LOAN DEPOT Charged up front fees on my credit card for $495 telling me they would only charge $195 foothill Ranch California

Sept 16th there was contact with Loan Depot agent Jon Morris. I applied for a Harp 2.0 loan. they sent gfe for a conventional loan but told me it was the same as a harp 2.0 which I found out was not true, they are not the same. I was asked for a $195 deposit and my credit card number. they said this was to prove I was serious in making application for refinance.

Later I was told that I should not be surprised if I saw that there was a $495 charge pending on my card as that is the way the company does it and he did not know why.He assured me that they would never charge me this fee. The loan they said I was pre qualified for did not require an appraisal. (turns out many people have reported that this $495 fee was non refundable and was for an appraisal that they had done).

Too many red flags over a couple days. I was high pressured to sign some documents and return immediately. I overlooked one page that said it was a fee for locking in a rate for 30 days. People do not usually pay anything up front to file a refinance application. I am dealing with a few other mortgage lenders to compare.

As I was told not to worry about any charges to my card I signed unaware that it was a non refundable charge regardless of the outcome of the loan. I canceled my process when I realized there were too many mistakes and inconsistencies.

I filed a dispute with my credit card amex and as I see that I did indeed sign a paper for the non refundable fee that was never told to me and just the opposite I am very upset that I may have to lose this amount of money to Loan Depot. They bait and switch and use deceptive practices all of which would be too much to write.

I have consulted a lawyer, am planning to file a complaint with my state attorney general and any other legal remedy I can find. when I asked the person Karla Rivas who was doing the paper work whythere was an appraisal fee on the list of costs she said that was a mistake but did not rewrite it and take it off.

Most people who have applied to Loan Depot usually put a $495 down for an appraisal fee. I do not require one. What is more important is i was told twice outright that I would never get the $495 charge on my credit card but with the fact that they slipped in that paper and told me it was to lock in loan and not change theri original promise of no 495 dollar fee I felt pressured and believed Jon Morris that he would keep his word.

I am so sick to my stomach over all the shananagans that have gone on with this company. I am dealing with two other companies who would never charge me upfront for an application or to lock in an interest rate and may I say their rate was way to high for a harp or a coventional loan.

They also charge over $500 more  than average for a title and they charge for origination fees that are not usually charged for a harp loan which is another reason it is not a harp loan but they keep insisting it is.

Jon was very easy to talk to and very earnest and sincere except that is not how he operated and used that to deflect all the sneaky and deceptive and outright lying practices. Please just because someone seems nice and asks you to trust them do not.

I do not know if I will be able to get this charge taken off my american express but I am so upset I got up to write this at 3pm in the morning. Please be very aware of the red flags out there. Asking for any money up front is a clear sign that something stinks.

I plan to pursue this matter as far as I can take it. This is a warning that if a company does a few things that you question and then more, you should pay attention to this and do not believe things are going to get better because I have heard that things got much worse for people who were denied thier loans and not reimbursed for this fee that they say you won't be charged.

Please don't anyone reply with I should have known better and not signed that paper. I know I should not have but when looking at the whole picture of a number of misinformation and mistatkes and errors Loan Depot made regarding the items I mentioned.

and even more (they told me when I asked, that they do not know who the note belongs to that they are paying off to my loan servicer at Cenlar who got he loan from a mers freddie mac loan I originally obtained from Taylor bean and Whittaker in September 2008,

That company was shut down and loan went to a servicer who represents I do not know who and when I asked Karla Rivas at Loan Depot if they would find out who actually owns the note she said they would never know. I asked how will I get a copy of note that says paid in full so that I do not put myself in jeopardy in case the real investor that seems to be a secret is not paid off.

Please people wirte these experiences so that eveyone will know who to avoid. It was unfortunate I did not see many of these online complaints before I got in touch with Loan Depot. Do not be fooled by seemingly nice talk. without clear answers that make sense.

thanks