Washington Mutual Home Loans Aka WAMU ripoff incorrect info by customer service rep resulted in loan becoming delinquent, no offer of hardship or modification program to bring current Chatsworth California

In late Dec 2004-early Jan 2005, I called in to Washington Mutual to request a 30 day deferment on our home loan since we were having some very difficult financial times and we had a child who just underwent surgery. Times were rough and we had never been late on our loan before and wanted to be sure it was okay before we skipped the payment. We are both working professionals and would have not paid something else if need be to make that payment if they said no.

I was trusting enough to think that the representatives who work for WAMU knew what they were advising customers, that I didn't even get the name of the lady I spoke with. I explained to her our situation and was advised that we could make it up by the end of a 5 year period and that it was fine to skip the payment as long as it was made up. She assured me that she would note everything, told me to disregard the next statement received since it would show as being 'late' and she wished me luck and that was that.

I then received my next statement that showed we were late and as she advised me to do, I disregarded it. We then received a phone call from Washington Mutual asking about our payment and stating we were going to be 60 days late, and we didn't know what to think. We advised the person who was on the phone of the conversation we had with the rep, and he didn't care what was said to him on why the payments weren't made. Since we were trying to get in touch with someone from there to help us get this matter straightened out, we were doing everything we could to get money together to try and get caught up, but we weren't successful in coming up with both months, therefore we got deeper and deeper in debt.

We made the phone call to request an extension or a deferment and a rep who is supposed to know how Washington Mutual handles these types of situations, gave the wrong information and Washington Mutual has done nothing to make it right or fix their mistakes. As a result of this mistake, we have had our credit report ruined, late fees charged to our account, our interest rate increased and our reputation with Washington Mutual ruined (which we valued before this occurred.) And we are 5 months delinquent because of everything that's been added on to the regular pymt.

After everything had happened, on March 1, 2005, I called and asked another rep, whose name was, I believe, Chaz, if Washington Mutual offered any type of Hardship or Modification programs. He stated that there were no such programs and that we owe the debt since we signed a contract stating we would make the payment of $755.08 each month. It was tried to be explained that this was only temporary and that we just needed a fresh start. He stated that a payment was needed and we sent $760.00 that same day. He was so rude and made us feel so belittled and low and we were running out of energy to keep fighting with the rep's.

In Dec 2005, I was on the phone with Paul in collections and he asked why we hadn't filled out any loan modification forms to try and get the past due taken care of for the most part based on our hardships. I advised him that we were told there was no such program for people who fall behind and we thought we were just stuck trying to repay this for the next 3 years. He stated that he was sorry for not being given the correct information and that he would Fed Ex the packet that same day, which he did and it was received.

Since we have made several attempts to try to get help and ask for any type of program to get us back on track for almost a year now, we are requesting that all late fees be removed from our account and our credit report to be fixed since we now have our report showing that we have been a year late on our payments.

This would have never happened if we were given the help we asked for on March 1, 2005, or if another representative offered this alternative to us any other time we were on the phone with various rep's. We have been dealing with Collections Manager, Matt K. since about October 2005, after dealing with so many rude and inconsiderate people in the collections department, especially one by the name of, Ms. Saunders at extension 8015, and we do not understand why he, being the collections Mgr, never threw this request for loan modification out there for us to consider. All this time has gone by and we have been struggling and worrying about our house payment, when it may have been able to be resolved long ago. This is why we are making this particular request and we are willing to take this as high in Washington Mutual as we need to in order to be heard on these issues.

Everything is still pending with them in regards to the loan modification, but Washington Mutual sure has made a lot of money off us for the past year in late fees and finance charges while telling us there was no program to assist us in getting back on track after their initial screw up in the first place. They knew of the modification program and just kept it quiet while letting the loan get further and further behind even with a pymt every month.

Renee
xx, Kentucky
U.S.A.

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