn't clear by the due date. We called and they insisted that we pay immediately so we mailed another check that day. Three days later the second check cleared - and so did the first one. Since then we have had to stop at least three checks that somehow never made it and either pay their convenience fees or get late fees (or both). If the check has not cleared the day it's due, they begin calling my house, my cell and my husband's cell immediately (4 - 5 times a day).
I do understand that we had a few bad months, but we have done everything to catch up with all of our creditors and have done a pretty good job. None of the other companies have gone out of their way to make it difficult or impossible to fix the problem. It seems that CAF would've been happier if we'd just declared bankruptcy instead of trying to be responsible and do the right thing.
Please do not use this company unless you thrive on conflict and like paying lots of fees. As soon as we are able to find someone to refinance with (and can afford to pay the $25 fax fees) we are gone.
Nicole Says:
September 30th, 2008 at 01:05 pm

My husband's vehicle has been financed through Citizen's for just over a year, and we had never really had any problems with them, until the last two months. For the month of August, I wrote out and mailed the check 8/10/08, for a due date of 8/25/08. Citizen's did not cash the check until 9/10/08, applying it to their account on 9/8/08. I always make sure to include the account number on my check, to ensure that the money is applied to the right account. For the month of September, I mailed the check on 9/12/08, with a due date of 9/25/08, and they still haven't cashed the check and we are now receiving phone calls. We also had the $10 late charge on the September statement, which I promptly called about and they reluctantly dropped. We told them today that we mailed the check 9/12/08 and it is not our fault they did not cash it on time. They have had more than 10 business days to do so. The lady then got snippy with us and tried to argue that we did not pay it on time. I then told her I would fax her a copy of my bank statement that showed all the checks I had written after the check I wrote to them, had already been cashed at least a week ago. She then decided it was not worth the argument and agreed to stop the phone calls. We will see what happens. Good luck to those who will be new customers. If they would wave the $12.50 fee to pay online, they could end a lot of the issues associated on this blog.
Janet Says:
October 3rd, 2008 at 05:54 am

Wow, Unlike everyone else on here, I have never had a bad experience with them. I have always received my statement well before the payment was due and have never had problems with them not cashing my check immediately. I am, however, shocked that they don't have a better online presence.
Dano Says:
October 4th, 2008 at 10:29 pm

I haven't had any problems with them and my vehicle loan. I have about six months left on it...a 60 month loan. Strange though I have never received a monthly statement. I was sent a payment book. Did everyone get a book?
helper Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 04:24 am

They made the switch from payment boks to statements about 3 years ago so if you already had a loan when they were sending payment books, that's what you got. Regarding online payments, check with your own institution about a "bill-pay" feature. In most cases, your institution offers this at no charge and just need to do is provide them with some basic information in order for them to transfer money from your account to creditors which saves you from writing a check as well as the cost,time and hassle of mailing it.
Dano Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 06:56 am

Helper,
Interestingly I wonder why they stopped the payment book. Seems it would have been less expensive than mailing out a statement each month. Also has anyone ever tried to negotiate a loan direct with them instead of having it be pooled in a dealer transaction?
helper Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 03:13 pm

I would presume it is because coupon books are placed in a drawer and can be forgotten about when due date nears whereas a statement that comes each month is a more consistent reminder so as to avoid late/missed payments.

They do not offer direct loans for automobiles; this may be for any number of reasons: so they are not competing against themselves, or moreso because dealers do much of the paper processing for them and do not need a dedicated staff in the branches and/or to keep branch personell attentive to customers' needs for retail banking transactions.
Suzie Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 06:20 pm

Helper...

It seems like most of the problem with these people is that they don't send us the monthly statements. They don't care about consistency, they are just trying to figure out other ways to drive us crazy with late fee's and fee's to pay over the phone. This place sucks and there is just no defending them!
Marc Says:
October 6th, 2008 at 04:00 pm

I am a month in with my car that I bought from SUD's in normal IL, ( Do Not Go There and Buy Cars), and I just realized my payment was due and my payment booklet hadnt come in. Well, I found you guys called them up and I spoke with someone who did el out a little. He, said that they dont do coupons but statements and mine hsould have been sent out on the 16th of th eprevious month. He told me most liekly the dealer didnt send out the paper work, which is my guess as well. Shoudl report SUD's to BBB and I just might. All in all the guy was helpful over the line and I did ask about automated ayments which he sent me a form out. Luckily I have ten days grace period to send in my payment. Weirdly its not in California but it gets sent to a PO BOX in Rhode Island. Anyways, going backs to SUD's I got a letter from CHASE bank for a different offfer and SUDS neglected to tell me about it. I could have pitched in 500 bucks more on a down payment to go with chase. Forget this I am going to BBB site right now to report SUD's.
Travis Says:
October 8th, 2008 at 05:36 pm

Oh NO! I can't believe that I found this site; I purchased a new car in September - called October 1 because I still had not received any information about where to send payment; etc. I FINALLY found this blog with the phone number, called, and they told me my payment was not due until November. I'm not sure if I should be worried or glad that I have a month to 'coast'. Has anyone set-up e-payment from another credit union and had issues?
jdedit2001 Says:
October 9th, 2008 at 05:53 am

Travis-I pay my account through online bill payment with my local bank. I don't have it set to do it automatically, since I like to control the timing and amount sent, but I haven't had any payment issues.
kristin Says:
October 9th, 2008 at 10:08 am

My husband bought me a new car and traded in the old one. Got only a name my insur. company couldn't find it, the dealership could only give a tn. Was concerened 1 month and no bil didn't wnt to default on first pmnt.Called was told can't get any info becase I am not on the loan and sps can be there and give permission every x I want to tt them or fill out a paper in the mail. Still don't know dd or if this is going to ruin the credit rating I have been working hard to build up for the past 4 years. Web site aweful...Glad to see this blog.
Mike Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 05:47 am

What a crock of crap this seems to be. I have been going through a separation and a divorce over the past year. When I finally started taking care of the finanaces I found out the loan was very late. I worked very hard to get it current. I spoke to 1 representative during this time who was very polite and helpful. I also spoke to some who were not. The changing economy recently put me back to being a little late and I was receiving numerous calls a day from this company. I finally made some financial choices and came up with the money to pay them off. The rep called me asking for payment and demanded to know why it was late. I tried explaining to him what the problem was but he decided it would be better to tell me to pay my bills and how I was a deadbeat. I asked to speak to manager and he refused. I asked for his name again and he refused to give it. He continued to shout at me on the phone. I tiold him to kiss my ass and hung up. I paid the majority of my loan a couple of days later. I just called the number to try and get my pay off amount and guess what service is offline and can't get any account information. This is a crappy company. As soon as find out the payoff with late fees of course I will be done with them. I hope I can get the title in a timely fashion.
amber Says:
November 5th, 2008 at 01:57 pm

My husband has had his truck finance with Citizens for about 3 years now. I have always received my statement in a timely manner. Even when my husband was changing jobs they allowed me to skip a payment. I have been very pleased and would definitely use again.
Travis Says:
November 5th, 2008 at 03:30 pm

You know -- I posted above - and was very scared after reading this blog; Although my statement arrived late, I still had plenty of time to go ahead and get my check moving by the first deadline. Also on the top of the statement the phone numbers, and contact information was listed. So far so good, and keeping my fingers crossed.
Rojaty Says:
November 5th, 2008 at 03:43 pm

This blog helped me so much by giving # for Citizen Auto Finance, thanks JD. I had not yet received my statement and payment is due 11/18/08. Wendy's reply from 6/11/08 was very helpful as I too like to view and have proof of payment. And making payments in person at Citizens Bank and then registering to view account information online is absolutely wonderful. I called 800-656-6561 and needed acct. #, ss #, payment amt, and original balance. The Citizens Bank rep. registered me over phone and gave me my user id & password to log-in and get enrolled. Thanks to everyone for their comments/suggestions.
Steve Says:
November 7th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

I have had a car loan thru Citizens since 4/05. I have only 4 payments left then all should be done with these folks. Initally it was a white knuckle race between the due date and the arrival of the first statement which immediately put me on alert for the curve ball. Because of that I pre-paid one extra payment ahead so the amount due for each month is $0.00. I still make the set monthly payment but I have always had a little extra breathing room for the "unexpected mixup". So I have experienced no problems with this company since the original "close encounter" and they have been timely in their statements since then... I'll let you all know how they finish out with my loan.
Rojaty Says:
November 7th, 2008 at 02:36 pm

Question for Steve's (11/7/08) reply? So by making 1 extra payment and then making monthly payment is that how you will be done in 4 months? (got car 4/05 and it's 11/08) Or did you only have a 48 month car loan? Because I plan to pay before due date to eliminate monthly interest accurual and pay off early.

Also does anyone know how or if you can apply a payment to the principal only?
jdedit2001 Says:
November 7th, 2008 at 03:02 pm

Rojaty-I made a payment for $100 over and called to ask about whether the extra was applied to principal. The company told me that yes, any overpayment was. I am still somewhat skeptical, because they always send me my bill which says I can pay less than the current amount due since I have made overpayments. I think if I were to do this again, I would send two checks and mark one "apply to principal" in the memo section.
Rojaty Says:
November 9th, 2008 at 10:34 am

Thank you - jdedit2001 for reply regarding principal only question.
Mike Says:
November 10th, 2008 at 04:00 am

I paid off my loan a month or so ago and I received the title and everything in a short period of time. All in all it wasn't a horrible experience. They are pains if something comes up and you are late on a payment. The customer service ranks have some extremely rude and nasty people in it. As a FYI any extra money paid does go towards principal on the loan. Good luck to the rest of you dealing with this company.
T. Scinto Says:
November 11th, 2008 at 02:33 pm

I've had then for a couple years. It's been my experience that, when, and if you call about your statment or bill you're talking to someone in INDIA, No lie!! A few months ago I tried to make a payment online so i wouldn't be late and found out the service charge was almost twice the late fee. Needless to say I just held the payment and paid double the following month saving about $35.00. Because of medical issues I've been late several time over the past two years and found that Citizens people can be somewhat aggressive about a missed payment. If I have a choice later, I'll do my best to avoid Citizens, the same thing I tell my Family and friends.
Michele Says:
November 13th, 2008 at 04:38 pm

I'm happy I found this blog! My husband financed a Jeep through Charter One in 10/03. A couple years later the loan was changed over to Citizens CAF (we had no choice). Since he had signed up for automatic payments (from our bank account) we never received an type of paper work, etc. We've made our 60 months worth of payments and have yet to receive the title or anything for his Jeep. If I didn't stumble upon this blog we would probably just sit back and wait. I will never use Citizens for a car loan again. I used GMAC and they were always on the ball.

Good luck to everyone who is in limbo with this company!
Krsten Says:
November 13th, 2008 at 06:31 pm

I have had a loan with citizens for a couple years now. They took over the first bank that I had orginally got the loan from. They are the WORST company out there. Its not convient to pay your bill at all. My bill is due on the 14th & every month they send a letter around the 8th saying that my bill is late. I just started throwing them away after talking to several people about it. The reason I came across this is because Im trying to make my last payment have the title sent out to me & I cant seem to get anyone on the phone to do so. I did get a payment book sent to me right after the loan was taken over but I dont know why they live in 1980 & cant set up a web site make payments online. So good luck with everything
Grundy Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 11:11 am

I purchased a car about a week ago. After financing my car through Citizen's, I ran across this blog. Thanks to all your informative comments, I decided to refinance my car loan through my local credit union (I'm a member) at a reduced interest rate, resulting in a significant savings for me over the life of the loan. I also have the additional peace of mind knowing I can track my payments easily on the internet with local customer service. Very happy I made the change, and thanks to all who posted here for helping me to make a good decision.
Rojaty Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 02:20 pm

Citizens Automobile Finance 24/7 customer service phone number 877-265-3278 to get account information.

Citizens Bank customer service # 800-656-6561 to get registered to view account information online w/out having a Citizens Bank checking or savings account, you will need your Citizens Auto Finance acct. #, social security #, payment amt, and original balance of car loan.

It is more comfort being able to view account online and luckily I live in area where I can go to Citizens Bank to make in person over the counter "free" payment.

Thanks again to everyone's comments & suggestions on this blog. And the tip to pay as early as possible to cut down on amount of interest you pay was WONDERFUL as that is exactly what I do.
Rob Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 05:38 pm

There's lots of good information here. I used it to vet the bank, was able to get through to an underwriter, get information on how to deal with them, etc. Yes, Citizens Auto Finance is part of Citizens Bank. Yes, there are a number of ways to pay that don't involve postage and checks. If you are going to be late and need to make an instant payment, you can do one by phone, but it costs you, just like it does with a credit card - $12.50 is a little high - but I've paid higher on an instant credit card transaction. Word to the wise, set up your online bill payment through your bank, or open a free Citizens Bank checking account ($25 deposit), or request their direct debit package to do direct autopay. Get overdraft protection on your checking account so your payments never get bounced. Read this entire blog with a grain of salt and handle your relationship with the bank like it's the 21st century. So, thanks JD, this was a great thread.
TreyM Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 07:13 pm

This last post looks like a company employee, in the United States, people should vote with their dollars, and let the buyer beware. The ability to refinance away from this crooked, predatory lender is within all of your hands, all you have to do is go down to your local credit union and establish a personal relationship with the friendly honest people across the table. No need to ship your dollars out of state (and in citizens case, out of the country, they are owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland) Keep the dollars local, and when you need service, a smiling face will be there instead of a horrible customer service department. I can pay online for FREE with my credit union, and have it post the same day, like I said before, If you are offered credit from this company, then decline it, if you have a loan with them, pay them off with a credit union that you trust, their is no pre-payment penalty, "VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS, DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM, PULL YOUR LOAN, LET THEM GO OUT OF THIS BUSINESS, BECAUSE THEY ARE HORRID."
Hbbb Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 02:01 pm

Back when I was married in Feb 2004, we had traded a truck in and got a new used truck. The first truck was paid off within the trade. This is pretty commonplace, right? Now, over 4.5 yrs later, the finance company (Citizen's Automobile Finance) is telling me I still owe them money! This is the first I have ever even heard from them!!

For the past couple weeks, they have called me nonstop and have sent letters stating I owe them money and I will be turned over to collections if I don't pay this. I called Citizens Auto Finance and talked to a man about this matter and he was as confused as I was at first as to why I would owe anything. He fumbled around and then put me on hold so he could speak to a 'supervisor'. When he returned to the phone, he changed his tone and said I had to pay this or I was going to be dealing with collections...

I contacted theplace where I had traded the truck and a lady there sent me a copy of title information from 2003 through 2008 for that truck showing there was NO remaining lien on the truck. She wrote on the document "Vehicle description and VIN Serial# showing no lien"...

I got another call last night and the Citizen's woman said that I need to pay this debt immediately. (I was off work sick all day so didn't get the fax that the Whites lady faxed me at work.) I said I have documentation coming to dispute it and I didn't want to discuss anything more with her until I could get this information in my possession. She sounded totally ticked at me and still demanded more information from me like the last 4 digits of my social, my home telephone number, and my mailing address. Wouldn't she already have that information??? They've been sending me letters and they are the ones who called me!

I have tried to contact the Citizen's Auto Finance place again today but when I asked to speak to the same man who I had talked to earlier, the woman representative wouldn't put me through to him. She kept asking me for the loan number, my mailing address, last 4 of my social, my telephone number. When I asked to just be put through to Dave, she then HUNG UP ON ME.

I ordered my credit report online today from Experian. There is a claim on there for $225 as of 10/2008 from "Citizens CAF". I have called Experian and disputed that information from Citizens Auto Finance. Experian said I could send a copy of the documentation Whites gave me to support my case which I am preparing to do.

What else can I do?? Can I talk to Better Business Bureau to tell them I am trying to resolve this and I get hung up on?? I'm sick of the harrassment and shocked that I would be hung up on when I was making an attempt to figure this whole situation out!!
Steve Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 05:47 am

Hbbb-
First thing is to send all your copies of documentation using certified mail. Copy in your state's Commerce Department. This will help you "make your case". Set a specific timeline for resolution. Get ready to state the magic words: "I've hired an attorney reguarding this matter". You now have a new hobby!
Keisha Says:
December 8th, 2008 at 01:14 pm

does anyone actually have the number 2 contact cust service because I am having similar problems. They only mail me something in the mail every blue moon and I like 2 keep up with my info?
jdedit2001 Says:
December 8th, 2008 at 01:59 pm

Keisha-I think the number is 877-265-3278
Rojaty Says:
December 11th, 2008 at 07:04 pm

Keisha / Anyone -

Citizens Automobile Finance 24/7 customer service phone number 877-265-3278 for account information.

Citizens Bank customer service # 800-656-6561 to get registered so that you can view account information online w/out having a Citizens Bank checking or savings account. You will need your Citizens Auto Finance acct. #, social security #, payment amt, and original balance of car loan.
chris Says:
December 12th, 2008 at 08:53 am

I have and address and phone number,

Citizens Automoble Finance,inc.
P.O. box 42113
Providence, RI 02940-2113

Phone # 1-877-365-3278
On the bill and email adress is www.citizensbank.com/onetimepay
I subnitted that adress and actually got this site.
Hope I helped some.
warren Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 04:48 pm

I signed loan docs at the dealership Dec. 4. Today is the 16th and Citizen's doesn't know I exist. I want to pay off the loan immediately but can get no info from customer service at all of the numbers listed on this blog. They just say that I am not in the system. They do not recognize my SSN or name. I am unable to get my account number or anyone to tell me who can provide the information. NEVER do business with this scum sucking bottom feeder company.
lindsay Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 07:42 pm

I bought a car the end of October (28th). My first payment wasn't due until November 28th. After seeing this post and not receiving any statement, I called. I like to get my bills paid asap so nothing is late. They said that they mail your statement out 20 days before the due date. I didn't get my first statement until 6 days before the due date. I ended up mailing my payment with my acct number at the bottom of my check before I got my statement. Cleared bank day before due date. Again in December I mailed my check before I received my statement. Check was cashed within a week and a half after mailing. Just got my December yesterday and it does show my two payments I made. So far so good. Just disappointed that they don't send the statements out sooner.
helper Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 03:33 am

in response to the last 2 posts (warren and lindsay): firstly, the contracts you signed at the dealerships for the autos you purchased and ultimately financed take time to get from the dealership(s) to the bank. Then, if the dealership forgot any necessary documentation, or if there were any particular stipulations placed in order to grant the loan that the dealership needed to include with the contract but didn't, would result in holding up of the processing of your loan(s). So again, check with the first if you are having problems, in the early time period of your loan. If they don't know what is going on, they have contacts to find out what is happening.
helper Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 03:35 am

In response to the last 2 posts (warren and lindsay), and many of the others: firstly, the contracts you signed at the dealerships for the autos you purchased and ultimately financed take time to get from the dealership(s) to the bank. Then, if the dealership forgot any necessary documentation, or if there were any particular stipulations placed in order to grant the loan that the dealership needed to include with the contract but didn't, would result in holding up of the processing of your loan(s). So again, check with the DEALERSHIP first if you are having problems, especially in the early time period of your loan. If they don't know what is going on, they have contacts to find out what is happening.
lindsay Says:
December 21st, 2008 at 09:26 am

helper - so basically you are saying that we should just wait until the bank recognizes that we are clients? Are you the one who is going to paying late fees for people who don't get their statements before the due date? I completely understand that there is the waiting period from the time your loan is processed and the bank sends out statements, but if you have read some of the above posts you will see that many people have had problems with this company. It'd be understandable if just one or two people have had problems, but this many?
helper Says:
December 22nd, 2008 at 04:58 am

lindsay - There are many Indirect Lending sources in the market today and each has their own idiosynchrasies, and each has there own problems as they relate to customer service. None is perfect as I have worked with a majority of these sources in my car purchase history. Also the lending climate has changed if you are not aware, which means that approval terms and stipulations have changed and are much different this past year than they have been over the past 15 or 20 years. It's all over the news that it is much more difficult to get a loan today tan ever before and lending institutions are only lending to those with excellent credit. So, what I am saying is that if you feel that there is a problem, and after contacting the bank with no results, then contact the dealership where you purchased your vehicle which is also the entity which arranged for your loan. Between the two sources you should be able to find out why there is a problem and how to get it resolved expediently. I emphasized dealership previously as they would (should) have first-hand knowledge about the status of your loan (since they made arrangements with the bank for it) and also because they have contacts within the bank that the general public does not as those people are dedicated to servicing information and documents submitted to them by the dealerships. Because this is so, they could easily get to the source of the issue surrounding the loan and provide you with the necessary information as to how and when such issue will be resolved. I understand the frustration of all who have posted above as I have had problems in the past as well and that is why I am posting to try to help. I also understand that frustration leads to anger, but by working the situation properly, many of these issues are VERY easily resolved eliminating, or limiting, the frustration and anger. If this is not viewed as helpful, then I will discontinue posting on this blog.
citizensbank_hater Says:
December 24th, 2008 at 09:16 am

to enroll in online banking, you must call them at 800-656-6561. be prepared to provide your loan number, and the date of your last payment for verification purposes.
SHS Says:
December 25th, 2008 at 09:33 am

Hi all...good news...I reported Citizens to the BBB, their board of directors and the FTC. While the Board denied any wrong doing (of course), they did correct my credit report which was what I wanted anyway. Morale of the story-RAISE HELL TO GET WHAT IS RIGHT!! One more thing readers-DON'T ever accept an company offered extension agreement!!! Find the money for the payment elsewhere. They will offer it and not honor it in the end and try to screw your credit up in the process. This company is unethical and makes it a habit to feed off of unsuspecting car owners. I agree with the Credit union post-my life has been so calm since I ditched this company. Good luck!!!
melody Says:
December 26th, 2008 at 08:48 am

I have experienced all of the above, got smart and after 5 months paying on my new vehicle, I decided to refinance with another (reputable) bank and got even a lower finance rate for the same term. Citizens Automobile Finance is definitely a different kind of bank.
rojaty Says:
December 30th, 2008 at 05:48 pm

Lindsay, it could be that dealership is still shopping your loan with banks to get you financed. They send all loan applications to several banks at once to get loan approval. But if it's with citizens auto financing they should have your loan information by now. Citizens Automobile Finance 24/7 customer service phone number 877-265-3278 to get account information (just need your ss#).

Call Citizens Bank customer service # 800-656-6561 to register so you can view your account info online w/out having a Citizens Bank checking or savings account. You will need your Citizens Auto Finance acct. #, ss #, payment amt, and original balance of car loan.
steve Says:
January 14th, 2009 at 01:17 pm

All-
Well I'm finally in the clear with Citizens Automobile Finance Company. Less than two weeks ago I sent them the total payment amount on my 2005 auto loan. Yesterday I recieved the certificate of lien/loan satisfaction on my automobile that my state requires. The papers arrived in a very timely manner and I have them now attached to my title. Thank God almighty! Free at last! Good luck to all of you fellow bloggers and remember the tactics of these preditory companies can't stand up to public scrutiny.
Amanda H Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 04:31 pm

I have a good one. I first must say I have never had a problem with receiving statements or calls from Citizens. The kicker is, my family and I have been facing strong financial hardship for nearly three years now, and around October 2008, we were almost 3 months behind on our loan. We received a call from Citizens letting us know that we had two and a half weeks to take care of the issue. I called them about a week later to let them know that I would be able to pay by the end of the following week and wanted to set it up. The woman that I spoke with told me I had to pay it by the next day or it would be repossessed. I explained the previous conversation to her and she called me nothing short of a liar. She then proceeded to downgrade my ability to pay and said there was no excuse. I tried to explain what we were going through and apologized to her. When she continued to be rude I finally said, "you have got to be kidding me, you're supposed to be customer service." To this she said "No, I am not, I am in collections!"
I have NEVER been treated the way this woman treated me. She was extremely unprofessional and accused me of being out of line. I never even gave any attitude until she kept telling me to "quit cutting me off, now." That was it for me, I did let her have it. Needless to say, I had a repossession agent show up at my house two days later and I willingly gave up my vehicle. He was very understanding and courteous and I did get my vehicle back a few days later; but, not before paying fees that Citizens failed to disclose to us and having another $500 tacked onto the end of my loan in repossession fees from them. This could have all been avoided if it hadn't been for that one nasty woman. Now, I have them threatening me again (and what do you know, they are counting the $500 in fees that were supposed to be tacked onto the end of the loan as late.)
I highly DO NOT recommend this company!
Thanks for reading and I hope there aren't others that end up having this problem with Citizens.
Rojaty Says:
January 25th, 2009 at 05:19 pm

Congrats to you Steve ~ Citizens Auto Finance 'free'.
For those that read/reply I am so thankful again for this blog because it had great ideas & suggestions. I have had no problems thus far and have been blessed to be able to have paid my loan months in advance and now make monthly payments on principal only and my balance is going down quickly. I hope to achieve my goal of paying car off in 2 or less years.
JC Says:
January 25th, 2009 at 07:07 pm

Hi I'm kind of new to loans as I got a car loan through Citizens in August of 07 and I was wondering if anybody knows where all the extra interest goes. For example, I'm paying $400 a month at 10.890%(apparently), but the interest they charge is $88.04 which in reality is close to 22% and btw it's been higher lol. That's like an extra 11% interest! It doesn't say where the extra $$ go on my satements. Btw Amanda, I wonder if they charge interest on that $500 in fees, cause at the rate they charge me, that's an extra $110.
Rojaty Says:
January 26th, 2009 at 06:56 pm

JC (1/25/08),
I feel you on the interest. I have yet to figure out how Citizens calculates the interest. I almost always pay waaaayyy before the due date and one would think the amount of interest would be lower but that is not always the case. And like you their interest calculations confuse me. Try being early one month and see if interest lowers (ex. payment due on March 20th --> try making March payment on 19th of Feb.)
Susan Says:
January 29th, 2009 at 12:44 pm

I have been dealing with Citizens Auto Finance since Aug 2007. Still trying to find out why it takes so long for my statement to arrive by U.S.Mail from RI to Okla.!! My last one arrived in my mail box 13 days after date on the statement and due in 7 days. This has been a problem since day 1. The day my bill arrives I have to send my payment,which is always only posted on the due date. This really makes me crazy. Since I can mail or get a card from family in RI within 3 days only tells me that this company holds all mail to create possible late charges. I won'tdo business with them again.
Ellen Says:
February 2nd, 2009 at 05:47 pm

I just bought a new car three weeks ago, and I'm glad to be done with Citizen's.

I hadn't had a problem with them until December of this past year. I made an online payment, and Citizen's told me it went through. I religiously check my banking online, and the $$$ never came out. I called them, they told me it went through. I called my actual bank, and they saw no hold. Amazingly, a few days after that, I find out my payment didn't actual go through. There were way more than sufficient funds in the account to cover it.

Fast forward to January 12th... the day I bought my new car. Everything went well with the dealer, and they requested the overnight payment address from Citizen's when they called for the total payoff. The dealer sent off the payoff check the next morning (at the latest), and now Citizen's has been calling me since.

They claim they never got the check, and that I owe them almost $500, including the most recent "past due" amount. I talked to the dealer, and they have all the information that proves they mailed out the check. They were about to get on the phone themselves with Citizen's to try to find out why they supposedly haven't gotten the check. The dealer told me that if Citizen's told them the same thing that they told me, they were going to stop payment on the original check and send out a new one... one that they're going to make sure Citizen's gets.

Things were good with Citizen's for two and a half years... It's almost like they're pissed that I traded in the car and am not paying them anymore.
Mike Says:
February 5th, 2009 at 08:04 pm

I just got off the phone with Citizens Auto Finance. This will be the second time that they have said they have not received a payment. As before they have the check but can not find it. Wow! I guess they have more money than I figure. Sure is hard paying this company. I will never use them again.
james-s Says:
February 6th, 2009 at 12:56 am

Everybody on this blog should, as I should have, When I had problems, is to file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. "illinoisattorneygeneral.gov". Or the attorney General of your State. A complaint can be done online or you can request a complaint form. Their offices are aggressive at fighting fraud and unfair business practices. Enough complaints and they'll get there act together or loose their licsence to do business in states where they are truly fraudulent.
Amy Gress Says:
February 8th, 2009 at 10:59 am

I am glad I am not the only one having problems with this joke of a company!! They are a rip-off! I always send my payment in advance of due date, yet they never receive it until the end of month- sometimes 20 days later! I cannot send any earlier than I do. I figure 15-20 days is enough time. WRONG! I manage to get late fees every month. They say it's not their fault the mail is slow. Well, why is it that I receive a late notice in 3 days from them and they cannot get my payment on time?? This is a bunch of Cr--p! I will NEVER again have a loan from these rip offs!
CMV Says:
February 8th, 2009 at 01:03 pm

We have an RV loan with Citizens Auto Finance and just got off the phone with them after having to verbally request a copy of the tax form showing interest paid for 2008. According to the customer service rep, they do not automatically mail these documents for auto or RV loans, so they must be requested specifically. I did, however, manage to obtain the website and the online banking rep helped set up a user account so at least we can now manage/monitor our loan activity on line. www.citizensbank.com - unfortunately, the interest paid info for tax purposes isn't anywhere on the loan information. I must agree - we are doing our best to move this loan to a more reputable, customer-friendly bank.
mary jo Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 05:26 pm

we have sucessfully received our bills on time for car payment each month. What we did though is after we got our account #,called citizens bank at 1800-656-6561 and told them we wanted to be able to view our account on line. We then set up a automatic payment with our bank to take out of our checking account and tranfer payment to citizens bank- there is no charge for this,our payment due on 12th and we sit it up for 10th and can see it post etc. Second month and no problems,and most of all don't have to talk to any of their reps .
ron Says:
February 13th, 2009 at 04:28 pm

I just purchased a vehicle Jan.21,2009 . The loan was financed through Citizens. I was expecting my first bill in mail for several weeks now.

My first payment is due Febuary 18th. When the bill did'nt arrive in the mail today I googled Citizens and came across this blog.

I called customer service to see why I have'nt received my first bill yet. Seeing that it is due in less than a week !

I had to wait about 15 minutes to talk to someone and when I did. They had my address wrong in their database !

The town was wrong ! I assume this mistake was made at the dealer but you would think this kind of thing could be avoided .

Anyway while on the phone the salesperson supposedly corrected my billing address and is sending me a form to fill out so my bank account can be automatically debited. Also I got the address to mail in my first payment.

If anyone needs info its :

Citizens Automobile Finance ,Inc.
P.O. Box 42113
Providence, R.I.
02940-2113

customer servive phone:1-877-265-3278

I have online banking with another bank so this should be no problem and will save the hassle of mailing out a check every month. No way will I pay 12 dollars on their site to make a payment.

Will keep updated if I have anymore issues.
Datchley Says:
February 20th, 2009 at 10:11 am

I purchased my Lincoln last May, it took me 7 calls to get a payment statement. I contacted the dealer several times for assistance.
The customer service agents are very rude & it's never their fault. I have spent the past 25 years working in a customer service field & I am shocked at the treatment I received from this company.
I will Never use this company again to finance Anything.
I have moved & I dread calling to change my address with this company.
Becky Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:55 am

I guess I am very fortunate not to have had any problems with this company. We've had them for 3 years now. I pay all my bills on line through my bank's free on line bill service. I have received statements each month from Citizens. One time I paid a little more towards principal by check (in addition to the on line payment). Marked it "principal payment" in the memo line and the next month the statement reflected it. I plan to cancel the on line payment one to two months before the due date so I can see if there will be any problems with them pulling a payment anyway. This will give me a chance to address it before I have a zero balance.
Good luck to everyone who has experienced such problems. And thanks for the good thread, it has great information.
Evelyn Says:
March 3rd, 2009 at 08:24 am

Hi! For all of you with problems with Citizens Auto Finance, I have the answers. I had been trying to get in contact with them for several months to payoff my loan. I was given a number 1-800-610-7300 which I called for two weeks and got no one because I did not know the loan number. Today, God bless, I got thru to a real live person. She told me that Citizens Auto Finance works in Conjunction with Charter 1 Bank. Huzzah!!!!! She also told me that the number to the loan department, direct of course, is 1-800-708-6680. Hope this helps you all.
shelliebean Says:
March 14th, 2009 at 11:59 am

To those looking for the citizens bank number.
Customer Service is 1-877-265-3278 press 0 to get a representative.
To make a payment by automated (pay by phone) 1-888-805-0200 or visit
www.citizensbank.com/onetimepay
You will need your account number-loan number if possible.
charles jacquot Says:
March 15th, 2009 at 11:06 am

I bought a new cal in 2005 finance citizens auto well naver againI have never been late always pay before it's due well if you pay them ahead of time they don't know what to do when they recive ypur payment it sits on some ones disk or put it on the principal then send you a lATTER TeLlING YOU YOUR LATE I use to send them exter don't due that as they don't know what to do with it even if you write it down I don't know where they get there workers cause they are all STUPID
Stacy Says:
March 17th, 2009 at 09:32 am

I can't believe this company is still in business...they definitely have no business being allowed to deal with the public! I have financed a vehicle before and paid the loan off, without any trouble at all. I am almost at the 2yr mark with Citizens. Managed to avoid any real problems (other than collections calling when I'm 2 days late w/ pymt....they have no business asking WHY my pymt is late and making me feel like a dead-beat debtor) until a couple months ago (luckily, after Christmas!). I made my normal pymt of $264.65. Well, they felt it was ok to run that check through my bank for the amt. of $964.65. That was a whole mess that my bank was great w/ taking care of, however I still had 2 days plus over the wkend that I had zero dollars to my name. I actually had to borrow gas $$ b/c Citizens totally wiped me out. Yeah, I was pissed, but I also understand human error, so let is slide. I received a notice in Febuary, stating that due to pymt ahead, I did not owe my Feb. pymt. This notice was sent in place of my statement. Showed I had $0.00 owed and my next pymt was not due until March 25th. Great! I am getting married end of May and we are paying cash for everything, so every extra penny is going to wedding stuff. So, that pymt is gone. well, Feb. 27th I receive a ph. call from collections, wanting Feb. pymt. I explained the notice I got, the rep put me on hold for 10 mins to talk to another dept. She got back on the line and said I was correct, that I did not owe anything for Feb. and I could disregard the phone call. All settled, right?? No way! I got another call from collections yesterday, stating I was now 18 days behind. I explained the situation AGAIN. This time I got a manager and she would not budge. She stated that they would never mail out a notice like that. I told her to look in my file (which she grudgingly did), and magically, there is no record of that letter coming to my address. So, apparently, I made it up and am trying to now scam there company out of a pymt. she told me to provide a copy of the letter...well sure. Since I threw it out (big mistake, never to be made again) after I got it, that should be pretty easy. I mentioned the previous phone call where the rep told me I did not owe for Feb and the manager actually admitted the girl had made a mistake, due to the large withdrawal they had mistakenly taken out of my account back in January. So I told her since it was their mistake, they should be able to move that pymt to the end of my loan, so as not to cause financial hardship for myself, having to make a double pymt and that they should not report me to the credit bureau like she had been threatening during our call. She told me that would not be possible b/c my loan was too "new." Hmm....1.5 yrs is too new. She then went on to say that it was my responsibility to make my pymts on time and why on earth would I think I could just NOT pay for a month?? I was so livid yesterday I had to end the call. I spoke w/ my soon to be sister in law, who works for the FDIC...she stated that no company HAS to report a consumer to the credit bureaus...so I will explore that avenue as well as using my own. I am a paralegal, so believe me, I will be getting any state or federal statutes that state they are allowed to start harrassing collection calls at places of employment after only being 3 days late w/ pymt. I will also be getting information on call logs from Citizens, as well as my pymt history (sounds like that may be next to impossible). They will also need to provide documentation stating that they cannot move a pymt to the end of a loan when a customer cannot pay due to a mistake THEY made and even admitted to. I will then promptly join the group that has filed complaints w/ the BBB and Attorney Generals office. And in the meantime, I will do my best to get financed through someone else, as well as talk to the dealership that hooked me up w/ Citizens and tell them what a crock that place is...Anything to trash them is good enough for me. I just hope it does some good. If anyone has any suggestions for my situation, I am definitely wanting to hear them!!!
Michael Boston, Says:
March 18th, 2009 at 06:03 am

I have always received my statement on time and never any problems with Citizens after one year. However I can�t believe they don�t have a website and the ability for the customers to pay and set up payment online. This is 2009. I have been paying things online for over ten years what�s up with Citizens Auto?
One other thing was I was paying off my loan very quickly with lots of additional principal. One month I was running late and had to do a over the phone check for the $12 fee. I called to check on my balance and I found I didn�t need to make that payment and pay fee due to I had so much principle down my next payment wasn�t due for over 5 months. Wish I knew about that before.

I am paying off the balance today and giving them a B rating.
Belinda Says:
March 18th, 2009 at 07:29 pm

So glad to have found this site. I am so p/o with Citizens right now. I have been with them for 3 years. I just received a statement saying that I am $205.55 past due. BUT my Feb. bill says TOTAL PAYMENT AMOUNT DUE $211.15. I paid $300.00. So how can I be past due. So I call them. Spoke with some male who didnt know his ass from a hole in the ground. Got put on with his supervisor. Went over ALL the problems I have with them. The first being this overdue balance. The ONLY answer Erin would give me is "your monthly payment is $405.55, and you only payed $211.15." She went on to say, it doesnt matter what the "amount due" states, you need to pay the monthly payment of $405.55." So my March bill is total amount due $611.10 ($405.55 plus $205.55) but I was just told it doesnt matter what the amount due says, I should ALWAYS pay the $405.55 amount. Guessing if I only paid the $405.55 that the past due amount will be noted on my credit report.

Jan. bill was the same, $211.15, I paid $250.00. Yet they cashed the check for $200.00. Thier mess up....not mine....right??? WRONG-O!! The Feb. bill no mention of the mistake, no, past due amount of $11.15, NOTHING!!

This company is all messed up. I have copies of all 36 invoices and will be contacting people left and right, til this is straighten out. How can a company send you a billing statement for one amount and claim next month that you should have paid a different amount? And now that missing amount is past due and being noted against me.

Anyone know who can help? Who I can turn to, or the direction to take this matter in? I feel they are trying to scramble here, since the company made the mistake and wont fix it.
Andy Says:
March 19th, 2009 at 11:06 am

I had purchased a new Santa Fe in August 2008 and the dealer set me up with Citizen's for my loan. Although the monthly bill does come a little late, I had not experienced any problems paying the monthly bill on time UNTIL....

February 2009 - I open my bill and discover that my last payment was never made. I was suprised as my bank records indicated that my check was cashed by Citezens on the due date. When I called, I discovered they had incorrectly applied my payment to the principle, not the regular payment. They reversed the payment to apply towards the regular payment and all was good.

March 2009 - I am untrusting of Citzen's competence so I check on my next payment - and disover the same thing happened again. This time I have photocopies of the payment stub and check. Again they re-apply the payment from principle to regular payment.

They told me the reason why my payment was not applied correctly is becuase I did not fill out the payment stub correctly. I explained how I completed the stub and they told me that it sounded like I followed the proper procedure and asked me to fax the photocopy of the stub to them for review. I tried to fax the documents to them, but the fax number didn't work. I tried to contact the CSR back at the direct phone number she gave me and discovered the number was for the "Safe Horizon Youth Programs."

Also, since my first payment, I had been paying over the standard monthly payment. As of February the "credit" I had built from over-payment disappeared. I did some digging and discovered that it wasn't applied to principle, it wasn't applied as a regular payment, it simply vanished. We requsted and have been waiting for a detailed billing and transaction history so that we could review every transaction and find where our "credit" went to, but it still has not arrived.

After reading all the posts on this site, my wife and I have agreed to re-finance the loan through a different bank that we trust. We are concerned about the severance with Citizens and the future problems that may occur, but I do not trust this bank for even the simplest transaction and at some point need to end the business relationship.
babysteps:) Says:
March 20th, 2009 at 06:39 pm

Has anyone noticed that citizen's had added an extra line for the customer to write in a principle payment in addition to the regular monthly (interest & Prin)? That is cool. I just WISH they send me my bill already! I've had the same experience as lindsay.

My last bill had a "statement date" of Feb 11th on it. The bill didn't arrive until Feb 20th and was due on March 3rd!!!
I had 11 days to pick prepare the payment, mail it and PRAY that it arrives a few days before the 3rd. That is cutting it close especially if it takes them a ffew days to process it. I always mail the payment the day the bill arrives but I always feel nervous that they wont get it on time, and it makes me mad to know that it is dragging out the interest due each day it is meandering along in the "mail" (supposedly!)

I believe that they are slow to mail the statements, and they are giving their customers a huge diservice.

If mail is slow, they need to give customers another week until the payments are due. If someone came across an emergency, 11 days doesn't even give most people time to wait for a another paycheck.

It is now March 20th and I don't have the bill for payment due at the beginig of April. From now on, I will take the advice to other posters, and just send in a check (after photocopying the stub!) before the stupid bill even arrives.

The thing I am happiest about, I will try to refinance with someone else AND I am paying so much extra that I am turning my 6 yr loan into only 2 years!
Good bye Citizens!!
Thanks, everyone for you advice and commiseration!
AmyLynn Says:
April 2nd, 2009 at 06:23 pm

I moved three months ago and I called to change my address, and I still have not received a statement in the mail from them. Each month when I call They say they have the correct address, so why haven't I received my statements. And when I moved I was unable to find a phone number online to call them, so I had to wait till they called me about my late payment, it is so irritating. Im ready to switch my loan to another bank.
Calily Says:
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:50 pm

Citizens Bank keep calling my job and relatives about payment that was received in their P.O. box 3 days ago(send by express mail).
Terry Says:
April 4th, 2009 at 01:03 pm

I have been a customer of Citizens Auto Finance for the past 3 horrible years. Their customer service personnel are rude. Their banking practices are from the stone age. And I am sure they are one of the banks that received the bail out money.
When I purchased my vehicle, I did not receive a statement or bill for 3 months. I called for an address and the one they gave me did not exist and my checks were returned. They then insisted they NEEDED to place this on my credit report. I believe this company exists mainly to screw up peoples good credit and FICA scores. They seem to take such delight in doing it.
I am truly thankful I have only one year left with this misserable excuse for a business.
Ty Says:
April 6th, 2009 at 12:34 pm

This company is bad news... I sent in my April payment the last week of March and got a call on Thursday stating I only owed $95.00 due to the fact I always pay more than the required amount and how did I want the remaining amount applied...Today on the 6th I get a call stating that I was behind on the payments and that this was the last call I would get before they came and took the vehicle back. About a year ago I also got a call stating I was behind on my payments, when I asked how I was told that they charge a yearly fee and that it was a privalige to have a car financed thru them... Thats when I told them to hold on, I never signed a contract stating I would pay a privalige fee... Will never finance anything else thru these loosers!!!!!!!!!
walkersmama Says:
April 7th, 2009 at 11:52 am

I have had my car financed through this company for a while and they have falsely reported to the credit bureau that I have been late multiple times. I absolutely HATE this company and will never do business with them again.

BEWARE!
ERlijah Says:
April 7th, 2009 at 02:34 pm

I finance with Charter one, which was changed to CA F. They intentional place the wrong address on your first mailing. I had a payment book. They call me after the first payment was not received. After speaking to the lady and checking my auto loan papers. The proper address was entered on the contract.They attempted to asses a late charge fee, I simply stated to them come and get the car.After which they mail me my payment coupons to the proper address The matter was resolved and I have not had any more problems. Also to keep matter correct I always pay my bill one month in advance. I am not sure if you can do this with monthly payment coupons
DD Says:
April 14th, 2009 at 05:05 pm

I just got the auto finance to hook me up online so I can view my car payments. You have to call customer service to do it, since you have no checking/savings acct with the bank. Once they hook you up online, you can change your user ID . The # 800-656-6561.
Adam Says:
April 18th, 2009 at 08:30 pm

I just financed through Cilizen's Auto i opened an account 5 months ago i haven't had any problems yet. I pay my bill through my bank account and their online pay bill service Not Citizen,s. Usually i pay anywhere from 8 to 12 days before it's due date even if i don't get my payment coupon in the mail, then after about 3 to 4 days i call the phone # 877-265-3278 and get their automated service enter my account # last four #'s of SSN and it will tell you if your payment has posted. I do this every month after i found this blog. It's not much but i hope this helps.
CitizensBlows Says:
April 21st, 2009 at 07:14 am

I have an auto loan through Citizens and they are TERRIBLE! The fees, the customer service, etc. are below par. I can not wait to sell my car and NEVER deal with them again!
S. Smith Says:
April 23rd, 2009 at 05:31 pm

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER finance through this company.

You cannot access your account on the internet.

If you do not send your payment immediately after you receive your bill, there is not time to get it in by the due date and you will be forced to make a payment over the phone for a TWELVE dollar fee.

Given the technology that is available today, this is unacceptable.

It would be a different story if they offered automatic payments or sent the bills in advance.

Had I known what a headache this would be, I would have went with a different company for a higher interest rate in a second.
vince Says:
April 29th, 2009 at 11:11 am

so far this has worked for me they doint get in any hurry, they did take over bank one of north america

Citizens Auto Finance
PO BOX 255587
Sacramento, CA 95865-5587
PH:877-265-3278
FX:877-362-6623
title info # 1-800-708-6680
Matthew Webb Says:
May 4th, 2009 at 05:53 am

I've never had a problem with Citizens, but I can confirm that you can link your payments up via your own online banking account. I use PNC Bank, and I was able to sent up an online bill pay through them. It seems a little clumsy, but it works. It would be ideal to be able to view your current balance and such online, but I guess thats not an option.
Samuel Munoz Says:
May 4th, 2009 at 02:02 pm

They are horrible. I used their automated service to obtain a pay-off amount. When I sent in the $23K I was told that I owed $15 in accrued interest due to them sitting on my check for 4 days. I've a second loan with them that I most certainly will be refinancing representing hundreds of dollars in lost interest over $15.

"Penny wise, but a pound foolish."
Mary Jo Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 12:20 pm

What is the best procedure when you are ready to pay off your loan with citizens and get your title. What # to call and how long to get the title.
scs Says:
May 10th, 2009 at 01:21 pm

I agree that their website for auto loans leaves a lot to be desired. I do get statements every month and I have been able to send payments through my bank. The payments are now "wired electronically" so I only have to send them 3-4 days before they are due.
Fran Says:
May 16th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

This is the info I received today via customer service at 1-877-265-3278.

Payee - Citizens Auto Finance
Address - PO Box 42113
Providence, RI 02940-2113

I had to call as they had my zip code all screwed up and I did not receive any payment information.
Josh Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 03:31 pm

Does anyone know what if anything Citizens Auto charges for early payoff. I pulled out a 60 month loan thru them in October 2006 but hope to have it paid off by next summer. I know some banks charge a fee for early pay offs. Does Citizens? I with there was a way to research more about them...website would be ideal!
Susan Doane Says:
May 19th, 2009 at 05:00 am

I have a car loan through Citizens bank and I have had no problems. I have had my vehicle for approximately 3 years. My payment has been debited out of my account with no problems. I have no issues with this company at all. I have not had to call for any problems regarding my loan.
R.L. Says:
May 21st, 2009 at 03:34 pm

Hi All!

I've been reading through your posts and I do have a website that was given to me where you can at least "go paperless" with your statements. Visit https://www.citizensbankonline.com/ and set up an account. At least this way you can print off your own statements. It is a shame that they are not set-up to take payments online and charge $12.50 - $20.00 to accept payments via phone. Has anyone had problems with getting behind on payment and possible repossession? What did you do and how did you deal?
Delores Says:
May 29th, 2009 at 11:30 am

Citizen's Bank is a horrible place to bank with. They don't care about their customers. My car was stolen at the end of last year and when I called to tell them about it, the customer service rep told me it didn't have anything to do with them, that I was still responsible for making the payment. I said ok and continued to do so. When my insurance company settled (who is Allstate and they are HORRIBLE as well - but that is a different story) and sent a check directly to Citizens, I called Citizens every day to see if the check had been received and posted to my account. Today is the 10th day and they still claim to not have received the check. SO, GUESS WHAT!!? I had to make another payment on my loan to keep it from going on my credit. EVEN THOUGH a check is already on it's way to them. I gave Citizens the check #, exact amount, and offered to send a copy of the check. They still didn't care. I had to make the payment PLUS pay a late charge PLUS pay the $12.50 processing fee!! I told them I would NEVER AGAIN do business with them and all they had to say was that was my choice. THEY DON'T CARE. Then I find out that there are no notes stating that I called them to report my car stolen, so there is nothing they can do about the payments I made between the time of theft and the now. I told them I did call and report that. The "customer service" rep told me I should have followed up. Well, once you call and they say it's none of their business, why would you try to call back? I also called to ask if we could pull the call where I reported my car stolen to them. They said they would need the exact date, time, and agent's first and last name in order to pull the call. If they needed to pull a call for some reason, I think they would be able to do so. They need better customer service training and a HUGE attitude adjustment. I am, at this point, trying to reach the president or vice president directly to make my complaints heard. How maddening. I can't believe we, as consumers, put up with being treated like this. They wouldn't be here if it weren't for us!! I agree with Samuel... "penny wise, but a pound foolish". PLEASE! Contact the president of the company and complain and maybe we can make something happen.
Bonnie McCarty Says:
June 2nd, 2009 at 07:35 am

I just got off the phone with Citizens. It seems that they cannot read. July should be our last payment according to the schedule. In October 2008, we sent an extra amount (roughly 1 1/2 times a monthly payment) to go toward the principal. So now, June should be our last month, and should be a little less than half of a normal payment. I called them and they said we still owe 2 full payments. It turns out that when they got my check, rather than apply it all toward principal as stated on the check, they applied it toward the next 1 1/2 payments instead of auto-debited our account. So now I've paid extra interest on that $350 for months, and they won't do anything about it!
mac1 Says:
June 12th, 2009 at 11:04 am

Bought a new vehicle financed through Citizens Auto Finance May 2009.

I called the customer support number that someone posted on this forum (1-877-265-3278). I spoke with a woman who was pleasant and she confirmed the loan and gave me a loan number and CORRECT address (we were given a Sacramento PO box) to send the payment to (the Providence PO box). Apparently the Sacramento PO Box is a Charter of Citizens Bank who has the title.

She also said that our first bill was sent out on the 3rd of June. Our first payment is due on the 23rd of June. Just received the bill in the mail today (Jun 12).

There IS a way to make a payment online "for a small convenience fee" of $12.50 at this website:
http://www.citizensbank.com/onetimepay/

OR you can call this number 1-888-805-0200 and pay, but they charge a $20 "convenience fee"!!

Seems like the mail-in option or automatic bill-pay though your own bank (as someone mentioned above) is the best/free option.

Another way to pay is to go to a physical Citizens Bank and make a payment there (for free).

Hope this info helps. I'm glad I found this forum, otherwise, we would have blindly sent our first payment to the wrong address and probably be penalized for it. It's more of the dealer's fault for providing incorrect info.
InTheMail? Says:
June 18th, 2009 at 04:58 pm

Has anyone had a problem getting their title from Citizens after their loan has been paid in full? The sent me a letter advising me that my loan was paid off and a release of lien, but no title. It's been months and still nothing.
Tim White Says:
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:01 am

I just called customer sevice today 06-22-09. I got my letters six weeks ago for two vehicles I paid off and still no titles. The guy on the other end says it should be any day now. I wonder if they would have accepted that as an answer to a late payment.
Gail Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 07:53 am

I have read some of your comments: I do however have their payment address: Citizens Automobile Finance, Inc, P O Box 42113, Providence, RI 02940-2113. Their onetime payment website is www.citizensbank.com/onetimepay.
Once you get into the system, their billing comes regularly every month and I receive it by the 29th to the 30th.
Good Luck
Linda Says:
July 2nd, 2009 at 07:27 am

I to have a screwed up loan. Back in Feb. they took it upon themselves to change my payment method as I always was paying extra princ. So no it shows on the statement 0 payment due. And what was being paid went to the principle thus this should have lowered the remaining balance. Wrong spmehow I am loosing money that should be applied. Every month I call them and threaten to get an attorney for breach of contract. They say they are correcting the mistakes. It shouldn't be calling every month to tell them they made a mistake. The asses on the phone ask all kinds of information before they talk to you, if you have an account # and verify your name they don't need make and model, year of vehicle. I hate this bank and can't find a phone of corp. offices so I can go higher up, and complain. What can you do about them changing your payment application. I guess a signed contract means nothing now a day.
Samantha Says:
July 2nd, 2009 at 01:23 pm

I'm so sorry for all of you and the troubles you have had. I just want everyone to know that you can refinance a car! It's actually quite painless and fairly easy to do. A lot of times you'll get a rate that's even better than the one you had! Even if you pay $5 more a month, having a bank you like and trust says a lot. Just because that's what the dealership got you, doesn't mean you have to keep it. I refi vehicles ALL THE TIME! Check around!
Garry Owen Says:
July 15th, 2009 at 10:56 am

I've never had a single problem with Citizens Bank.

Ignorant people tend to complain a lot.
Ashley Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 09:32 pm

PAID OFF AND NEED YOUR TITLE?

I paid off my loan in Jan, 2006, and never even thought to remember to look for the title in the mail (stupid me). Here we are, July, 2009, and I want to sell my car but can't find the title. I thought I misplaced it, so I went to request a new one, but DMV can't process it because there's still a lien on it!!

It's just past midnight on a Thursday morning, and I called 877-265-3278 and pressed "0" for a representative. Spoke to Lena, a very polite and helpful girl, who discovered (without my having to know a loan number) that I did, indeed, pay off the loan in Jan, 2006, and that the lien release should have been sent to the DMV a long time ago. She took my contact information and said I should receive a copy of the lien release in a few days. I should take that to the DMV, and they should be able to give me a title at no cost (since I never got one in the first place). Apparently it's electronic here in PA, so I'm hopeful that Citizens and the DMV will come through for me. As you can tell, I was quite worried after reading all of these comments. I'm glad Lena was available at midnight on a Thursday!!

Wish me luck at getting the title, and I recommend that you call the number above at a strange hour of the night and request to speak to Lena.
Jake Says:
July 27th, 2009 at 08:56 pm

Well like many of the others here I bought a car in feb. No payment info ever showed up so I called, luckily 5 days before the due date and promptly sent payment. While speaking to the rep I stated that it would be nice to have a payment book and she told me that would be fine they would get it right out. the second month I got a statement and paid it promptly. the third month I started calling asking about my payment book and that no statement had showed up yet, 8 day's before due date, and was told they DO NOT have payment books and I should wait for the statement so I did. 4 days before its due I get it. I had a bad feeling about this bank so I figured I would start paying hefty amounts to pay it off quickly so I sent a check for $2000. 5 day's later I start getting calls telling me that they had not recieved my payment. I gave them the check # and date mailed. well another week went by with them calling each day informing me that my account is in default for late payment. So I wrote another check paying the car off. It took them 16 days to process it. I added another hundred dollars more than what they said I owed. Anyway three weeks after that I got my title and a check for $12 overpayment HA. so I called and asked for a complete account summary to be mailed. Well that was two weeks ago and nothing. This bank is all about milking every dime it can out of you... DO NOT USE THEM. Oh and my $2000 check has never showed up.
jim zborowski Says:
August 1st, 2009 at 06:32 pm

I have a loan from these vultures..worst finance company on the planet. They are nothing less than extortionists. You can't get a statement from them, they are the most ignorant people if you do get them on the phone, and they are forever threatening ropssesion. Even if you make attempts to fix the problem, they absolutely will not work with you. My personal opinion is we should file a class action suit against them. I am personally going to contact the attorney generals office and report them, as well as the IDPR which licenses them to do bussiness in Illinois and regulates banking. I have absolutely not one kind word for this deceptive practice bank. It is my hope those in charge there end up in jail and they go bankrupt.
Vicki Says:
August 9th, 2009 at 08:12 am

As someone who lives in a state (Missouri) where no one is familiar with this company, I would recommend that NO ONE use this company! I stumbled across this company while buying my first car. They gave me a great percentage rate at the time: 5.54%! I have had nothing but problems with these folks ever since. They claim to mail my bill out on the 16th of every month though I never receive it until the 23rd. If I write the check out and send it back on the 23rd, it doesn't get debited from my account until the day it's due (the 6th of the next month). I call to find out why it takes them so long, so they blame it on the Federal Reserve or some ridiculous nonsense like that. I live in Missouri...not Iraq!

I went on vacation this last month. It hadn't arrived before I left. When I got back, I KNEW it would be late if I sent it via mail. I tried to make a payment over the phone. This place wanted to charge me $12.50 to do all the work myself over the phone! So, I tried the internet. Oh, that'll be $12.50 as well! If you want an actual person to process your payment by phone (y'know, someone that can steal your credit card information and take you to the cleaners), it'll cost you $20.00!!!! I called to speak to a manager to see if the fee would be waived based on the circumstance. After acknowleding that my payments had all been made early or on time while I had been with them, the manager refused to waive the fee for payment. At this point, I was mad enough to switch my lender.

I called to have a payoff faxed to me. If you need a faxed payoff (as most other banks require that), it will cost you $25.00! This whole nickel and diming your customers to death is just ridiculous! I have never dealt with anything this ridiculous in my entire life! During a time where banks aren't doing so well, you think they'd want to hang onto every customer as long as they possibly could, not piss them off so they switch lenders. I hope my $18,213.44 was worth the hassle I got over a $12.50 fee for paying over the phone or via internet (which saves them TIME and MONEY).

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! THE FEES ARE RIDICULOUS!!! I will tell everyone I know and every website I can of my horrific experience with these people!

And BTW, I have made overpayments on purpose, and even though I have written (Apply toward principal amount), they have ALWAYS applied it toward interest first.
Darrell R. Brock Says:
August 11th, 2009 at 12:30 pm

Just paid off my loan. Will not ever have another with this company. This monkey is deceitful.
S Weidman Says:
August 12th, 2009 at 04:50 pm

only have this car loan with citizen. called 800-656-6561. gentleman was very helpful and walked me the whole way thru the process of getting setup to view the account online.
D Botich Says:
August 13th, 2009 at 02:25 pm

This company is the worst!!!!! A fee to pay the monthly payment on-time whether by phone or on the internet? Come on and get into the present day. I have sent payments due on the 23rd on the 10th of the month and they do not cash or endorse the check payment until late in the month or early the next month - and of course with a late fee. I have tried to pay as early as possible but they put the payment toward interest and do not account it to the correct month. Representatives cannot waive the late fee on an early payment accounted to interest either. SO...you can never be one month ahead - a payment book would solve this but this does not generate "extra" fees for them. Long story short, I plan on refinancing with my local bank. If I cannot get a good interest rate that is comparable,I may just sell the car and be over with it. The Better Business Bureau or somebody needs to investigate this finance company.
amylr327 Says:
August 16th, 2009 at 08:25 pm

I thought I was the only one who had issues with this company! I got married and changed my name recently and when I called to have the name on the loan changed, the woman told me that I should have asked permission BEFORE I got married!! It has been almost a year and a half and I still can't get them to change it. Plus we moved and they won't changed my address either, thank goodness I pay through my bank online, but I have no idea what the balance of my loan is right now!
mark Says:
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:06 pm

I just wrapped up a 4yr loan auto loan from citizens... same story, no online account access (that I could find)... but paying them automatically from my checking account each month worked out fine and I never had any account troubles with them. They're legit, but just don't do much via the web.
hope Says:
August 24th, 2009 at 03:47 pm

Wow, thanks 'S. Weidman':the number you published above 800-656-6561 actually works! I figured out my acct number by looking at my checking account online. I pay via automatic debit and have never received any statements from citizens' either. I needed the pay off amount and got it through an automated system at that telephone number.
Charles Ford Says:
September 15th, 2009 at 06:42 am

Good to see others are as insulted by Citizen's Automobile Finance's cold and hostile customer service. I had one underpayment in three years of being financed and they were immediately asking where the car is kept in case they had to repossess! I hope to pay it off ASAP and as many other NEVER deal with this rude company again.
Bill Bixby Says:
September 16th, 2009 at 01:20 pm

This company has tryed to screw me royaly. We had our car up for sale and some one called us to buy it. We made a payment to them over the phone from the 3rd partys account. I asked the rep how long before the payment processeshe told me 48 hr. I then waited and called back 2 days later. He varified that the payment had processed and that it was ok to deliever the car. So I did, well 5 days later I recieved a call and they told me that the payment had not went threw. Mean while I recieved a Clear Title and letter stated that my LOAN HAD BEEN PAYED IN FULL. The guy who "Bought the car had turned his phone off and was no where to be found. They have harrased me 6 times a day telling me that I still owe them the money. There mistake and the lose. This company has awfull customer service and a terrible company. I tell you PLEASE DONT GIVE THEM YOUR BUSINESS. How does some thing like this happen?
Samantha Says:
September 25th, 2009 at 08:22 am

I have a car through them which is actually in my father-in-law's name. I get statements on it but have been spending way too much in fees to pay over the phone. Just found out today that my credit union offers an "electronic expedited" payment option on their free bill pay site which only costs $5.00. Hmm.. internet payment in 5 seconds for $5 or phone payment that takes 10 minutes for $12.50. yeah.. I paid through my bank.
Samantha Says:
September 25th, 2009 at 08:29 am

To Bill Bixby: It may have just taken then 2 days to apply the payment, but if the purchaser's bank rejected the debit to the account you still owe the money. It's the same as somebody paying for a car with a bad check. Citizen's gives you credit for the payment up front, before they get funds from the bank. The guy who gave you the account information can then close his account and not pay a dime for the car. You should always wait 10 days before delivering on a deal like that.. for that reason. The purchaser's bank has 10 days to reject the payment if the account is not in good standing. You got taken. Nothing Citizen's could have done would have stopped this unless they waited 10 days to send you the title, and you probably would have complained had they done that. Your loan agreement has policies regarding returned payments. I'm not trying to stick up for Citizen's, just saying this can happen. We see it alot where I work. We are not allowed to credit any account back after a debit unless 10 days have passed because until then those debits aren't considered good.
Tanya Says:
October 8th, 2009 at 07:29 am

We have had citizens automobile finance for about 1 1/2 years now. They have sucked at customer service and like 99% of the people who have written we get a bill 5 days before it is due. This month I sent off my payment immedietly after receiving my bill. We got a call this morning from a lady wanting to know why we were late when I told her we had already sent the payment. She asked where the car was. Really...After 3 days of being late they need to come get the car? Give me a break. The good news is that I listened to Dave Ramsey the other day and he was talking about the intimidation methods of collectors and how they purposely push your buttons to get you into action. Such as well where is your car. Some examples he gave is if they "feel" you are Christian they will quote scriptures to make you feel bad. They may also say how can you stay with a husband or wife that can't pay their bill on time, etc. If they feel that they have gotten a response out of you they keep that line they have given you and do it again when they call back. People then get upset or mad and say I will show them I will pay my bill and be done with them. Yeah thats what they wanted.
Time Says:
October 14th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

I am trying to set up on line access and I got the how many questions can they ask before you can't answer thing. I just called the number to check my balance and it said they had received my last payment in the amount of the that is on the Statement. I pay a little bit extra every month and am beginning to wonder where that amount went.
Gus Says:
November 9th, 2009 at 04:57 pm

I bougth a car from a guy the use citizens finance.but the lien release is missing.
iam wonder how hard is goin to be to get it from this people (citizens)?
ddwill Says:
November 12th, 2009 at 03:42 am

i didn't read every reply posted but have a whale for ya considerin' citizens...i was injured on a job quite a few years back, long story short, at 42 i needed my Dad to sign for me to get a vehicle. anyway, he signed a letter authorizing them to talk with me as they wouldn't put my name on the loan even though i was making the payments. i got back to making real money, called and told them to start taking more money out for my payment(auto debit)to the tune of $425.58 with the understanding it would go directly to the principle of the loan...well, these jacknuts go and change the payment to $1,000.00 a month and take the interest from that amount instead of applying the extra, and now we're in a dogfight because they want the truck as i stopped making payments in july until they send documentation showing where all the extra money has gone because they illegally changed the payment. on top of that they will no longer speak to me, just my Dad, aaaand they refused to take a payment i went to make to appease them while awaiting the paperwork(which will never come)at a local branch yesterday. i turned it over to my attorney and based on all these posts...i may file a class action suit. everybody with me?
leah Says:
November 17th, 2009 at 05:39 am

Just want to post something positive, bc it seems like people never do when things go right. i just paid off my loan w/ citizens around 11/6. received the title in the mail today, which is much faster than i expected. have not had one issue at all with them, but i made my payments on time every month and when i got the loan they were still doing the coupon book thing, so maybe thats why i had an easier time of it. my only problem with them is there isnt a direct way to pay online, you have to open an account through citizens bank, which no one ever told me, so that was annoying. however like anywhere im sure there are bad CS reps for this company but you have to take everything with a grain of salt. just pay your bill on time, keep records of everything and you should be fine.
Mark W Says:
November 18th, 2009 at 05:35 am

I Paid off the balance of my loan through Citizens Automobile Finance on 10/30 (mailed), The check cleared on 11/5, I received the PA title on 11/13, and the payoff letter and note on 11/16.
Since I paid the loan off early I called to get a payoff amount and the CS rep was courteous and professional.
In 5 1/2 years of dealing with them I have not had a single problem. Every check I sent them cleared within a week of being mailed.
They do need to join the 21st century and get a better web presence though.
RayH Says:
November 19th, 2009 at 04:56 am

Reading through this history reminds me of the one (and only one) payment I missed with them about a year ago. I was called by someone (sounded like a collection agency) and told to call them back immediately. I did. I explained basically I had missed sending the payment and was sending it out that day. Seemed reasonable to me since I had this loan at least 3 years and not been late once. I was basically told to be sure to leave the vehicle outside by the curb "in case" it needed to be repossessed. I was stunned. After that call, I called them again to complain and was met with much apology but nothing in regards to assurance that my vehicle would not be "grabbed up". I guess there tactic worked because I have never been late again on this payment (nor would I be anyway) but can't wait to get away from them. Will never deal with them again.

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