Yesterday was my birthday... it was great... but today (well tomorrow now, I guess, it IS 4am) just thoroughly SUCKED. I mean... it was like one of those days that you just wish you could go back to sleep and wake up and it didn't happen, you know? And this time, it had absolutely nothing to do with body issues, etc. Sorry I'm venting on here about it, but god it was horrible!
So I woke up at 6 this morning to my grandma asking me why my car wasn't in the driveway. I was like Huh??? First thought was that my teenage brother that lives with me got a wild burr up his butt and took the car for some odd late night gas station run for junk food (it's happened, though never in the middle of the night). But then I noticed my KEYS (and there's only 1 set) sitting at the end of my bed.
I called the police.... and reposession.
I was like Oh my god, what the...?! I make my payments
every week. I've never missed a payment since the one time I did at the beginning when I got the car a year ago, and that was because I wasn't used to the 28 day payment cycle thingie that this particular finance company has. I paid my late fees on that one and haven't done it since. I always had an agreement with the office lady and everyone knew me there... because of my nighttime schedule (work 12 to 16 hour shifts, and that's afternoons/midnights) they were okay with me dropping off my payment through the dropbox with my name, car, etc and the amount. She was, I should say. Every other week I did that, depending on how crazy my schedule was. Then, the next week or so I'd go in and make my next payment and the receipt would reflect BOTH payments, though I'd dropped the other in the box. The catch to it is that the place only accepted cash and money orders, or at least that's the way it was when I got my car. And who has the time to get a money order? I figured that since they knew me so well there, by name really, it'd be okay to believe in the office lady that I'd be okay to drop my cash payment in an envelope in the night drop box now and then. And for a while, I was.
So, I called and left a message for my finance company/the place I bought the car and called them at 9am when they opened. Talked to the new manager, I guess they'd let go some people and hired new people on. Apparently, there was ONE payment (of $80.25) missing from my July 31st payment date. They got the one I dropped a few days ago for this week, but that still left me with one payment "missing".
I was pretty much ready to cry, and I asked him to look and see that I always make my payments, and I don't know why they didn't have record of me dropping it, there had never been a problem before because I'd had an agreement with the office lady about it because of my schedule like I said.
Well, turns out that's the day they freaking fired the office lady. They fire her, and my payment goes missing. They said they couldn't do anything about it, because I couldn't prove that I'd dropped the money off so technically I have to pay $600 repo fees, $100+ late fees, plus the amount they said I owed. And the kicker? I only owed about $450 more on my car in general... I was going to be PAID OFF in a month. So here I was, 10 days late... (and like I asked.. they couldn't even CALL me and ASK me "Hey Amanda... we see that you're missing a payment from this date, yet you dropped off a payment for the following week on time. Did you mess something up or is something going on??").... and they repo my car. In the middle of the night.
Now this is where it gets crazy.... a few months before I got my car, my dad purchased a car from them as well. Two months into having the thing, his car breaks down hardcore. Like $1000 worth of work hardcore. He takes it back, tells them where to put (shove) it and gives them the car back. So they decide to sue him. Since my dad is filing bankruptcy, he doesn't care. He hasn't even told them where he lived.
So imagine my shock when they come back with a "deal" for me. The guy literally called me back and was like "Okay, well here's the thing. We'll cut you a deal. Tell us where your dad works (keep in mind I didn't even know this guy, know how he knows about my dad, etc!!!), and where he lives, and we'll cut the repo fees in half."
I cried (thank you theater class) and somehow managed to convince them that I don't talk to my dad (which I don't, much) and definitely don't know where he lives or works. They finally buy it, but won't go much farther down than $600 fees. I convince them that I've only got $401 in my savings account... and mysterious, and easily, they decide they'll take that.
So they "do me a favor" and send a lady that works there to pick me up, take me to the bank, pick up the money..... and then give her the money (WITH RECEIPTS MIND YOU!!!!) in the parking lot of the McDonald's down the street from my house, where my car was waiting.
I've never been so stunned and weirded out by a situation in my LIFE.
My dad and I both decided that they pulled this stunt to try and get to him, and it cost me $400 (which was in my savings for my upcoming vacation in 4 1/2 months). I've decided I'm not going to do anything for another month until I've paid off the car (I only have 4 week payments left) and have the title fully in my hand. After that... I'm thinking the Better Business Bureau... and whatever else people might suggest.
On top of all that... my computer decided to try and kick the dust again today, and I had to restore it and have been working for HOURS reinstalling EVERYTHING I need on it.
Today.... was a..... day from....
!!
On a positive note... I maintained my sanity and myself rather well. It's got to be the healthy lifestyle I've adopted these past months... because any other day I would have probably collapsed from stress, and in mental meltdown. My whole body would be hurting, I'd probably whither away into drooling nothingness in my room, etc. But... yet... I still feel strong, positive thinking (though it's going to be hard to make up the $400 I lost), and will be going to the gym in the morning when I wake up. That, unto itself, is amazing. I've really changed... and all because I've changed my lifestyle and eating. I can definitely say I'm proud of myself today...
So anyways... sorry this was so long guys.... but I wanted to see what you guys think of all of it, if you have any suggestions, and basically... VENT!!
It's not every day you get hit up by the suburban mafia.
What a TOTALLY crappy day...
