In April of 2002 I
co-signed the lease/purchase of a vehicle for my elderly aunt through MMCA's SmartBuy.
In early 2006 my aunt, the primary name on the account, suffered a stroke. She was unable to work after that and unable to drive. Due to her severely declining health and her inability to work, she was unable to make the payments on her vehicle after 4 years of payments. She began receiving nasty phone calls from people, late at night, identifying themselves as MMCA reps. They stated she would go to jail, they would take her home, and her neighbors would know she was a dead-beat. While the average consumer would be aware these are ridiculous and even illegal claims, to an ill 75 year old woman they were very intimidating.
In March of the same year (2006) I brought the vehicle to my house (300 miles from my aunts home), and called MMCA myself. I thought this would stop their contacting my aunt. I was wrong. I was connected with a man in MMCA's in-house collection agency. I advised him of the situation and requested that calls to my elderly aunt stop immediately. He told me none of his reps had ever called her and that she was too old for anyone to believe her. I advised him that the vehicle was now at my home 300 miles away from her, gave him my address, and advised him to please have someone pick-up the car because my aunt no longer had the ability to pay. This man then told me that if it had been up to his 'group', they never would have given a loan to such 'an old woman'. Not wanting to listen to anymore of his disgusting gibberish, I again told him where the car was located and that we were requesting it be picked-up.
In June of 2006 (3 months after speaking with MMCA), two men show up at my aunts home at 2:00 AM, demanding the vehicle. My aunts live-in caregiver answered the door and tried to advise them the car was not there and that she could give them the address of the cars location. These men then attempted to enter the home saying they wanted to 'check for the car'. Where? In the bathroom? My aunts caregiver, in a panic, ran from the door to grab the phone to call 911. Once she grabbed the phone, the 2 men took off.
I again called MMCA and spoke with the same man I had spoken to 3 months earlier. I advised of the intimidating manner of the 2 thugs that showed up at a 75 year old womans home at 2:00 AM. He laughed and told me that MMCA was not responsible for the behavior of the repossession companies. I then reminded this man that I had advised him TWICE that the car was located 300 miles away from my aunts home, and given him the address. His only reply was to tell me that it wasn't his problem and that they would do whatever it took to get the car back. Clearly this man was too dense to understand I had practically begged MMCA to pick the car up.
Finally, at the end of June 2006, the car was picked up at my home.
My aunt, the primary account holder, died in May of 2009. MMCA continues to contact me almost daily demanding I pay over $10,000 for a reposesed car with a deceased owner.
MMCA financing is really like obtaining financing from the Mob.
