Aurora Loan Services: Poor Customer Service
I have had a few really bad customer service transactions lately. Buying a car was a nightmare. Next, despite a no soliciting sign on my front door, I was pressured by a home security salesman in my front yard for about a half hour until I walked away from him. Then I was being scammed by a company called Privacy Matters. Today, Aurora Loans, who services my home loan, was giving me problems. Perhaps someone can point me to an online resource where companies like these can be reported and exposed for their poor customer service skills. This should be public knowledge, and companies should fear the results from searches for terms like “Aurora Loan Services sucks” and the like. Here is the letter that I sent to Aurora Loans.
Dear Aurora Loan Services,
Thank you for calling me today to notify me that my July payment has not yet posted to my account. According to my records, I wrote and mailed check #2368 on June 25, 2006. I can only assume that you have made a clerical error and misplaced my payment. I understand that these mistakes happen, and as a courtesy to you, I made another payment online.
In talking to one of your customer service representatives today, I was troubled that he was unwilling to remove the late payment fee of $28.28 from my account. When I have been in similar situations with other companies, late fees have been quickly reversed as soon as the problem was corrected. In fact, I had a great experience with Wells Fargo who credited my account with $75 when they lost a check. I don’t expect to be reimbursed for this mistake, but I do expect you to reverse the late payment fee. I have done everything I can to correct the problem, so it appears to me that a refusal to remove the fee is a major customer service failure by your company.
I would also like to address the possibility that the Post Office may have lost the letter containing my payment. While this is a possibility, it seems much more likely that it is a clerical error on your part due to the exceptional reputation that the Post Office has for delivering the mail flawlessly. Therefore, I will not blame the post office and I will not accept that as your excuse for not processing my payment on time.
As you consider whether or not you will reverse the fee, please recognize my spotless record with your company as well as my prompt willingness to make a second payment immediately after learning of the situation.
I believe that customer service is a direct reflection of the integrity of a company. It is integrity (or lack there of) that I believe should be public knowledge. That is why I should alert you to the fact that this letter and your response will be posted online for public review. Please don’t feel threatened by this. By correcting this error, the online publicity has the potential to make you look very good. In the end, the $28.28 fee is not as important as the relationship I have with you and you have with your customers. Our reputations are formed one transaction at a time, and I am giving you the opportunity to correct the problem. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Adrian Hanft
Update 1: August 1st (six days after I faxed my request to Aurora Loans, I received this response:
Dear Borrower(s):
Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the outstanding fee(s) balance on the above referenced loan.
A review of Aurora Loan Services (“Aurora”) records indicates the fee(s) was assessed in keeping with our servicing requirements. Enclosed is a payment history to verify the date(s) payment(s) was received, and the date(s) the fee(s) was assessed.
If you feel the fee(s) assessed by Aurora is in error, please forward copies of supporting documentation (i.e. cancelled check(s), overnight receipt(s)) to substantiate your request.
If we may be of further assistance, feel free to contact one of our Customer Service Representatives at the address above or by calling 800-550-0508.
Sincerely,
Rosie M. Chavez
Customer Service
Update 2: Here is my response to Rosie M. Chavez, sent on August 10, 2006:
Dear Rosie M. Chavez,
Thanks for your prompt response regarding my request for you to reevaluate your fee. I have attached the carbon copy of the check I wrote on June 27 and my bank statement showing that this check was never cashed. If this is insufficient evidence for you that I made the appropriate effort to make a payment on time, please let me know what else I can do. I would again like to point to the fact that I made the payment online as soon as I learned that you failed to process my payment on time.
As a side note, I was a bit disturbed by the impersonal tone of your response. I assume that you, Rosie, are a person, and I can’t understand why you wouldn’t treat me as real person. Form letters that don’t respond to any of the points of my correspondence are a poor example of customer service. Up until your false accusation that I didn’t make a payment on time, I was one of your best customers with a spotless record. I feel I deserve a little more respect than the letter you sent me.
Sincerely
Adrian Hanft
Customer Expecting Service
Update 3: August 28th
Today I learned that my effort payed off. Aurora Loan Services agreed to waive the late charge. Thanks, Aurora Loans for doing the right thing. Here is their reponse:
Dear Borrower(s):
Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the above referenced loan.
Aurora Loan Services has agreed to waive the late charge assessed on July 17, 2006 as a one time courtesy.
The amount of 28.28 will be applied as a principal payment.
If we may be of further assistence, feel free to contact our Customer Service Department at the address above or by calling 800-550-0508.
Sincerely,
Rosie M. Chavez
Customer Service
