Wow. There sure are a lot of assumptions being thrown around here gentleman. I was merely looking to see if any other Apple users have hear of or encountered the same problem and determine the simplest rout to resolution. I requested that the bank to look into this further and they have yet to come up with a solution. I am not looking to scam or defraud anyone, just looking for the easiest way to get this settled since the bank is unsure as well.
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I was never charged for my iPhone!
- Thread starter brianbeadle
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Exactly how could a bank be unsure if you owe money? I'm curious to know exactly what they told you and how they're not sure what to do? Please elaborate.
I'm not saying they are not investigating the situation. But no bank will forgive you a loan (Unless under certain circumstances). They will make you pay it back. You're legally binded. I highly doubt Citizens will let you walk away with a free iPhone. It's not going to happen.
Even if you think you don't hear from them anytime soon, you will. And they will charge you.
This all day.
Not only can it be a problem down the road (I'm pretty sure it will) but it's simply dishonest. The OP knows he got the phone and he should make a good faith effort to pay for it. After reading some of the responses here, I'm truly grieved by this moral grey area that people like to live in, where theft is OK as long as the victim has more money than you.
Anyway, off my soapbox now, it sounds like the OP made an effort to fix the issue with Citizens. If he doesn't get anywhere I would start stashing the installment payments in savings. I've worked in the financial industry for nearly two decades and unless Citizens is the most inept financial institution in the history of creation, they're going to charge that trade line eventually, probably within a year. And if the OP gets cute and tries to close it, they'll likely send him to collections, which is even worse.
True, it doesn't sound made up. But from a plus 65 year old, I always check for correct withdrawals from my accounts. Just seems OP would have looked to see if it was being withdrawn at correct amount. At least initially. Maybe I am old fashioned.
@Relentless Power
I am in no way asking for fraudulent information. I was quite simply inquiring if anyone else in the community has encountered this, and what measures they took to resolve the situation. I am more than happy to pay for the phone, but Citizens will not allow me to do so at the moment so I was curious if this is a first time problem or a common occurrence.
I apologize for kicking your dog as it seems I really struck a nerve there...
Thank you to everyone else who gave me straight answers/opinions.
I am in no way asking for fraudulent information. I was quite simply inquiring if anyone else in the community has encountered this, and what measures they took to resolve the situation. I am more than happy to pay for the phone, but Citizens will not allow me to do so at the moment so I was curious if this is a first time problem or a common occurrence.
I apologize for kicking your dog as it seems I really struck a nerve there...
Thank you to everyone else who gave me straight answers/opinions.
Let's start with your thread title: "I never got charged for My iPhone!" It's like your celebrating you got away with it. What do you think that advocates on here? Serious question. First impression wasn't very well thought out with your choice of poor words to begin with.
I never said you were asking for advice On being fraudulent. But others have posted, it seems very odd your thread was created on something that makes complete common sense to do So without subjecting to a public forum. It's not a normal topic To be created on here and it's suspicious to say the least.
And it's nothing personal, but you're a newbie posting a highly suspicious inquiry. I'm not sure how many of these comments you have read on here, but not many are supporting your theory and story.
You don't have to believe me or appreciate my post(s). But the fact stands I am telling you exactly how it will be.
And you never answered my question. What did Citizens tell you specifically what they are investigating? I would be interested in reading that.
@oneMadRssn @Relentless Power
I apologize if my thread title was lost in translation, one of the unfortunate happenings of conversing on the ol' interwebs. I meant to convey concern more that arrogance. I will be in touch with the bank, as I have been, and I will update once I found a resolution.
Thanks guys.
I apologize if my thread title was lost in translation, one of the unfortunate happenings of conversing on the ol' interwebs. I meant to convey concern more that arrogance. I will be in touch with the bank, as I have been, and I will update once I found a resolution.
Thanks guys.
One of the pitfalls of internet communication is the removal of the ability to read body language and facial expressions. We can only do our best and continue.
Ok, back on topic. Yes, work with the bank and keep records of everything. Please let us know how everything turns out. Good luck.
It's not about forgiveness. The contract, I'm sure, is more complex than we give you iphone you pay us. It probably breaks down the payment plan by due dates, and the burden is probably on the bank to notify of a payment due (a monthly statement). If they fail to send notice, it's on them. It's not forgiveness, they just failed to do what was agreed. Even if it was a debt, the doctrine of laches covers this specific scenario. Banks can't "forget" to bill someone and then suddenly call the entire loan amount due at a later date.
I used to work in a bank and you would be surprised how often errors get written off.
One of the staff I worked with had a £2,000 cash difference at the end of the day. As no one was able to locate it the difference was written off to a suspense account.
A $750 discrepancy may cost the bank more time in wages to investigate so who knows, they may also decide it's better to write off rather than investigate it further.
Perhaps you're correct. I can't speak entirely for Citizens policy and procedures. I'm just telling you from past experiences and knowingly how banks Operate, they usually don't have any type of loan forgiveness. Even if the bank makes some error on their behalf, they still hold the individual Responsible, Being the lein holder are under their terms and conditions until the loan has been remedied.
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On the flipside, you're right, it could cost more money for a bank to audit or determine where the transaction faulted. More specifically, a bank as large as Ctizens is, the amount of transactions in contract they have are likely in the hundreds of thousands.
For those on IUP, you typically get a letter sent to your address regarding details of the loan (I know I did). I also received prompt emails each month that the specified amount would be deducted from my account on x date. I'm not saying the OP is to blame here, but not receiving an email/letter with your loan number and such would have been a red flag to me.
I know Citizens One isn't the best to deal with (especially over the phone). But the OP did proactively reach out to them regarding the discrepancy and they are looking into the situation.
I know Citizens One isn't the best to deal with (especially over the phone). But the OP did proactively reach out to them regarding the discrepancy and they are looking into the situation.
I say call Apple. Better yet, go to a store. Worst outcome is you pay the money. Best outcome is, because of your honesty, they waive it (you're ending it anyways) and they improve their relationship with citizen one.
That's an interesting point about contacting Apple. My belief is they will directly have Citizens and the OP figure it out, being it's primarily in Citizens control, as they are in contract with the OP and the Lein. Apple
Likely wouldn't want involvement with the legalities behind the contract.
I used to work in a bank too. Banks are governed by the Central Bank. When audited, any amount that is not tallied receives a sticker/memo and a corresponding penalty per day. It'll be easier to write off than investigate for days.
Estoppel by Laches Law just in case it reaches the court.
For what it's worth, this is my second year on the Citizens/IUP program, and I've received exactly one email stating that a payment was about to be deducted, and that was last month. It kinda freaked me out because I'd never gotten anything like it before, and the payments have posted every single month for over a year. Mine are set to auto post to my bank account/debit card (can't remember which), so I see the payments when I look at my online banking...but if I had them going to a credit card I don't look at often, I wouldn't have noticed for months if they weren't posting, since I never received emails.
This is my exact same experience. I got that one email as well last month and it freaked me out as well. My payments are also auto deducted from my debit card.
Just out of curiosity, when you bought the phone, did you get the email receipt and actual loan confirmation? Also, if you look up the phone's warranty is the apple care + applied? I had the issue where I upgraded two phones through the IUP, got the pre approved email for both loans, but only got 1 receipt with the loan # info. Turns out the sale for the 2nd phone never went through. It was a headache but all turned out fine.
While it might seem unlikely, it also doesn't seem like they couldn't start doing it if they somehow decided to.
If possible, it would be better to change your monthly payment method to credit card. It is never a good idea to give a loan company direct access to your checking account, (for auto draft) in my opinion. Mistakes happen. And often times, an account gets the wrong amount deducted thus (potentially) causing the owner of the bank account to have overdraft fees etc. I have also spoken with people who had payments withdrawn after the fact. It is a security risk for you. Something to consider.
As to the OP, I commend you for trying to get this oversight straightened out. Keep contacting Apple and Citizens One until you get resolution in writing. If you talk with someone on the phone or email, make sure you keep all correspondence, (names and dates etc.) so that you protect yourself down the road (if need be).
It will definitely be a headache but the bank will get what is due to them.