Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to urgently address the inaccuracies on my credit report caused by the unauthorized sharing of my personal information with credit bureaus. This has led to significant financial and emotional distress. According to 15 USC 1681 Section 602, I have the right to financial privacy and expect my personal information to be kept confidential. Furthermore, under 15 USC 1681 Section 604(a)(2), a consumer reporting agency cannot disclose account details without my explicit consent, which I have not given. The discrepancies involving SUNSET.FIN have negatively affected my financial standing, and I request immediate correction. Additionally, 15 USC 1666(b) prohibits creditors from marking credit card payments as late in certain conditions. For your reference, my account information is: Account Number: ****** I request a full review and prompt correction of the inaccuracies, as well as adherence to federal laws. Failure to resolve this promptly may lead to legal action. I look forward to your immediate attention to this issue. Sincerely, ******* *****

  Business response

  09/10/2024

  *** ****** In order to investigate your claims properly, I will need more information. Please provide the specific branch location and specific, non-redacted loan or loans you are disputing. Once I have this information I will investigate thoroughly. If you are unable to provide this information, you may call me and I will try o help you figure this out. ************. Please keep in mind, we are a data furnisher, and are required to report credit accurately. Once I have the necessary information I can proceed.

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was doing my routine credit report check and noticed that there was a strange account from 'SUNSET FINANCE OF DO' on my credit file. I never opened any accounts nor done any business with that company, therefore its been fraudulently opened. The account was opened [AUG 17 2021] and shows as [CHARGE OFF]. I believe the account number is [35XXXX]. I request that this account be erased from my credit file and any internal database, as I am not liable for any accounts opened without my knowledge or consent under Section 609 of the FCRA. I reached out to the company via **** several times and received a response from GREGORY B**** - Auditing and Compliance Manager. He was prompting me to start a bank investigation and sign a load of paperwork and documents which I am not at all comfortable, nor obligated to do. Ive never done any business with this company, nor have I signed any documentation or contracts with them, therefore any losses they have associated to my name and consumer report are invalid and shall be invalidated. I need this account removed from my credit report immediately. After several previous attempts over the span of three years, I need this resolution expedited. This business has operated in a non-ethical manner by not already resolving this issue when I first reached out. I've been trying to avoid taking legal action against SUNSET FINANCE/SUNSET MANAGEMENT, *********** ******* and all other associated parties in this incident, but my rights as a consumer are being severely violated. I have tried to create a premise for mediation several times however, this is my last attempt to do so before initiating legal proceeding and not only seeking the cease of this account reporting, but I will also be seeking damages for the damage caused by this error. DELETE THIS ACCOUNT COMPLETELY FROM MY CREDIT REPORT AS WELL AS SUNSET FINANCE/SUNSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AS I AM NOT LIABLE FOR THIS ACCOUNT NOR HAVE I DONE BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY BEFORE!

  Business response

  06/25/2024

  *** ******** I have recently received several correspondences regarding this issue. In December of 2021 you disputed this account, **** complaint *************** I have attached a copy of it. At that time I explained a fraud affidavit would need to be completed to prompt an investigation by the bank. This is standard, and at the time you only needed to visit the local office to complete. I never received a signed affidavit, so I assume you never visited the office to complete, and a bank investigation never took place. Then, in 2023 you disputed the account via ******* 4 times. These disputes were answered as we were reporting accurately. In this most recent **** complaint, you state that I wanted you to sign a "load of paperwork." The fraud affidavit only requires your address and signature. We already had your address, so you only needed to visit the office, sign the form and have it notarized. I'm unsure how that can be considered a "load of paperwork." We are now 2 1/2 years later, and you are again claiming this account was opened fraudulently. Again a fraud affidavit must be completed. It appears you now live in California, so I am going to mail you the fraud affidavit. I am attaching a copy here as well. Enter your current State, County, and Address at the top of the first page. You do not need to check any boxes, as we have checked the appropriate one for you. Fill in your name under the "Forged Endorsement" heading. You will need to have the affidavit notarized, so you and the notary will sign the bottom of the second page at the same time, in each other's presence. The notary needs to stamp the signed affidavit with their seal. I will provide a self-addressed stamped envelope to return the completed affidavit. If you have any other evidence which supports your claim that this account is fraudulent then you may provide it to me. My email is ************************* My phone number is ************ **** ***. As a data furnisher we take credit reporting seriously, and offered to have the bank investigate in 2021. At that time you did not complete the fraud affidavit. I need the affidavit to be completed to prompt the bank investigation, to determine if this is a fraudulent account. A bank investigation will usually determine how and where the funds were deposited to originally. You may call me if you have any questions about anything I have outlined above. If we do not receive a completed affidavit, we cannot move forward with this, and these items will continue to report on your credit.

• Initial Complaint

  11/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was badgered for two weeks with phone calls and letters about "having a relationship" after cashing the loan check they mailed me. I never received a bill in the mail, like every other loan/billing company, but I did receive numerous letters about calling them to confirm our relationship and then a letter of intent saying they were taking me to court for not paying my bill, and telling me I had until Friday to pay $340 something for late fees that I didn't know I had. I received the loan at the end of September for $1009. How could late fees even cost that much in less than 2 months?! They never sent me a bill in the first place! How could I pay a bill when there was no statement? I had no idea what the payment was supposed to be, how much interest I'd incurred, nothing. I don't even use checks! I use my debit card! How could I when they gave me no way to pay or amount to even pay until I called them today about the letter of intent. That is completely ridiculous. Then to be called a child on the phone because I should know when my bill is due when they didn't send a bill at all?! That's even worse! It's 2023, almost 2024, they should send an email since I had to provide my email when I cashed the loan check, with the statement and a link to pay the bill. I shouldn't have to call and speak to anyone. I shouldn't be told that "by law" they are not obligated to send me a statement or bill, that it is my obligation to go to their office to pay the bill, and that "my mama should have taught me about paying my bills" and "have your attorney contact us. Oh wait you don't got no attorney because you don't got no damn money!" That is completely unprofessional. I have never been treated so horribly by a business.

  Business response

  11/07/2023

  Ms. ********, before I respond to your compliant, I see the account was paid out yesterday in full.   Thank you. There appear to be two main issues: 1) You feel you should have received a bill or invoice of some type, and 2) The level of customer service you experienced from the branch. I will answer the customer service portion first. I notified the district supervisor, and she is reviewing and handling this internally to ensure we provide proper customer service to all customers. Next I will answer your question regarding the account and invoicing. The account in question was actually opened on July 27, 2023, but you stated at the end of September. See the attached document. The first payment was due for September 1, 2023. Your complaint is you never received a bill/invoice. The live check you cashed is used as a marketing tool by installment lenders. As an installment lender we are regulated by state and federal laws. This includes very specific requirements on marketing items such as live checks. The specifics of when your loan would be due was attached to the live check. You also should have also received a letter regarding your due dates. There is no requirement for a monthly invoice to be sent out. To answer your question related to late fees, you accrued a $10 late fee for September and a $10 late fee for October. Any other charges were attributed to fees and interest which are again regulated by law. Regarding payment options, all of our locations are able to accept debit card payments in person and over the phone. Because of this, there is no requirement for anyone to visit the office to make payments. While we accept physical checks, they are not required for payment. We also accept money orders. I understand there is a lot of fine print to read on the live check mailer, but everything which is required by law is present, and specific information about when the account would be due is within the mailing you received. The branches are not allowed to email anyone related to a debt which may be owed. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Melinda from the Conway, SC office is repeatedly making harassing phone calls to a business. Melinda has been advised multiple times that employees are NOT allowed to receive phone calls. She hangs up and continues to call.

  Customer response

  10/06/2023

  Please see the call log from the 2 numbers used by Sunset Finance.

  Business response

  10/06/2023

  Ms. ******, I have communicated with the District Supervisor. He has assured me the place of employment will no longer be called in an attempt to make contact with any of our customers. If there are any questions or further issues you can contact our Home Office directly at 864-*********.

  Customer response

  10/09/2023

  Better Business Bureau,
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  March 2023. My former husband passed away March 11, 2023. ****** ****** ****. Sunset Financial Greenwood SC took money from my daughter who was the beneficiary of the life insurance on the account. They stated that the insurance company paid the account off and gave them the overage because a January payment was owed on the account. So which one was it? Did the insurance pay the account off or not.? Nothing in writing about it from the insurance company or Sunset. I had to keep calling. Doesn't sound correct to me..

  Business response

  06/30/2023

  Good Morning, I have reviewed your complaint. The reason for the confusion appears to be because whoever you spoke to at the branch did not explain what happened correctly. The loan was opened in December 2022. No payments were ever made on the loan. While insurance did pay on the loan, it did not pay the loan off fully, and there was no overage. If there had been any overage after the insurance payment was made, then yes the beneficiary would have received the overage.

• Initial Complaint

  05/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have had a loan with Sunset finance for over a year now and I am unable to pay my loan due to being out of work. Sunset Finance in Easley SC call my phone and my familys phone over 5 times a day and they come and bang on my door at least twice a week. The messages that are left by Diane and Ashley are always rude and I feel like I am being constantly harrassed by them and it almost feels threatening. I do not want them contacting me anymore.

  Business response

  05/11/2023

  Ms. ********, I have reviewed your complaint. First, per you desired resolution the branch will no longer attempt to contact you. However, we do reserve the right to use legal means to recover our monies. Next I would like to address the branches efforts to contact you. Proper communication is vital in any business relationship. Your account was opened in May 2022 and the last payment was made in August 2022. The account is due for September 2022. Since the payment, I reviewed the contact efforts, and I do not see where the branch has been able to speak to you concerning your account. In an effort to make contact, they called the references you provided. When that failed, they attempted to make contact with you at your residence. Our collection efforts fall within the reasonable collection efforts as a creditor, and calls to your references or visiting your residence would not have been needed had you maintained contact with the branch. I do not know why you are out of work, but in some cases there are insurances on the loans which may help pay on the account, dependent of your reason for being out of work. You would need to contact the branch to discuss this. Ultimately if you want to handle your account you will have to contact the branch as you have asked they not contact you. Again, we reserve the right to use legal means to recover our monies.

  Customer response

  05/14/2023

  Better Business Bureau,
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ********

• Initial Complaint

  03/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  COMPANY CONTINUE TO VIOLATE "FCRA, FDCPA, FCBA" WITH REPORTING OUTDATED ACCOUNT OVER 5YRS OLD SINCE 1/2018 AND SAME ACCOUNT REPORTED 2X ON FILE, NOT MINES AND NEVER DONE BUSINESS WITH COMPANY, FRAUD AFFIDAVIT FILED WITH "FTC" CASE # *********, SSN# ****(LAST4)/ DOB: 5/31/1980...COMPANY VIOLATED "FCRA" SECTION 623 "FURSHINFG OF INFORMATION"...REPORTING.INCORRECT DATA

  Business response

  03/17/2023

  Ms. ******, I called and left a voicemail for you on 3/16/2023. I will need to gather some additional information from you in order to thoroughly review this issue. Currently I cannot determine anything as I don't have enough information. Feel free to call me at 864-******** ext. *** to discuss and I can complete researching this issue from there. Thank you,

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 5/31/2022 my husband received a phone call from the office staff at the ********** Georgia location, during the phone call she asked him if he could come down to resign his loan which he could not because he is leaving to go to work. He told her he was unable to come to the office but he would make a payment on the loan on Friday. The staff replied "you never even asked what time I closed today so how do you know you can't make it here?" When he explained he was about to leave for work and could not come to the office she then asked him if I, his wife could come down and sign a refinance on his loan. I am not listed on his loan so that would be forgery and makes me very uncomfortable. She then told him "fine do whatever you want baby". This location makes it a point to call my phone up to 10 times in one day and have exclusively been asked not to call my phone as I am on bedrest with a high risk pregnancy. They have been told when payments will be made but the staff at this location are overall just outright rude and snarky constantly. They also spend the day vaping in the office and acting unprofessional.

  Business response

  06/01/2022

  I forwarded your issue to the district supervisor. She reviewed the issue with staff. The manager states she never asked you to come sign your husband's name, but as you also have an account perhaps there was a misunderstanding. Per your desired resolution we have marked both accounts as cease and desist, and you will receive no further contact from the branch on either your husband's or your account. If he needs information on his account or you need information on your account, or payments need to be made, then it is dependent upon you to contact the branch going forward.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩