CFPB Complaint DB REPORT FINAL - Consumer Action · Consumer Action Report: CFPB Consumer Complaint...

ConsumerActionReport:CFPBConsumerComplaintDatabase,August2016 1

AConsumerActionReport

TheCFPBConsumerComplaintDatabase

Alotcanbelearnedfromthemorethan600,000consumercomplaintsthathavebeenloggedintheConsumerFinancialProtectionBureau’s(CFPB)ConsumerComplaintDatabasesinceitlaunchedin2012.Examiningcomplaintsfiledbyothersaboutfinancialproductsandservicescanhelpyoumakefinanciallysavvydecisionsandpotentiallyavoidsomecostlyproblems.Inthisreport,wehighlightfindingsfromouranalysisof2015consumercomplaintdataforsixofthe11financialproductstheCFPBregulates.Inadditiontosharingourresearchresults(page6),wedescribehowthedatabaseisorganizedandfunctions(SectionI,below),explainhowtousethedatabase(page14)andpresentourfindingsandrecommendations(page20).

I.ComplaintprocessandcontentInorderforthisreportandtheCFPB’scomplaintdatabasetobemostuseful,it’simportanttogetfamiliarwithafewimportantcomponentsofthecomplaintprocess.Since2011theConsumerFinancialProtectionBureauhasbeenacceptingconsumercomplaintsandforwardingthemtothecompaniesnamedinthecomplaints.TheCFPBtrackscompanyresponsesandresolutions,andanalyzesthecomplaintsforharmfulpatternsandunfairanddeceptivepractices.In2012,theCFPBmadethecomplaintsavailabletothepublicviaitsConsumerComplaintDatabase.Itincludes11mainfinancialproducts,alongwithmanysub-products.1Consumerscansubmitcomplaintsonline,overthetelephone,orbymail,faxoremail.Themostpopularwaytosubmitacomplaintisonline—ofthe271,600complaintssubmittedin2015,71percentweresubmittedthroughtheCFPB’swebsite(http://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/).

(Thecomplaintprocess.Source:wwwConsumerFinance.gov)

1 Some,butnotall,productcategoriesincludesub-products.Forexample,theMortgagecategoryincludesassub-products:conventionalARM,conventionalfixed,FHAmortgage,homeequityloanorlineofcredit,reversemortgage,secondmortgage,VAmortgageandothermortgage.


Whatinformationcanonefindinthedatabase?

TheConsumerComplaintDatabasecontainsthe:• Datethecomplaintwassubmittedbytheconsumer• Typeoffinancialproduct(e.g.,creditcard,creditreport,paydayloan,etc.)• Problemorissue• Complainant’snarrative(optionalsinceJune2015)• Nameofcompany• StateandZIPcode(fullorpartial)ofconsumer• Categoryofcompany’sprivateresponsetoconsumer

Ninety-sevenpercentofconsumercomplaintsreceivearesponsefromthecompany.Whileresponsedetailsarenotpubliclyavailable,theyarecarefullymonitoredbytheCFPBandareusedbytheBureautohelpprioritizetheiroversightandenforcementwork.Companieshavethefollowingfiveresponseoptionstochoosefrom:

• Complaint“closedwithexplanation.”Seventy-twopercentofcompanyresponsesfallintothiscategory.Forexample,aconsumerwhosubmittedacomplaintagainstacreditcardissuerbecausehewasdeniedacreditlineincreasemightreceiveawrittenexplanationthatoutlineswhyhisrequestwasnotapproved.

• Complaint“closedwithmonetaryrelief.”Thismeanstheoffendingcompanysenta“measureable”dollaramounttotheconsumer.Monetaryreliefincludesthingslikerefundingapenaltyfee.

• Complaint“closedwithnon-monetaryrelief.”Examplesofnon-monetaryreliefincludethingslikecorrectingcreditreporterrors,changingthetermsofanaccountorceasingdebtcollectioncalls.

• “Closed.”Thecompanyclosedthecomplaintwithoutanyrelieforexplanation.• “In-progress.”Thismeansthecompanyisreviewingthecomplaintbutcannotrespond

within15daysofreceivingit.(CFPBexpectscomplaintstoberesolvedwithin60calendardays.)

Companiescanalsochoosefromahandfulofadministrativeresponseswhentheywillnotbeaddressingthecomplaintaccordingtotheusualprocessoratall(forexample,ifthecomplainthasbeendirectedtothewrongcompanyortheissueisthesubjectofalawsuit).Otherinformationinthedatabaseincludes:

• Company’spublicresponse:Companiesarenotrequiredtoprovideapublicresponse,andmostdon’t.However,thosethatdocanchoosefromninestandardizedresponses.

• Whethertheconsumerprovidedconsenttopublishthedetailsoftheircomplaint.• Thedatethecomplaintwasforwardedtothecompany.• Untimelyresponse:Ifthecompanydoesnotmeetthe15-daydeadlinetorespondtoa

complaint,theCFPBwillmarkitas“untimely.”• Consumerfeedback:Consumerscanreporttheirdissatisfactionwithacompany’s

responsetotheBureau.In2015,20percentofconsumerswhosubmittedacomplainttoCFPBdisputedthecompany’sresponse.Consumerswillhavetheoptionin2017touseasatisfactionratingscale(onetofivestars)toprovideconsumerfeedback.


Consumerswillalsobeabletoanswerathree-questionCompanyResponseSurveyandchoose“Stronglyagree”to“Stronglydisagree”tothefollowingquestions:

! Iunderstoodthecompany’sresponse.! Thecompanydidwhatitsaiditwoulddo.! Thecompanyaddressedallofmyissues.

Thenewcompanyratingsystemwillalsoincludeaboxwhereconsumerscanadddetailsastowhytheyaresatisfiedordissatisfiedwithacompany’sresponse.Consumerscanchoosetohavethesefeedbackdetailsreportedpublicly,alongsidetheiroriginalcomplaintnarrative.

What’snotinthedatabase?

Thedatabasedoesnotcontain:• Complaintsthatarethesubjectofalawsuit• Complaintsreferredtootherregulators• ComplaintsaboutcompaniesnotsupervisedbytheCFPB• Complaintsreportedbyacompanyasthe“incorrectcompany”listedinadispute

ComplaintnarrativesSinceJune2015,consumershavehadthechoicetoincludea“narrative,”orpersonalwrittenexplanationofwhattheircomplaintisabout.Consumernarrativesaretheheartofthecomplaint—theyexplainwhyaconsumerispursuingaproblem,usingtheindividual’sfirsthandexperiencetoallowotherstounderstandtheissue,puttheproblemincontextandidentifyharmfulpatternsacrosscomplaints.OnlyconsumerswhogivetheBureauwrittenpermissionhavetheirdetailspostedinthedatabase.In2015,59percentofconsumersvoluntarilysharedtheircomplaintdetailswiththepublic.Examplesof2015complaintswithnarrativesinthedatabase:


Howcannarrativesbevaluable?

• Narrativesputissuesincontext,allowingthepublictoassessthevalidityofacomplaint

anddrawtheirownconclusions.• Complaintdetailsofferamorevividpictureoftheproblemthatcannotbegleanedfrom

otherdata.• Theyprovidecontextforacompany’sbehavior.• Narrativescanhelpexposeharmfulpatterns,suchasdiscriminatorypractices.• TheCFPBreliesoncomplaintdetailstostayabreastofrecurringproblemsandtocreate

newrulestopreventharmfultrendsinthefuture.• Theycanbeavaluablepre-purchaseresourcetohelpconsumersmakeinformed

decisionsaboutwhotodobusinesswith.• Narrativesandcomplaintresolutions(orlackthereof)canhelpshapeothers’

perceptionsofacompany.Companiesthatresolvemattersswiftlymaybenefitfinanciallybyboostingtheirpublicreputation.

Redactionprocess

CFPBhasa“scrubbing”processthatredacts,orremoves,certaindetailsfromthecomplaintnarratives.Thisisdonetoprotectconsumers’identityandpersonalinformation.Whenadetailis“scrubbed,”itappearsinthedatabaseasaseriesofXs(“XXXX”).Here’sthetypeofpersonalinformationthattheCFPBremoves:

• Name,age,race,ethnicity,sexuality,religion,disabilitiesandmedicalconditions• Namesofcompaniesnotdirectlyrelatedtothecomplaint• ZIPcodes(entirelyredactedincomplaintsfromconsumersinsmallcommunities,or

oftenjustthefirstthreedigitswillremain)• Employmentinformation• SensitivenumberssuchascreditcardaccountnumbersandSocialSecuritynumbers• Offensivelanguage

Exampleofwhataredactednarrativelookslikeinthedatabase:


Howcompaniesrespondtocomplaints

Oncetheconsumersubmitsthecomplaint,theCFPBreviewsitandsendsitofftothecompanynamed.Thecompanyhas15daystorespond,andtheyareexpectedtoresolvethecomplaintwithin60daysofitbeingsent.Companiesrespondedtoapproximately97percentofcomplaintssenttothemin2015.Companies’privateresponsestoconsumers,andtheCFPB,mayincludeanexplanationoftheactionstheyhavetakenorplantotake.Companiesalsomustchoosetofiletheirresponseunderoneofthefollowingcategories:“Closedwithmonetaryrelief,”“Closedwithnon-monetaryrelief,”“Closedwithexplanation,”“Closed,”“Inprogress”orahandfulofadministrativeoptions(forexample,“Incorrectcompany”or“DuplicateCFPBcasereported”).Forthepurposesofthisreport,wefocusedon“Complaintclosedwithexplanation,”“Complaintclosedwithmonetaryrelief”and“Complaintclosedwithnon-monetaryrelief.”

Publiccompanyresponses

Additionally,companiescanchoosetorespondpubliclyintheconsumercomplaintdatabasewithoneofthefollowingninestandardizedpublicresponses.Mostcompaniesdon’tprovideapublicresponse.

1. Complaintcausedprincipallybyactionsofthirdparty2. Complaintistheresultofanisolatederror3. Complaintrelatestoadiscontinuedpolicyorprocedure4. Companybelievescomplaintrepresentsanopportunityforimprovementtobetter

serveconsumers5. Companybelievesitactedappropriatelyasauthorizedbycontractorlaw6. Complaintisaresultofamisunderstanding7. Can'tverifyordisputethefactsinthecomplaint8. CompanyhasrespondedtotheconsumerandtheCFPBandchoosesnottoprovidea

publicresponse9. Companydisputesthefactspresentedincomplaint

(Source:Figure21fromtheCFPB’s2015ConsumerResponseAnnualReport)


Note:Thenumberofcomplaintsacompanyreceivesisrelativetocompanysizeandmarketshare.TheCFPBdoesnotadjustcomplaintdatabasedonnumberofcustomersoranyothermeasure.Forstep-by-stepinstructionsforusingthedatabase,seepage14.

II.2015complaintdataoverviewWeexaminedthedatabasetohelpyoubetterunderstandhowtousethisfirst-ratecomplainttoolandtolearnhowcompanieshaverespondedtotheconsumercomplaintsthey’vereceived.Wefocusedon2015complaintdatafromsixofthe11financialproductstheCFPBregulates:debtcollection,creditreporting,mortgages,bankaccountsandservices,creditcardsandstudentloans.ThebulkofthedatawereviewedcomesdirectlyfromthecomplaintdatabaseandfromtheCFPB’s2015ConsumerResponseAnnualReport(January1,2015-December31,2015).BankAccountsandServicesBankaccountandservicecomplaintsaccountfor8percentofallcomplaintsreceivedbytheCFPBin2015.Thisincludescomplaintsaboutcheckingaccounts,savingsaccounts,certificatesofdepositandcheckcashingservices.Thetopthreetypesofbankaccount/servicecomplaintwere:

• Accountmanagement(includesopeningorclosinganaccount)(42%)• Depositsandwithdrawals(26%)• Makingandreceivingpayments(13%)

ExamplesofactualbankaccountandservicecomplaintsreceivedbytheCFPBin2015:

Problemwithaccountmanagement:—ThebankwillNOTletmeclosemyaccounteventhoughithasbeennochargeforthecheckingaccountandnowRegionsBankhaschargedmeamonthlyfeewithoutusingtheaccount.Iwaswaitingforthedirectdeposittostartdepositingintomynewbankaccounttoclosetheaccount.NowIpresumetheywillkeepchargingmeamonthlyfeeb/cIhaveanegativebalance.

Problemwithdepositingorwithdrawingfunds:

—Weclosedonahomeandneededtoforwardthefundstoourcurrentmortgage.WehadtheescrowofficerdeposittheamounttoourWellsFargoaccountasacashierschecksoitwouldbeavailablewithinadaybuttheyareholdingitformorethansevendays!Ourescrowofficersaidthatwasillegaltodetainourfundsandsowearefollowingupwiththeappropriateagency'sinvolved.

Problemmakingorreceivingpayments:

—ApayeetowhomIwroteacheckerroneouslycashedthechecktwicefordifferentamounts.IcalledSunTrusttoaddresstheissueandoveramonthlaterithasnotbeenaddressed.

Howdidcompaniesrespondtobankaccountandservicecomplaints?

• 18percentofconsumersreceivedmonetaryrelief,atanaverageof$105percomplaint.


• 2percentreceivednon-monetaryrelief,suchasachangeinaccounttermsorthere-openingofanaccount.

• 72percentreceivedanexplanationfromthecompany.Companieschosenottopubliclyrespondto94percentofthebankaccount/servicecomplaintstheyreceived.Ofthosetheydidrespondtopublicly,in4percenttheystatedthatthey“actedappropriatelyasauthorizedbycontractorlaw.”Lessthan0.5percentofthecomplaintswereattributedto“anisolatederror.”CreditCardsCreditcardcomplaintsaccountfor8percentofallcomplaintsreceivedbytheCFPBin2015.Thetopthreetypesofcreditcardcomplaintswere:

• Billingdisputes(16%)• Other(e.g.,deferredinterestprograms,decreasedcreditlimit2)(12%)• Identitytheft,fraud,embezzlement(11%)

Examplesofactualcreditcardcomplaints:

Problemwithaccountmanagement:—ReceivedaletterstatingmyChaseCreditCardwasgoingtoexpirewithinthenexttwomonths.Sincethecardhadnotbeenusedwithin[several]years,theywereclosingtheaccountwhenitexpires.ItwentontosayifIwouldliketokeepthisaccountopen,pleasecallandtheywouldreview.Icalledandaftergivingthemmyincomeandinformationtheywerewillingtokeepthecardopenat$1,000limitwhereasbeforeitwas$6,500.TheyalsowentonandreducedmyothercardsfromChaseaswelltakingthelimitfrom$5,000to$1,000.WhattheseactionshavedoneisdrasticallyreducemycreditscorefromgoodtobelowaverageofwhichItoldthemso,buttheydidn'tcarestatingthatwasmyproblem.

Problemwithbillinginaccuracies:—WehaveaBankofAmericacreditcardandeverymonthIsetupthepaymenttobetakenfromourcheckingaccount.ThismonthIsettheamounttobepaid($8,700)tocomeoutofourcheckingaccountontheduedate.Itdid.Thetotalamountduewas$8,700.However,theyalsodeductedanother$8,700fromourcheckingaccount.Fortunately,wehadjustsoldourhouse,sowehadmoneytocoverthedoublepayment!Icalledthemandaskedthemtoputthemoneyback.Iwastolditwouldtake[several]businessdaystodoso.Wewerenevergivenanexplanationonhowthishappened,compensatedfortheuseofourmoney,whichIfeelisonlyfair.Ifwehadnotsoldourhouse,thiswouldhaveputourfinancesandotherpaymentstakenfromourcheckingaccountinseriousjeopardy!Mygreatestfearisthatthismighthappenagainwiththem.

Problemwithfraud:—Fraudulentchargesweremadetomycreditcard.Ihadnumerousphoneconversationswith[customerservice]assuringmethatitwouldberesolvedinmyfavor.

2 CFPBOct2015MonthlySnapshot,p12(http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201510_cfpb_monthly-complaint-report-vol-4.pdf)


NowIaminformedthatbecauseIdidnotcontacttheminwritingIamliableforthefraudulentchargestotaling$26,000.00.

Problemwithaccountsbeingclosedwithoutknowledgeorconsent:—Citibankclosedmyaccountwithoutanynoticeorabilityformetotakeactionthatwouldavoidtheclosure.Ibelievethisisanexampleofunfairanddeceptivebusinesspractices.Myaccountwasingoodstandingandopensince1998.Citibankclaimedthattheaccountwasclosedduetoinactivity.Thereisnothinginthecardmemberagreementthataddressesthistopic,norhasCitibankdisclosedtheirpoliciesregardingcardinactivity.

Howdidcompaniesrespondtocreditcardcomplaints?

• 19percentreceivedmonetaryrelief,atanaverageof$100percomplaint.• 11percentreceivednon-monetaryrelief,suchasacreditlinerestoredorremoved,a

changeinaccounttermsorrates,orhavingasubmissiontoacreditbureaucorrected.• 64percentreceivedanexplanationfromthecompany.

Companieschosenottopublicallyrespondto97percentofthecreditcardcomplaintsreceived.Ofthosetheydidrespondtopublically,in2percenttheystatedthatthey“actedappropriatelyasauthorizedbycontractorlaw.”Lessthan1percentofthecomplaintswerethoughttobetheresultofan“isolatederror.”

CreditReportingCreditreportingcomplaintsaccountedfor20percentofallcomplaintsreceivedbytheCFPBin2015.Thetopthreetypesofcreditreportingcomplaintwere:

• Incorrectinformationoncreditreport(79%)• Creditreportingcompany’sinvestigation(8%)• Unabletoobtaincreditreportorscore(6%)

Examplesofactualcreditreportingcomplaints:

Problemwithincorrectinformationoncreditreport:—Backgroundscreeningforleaseonnewhouseturnedupwithsomeoneelse’ssocialsecuritynumber.

Problemwithcompany’sinvestigation:

—AcollectionaccountfromXXXXhasbeenmisreportedonmycreditreportwithEquifax.IhavedisputedthiswithEquifaxforoverXXXXyearsanditstillremains.ThiscollectionaccounthasbeenremovedfrombothXXXXandXXXXandXXXXcompanieshavesharedthisinformationwithEquifax.However,itstillremainsonmyfilewithEquifax.IevenspokewithasupervisoratEquifaxaboutthis.It'stimetheyreceivea$1,000finefornon-complianceofFTCregulations.

Problemobtainingacreditreport:

—I’veattemptedtopullmyfreeannualcreditreportfromBigXXXXCreditBureauonXX/XX/2015.IwasabletopromptlyreceivemycopiesfromXXXXandXXXX,butIcould


notobtainacopyfromEquifax.AfterImadeaphonecalltoseekhelpIwastoldtheycouldnothelpmeandtheyhadtochargeme$XXXXtoobtainacopy.

Howdidcompaniesrespondtocreditreportingcomplaints?

• Almostnoonereceivedmonetaryrelief;thesmallnumberwhodidreceivedanaverageof$23percomplaint.

• 25percentreceivednon-monetaryrelief,includinghavingsubmissionstocreditreportingagenciescorrectedorhavingacustomerserviceissueresolved.

• 70percentreceivedanexplanationfromthecompany.Companieschosenottopubliclyrespondto99percentofthecreditreportingcomplaintstheyreceived.Ofthosetheydidrespondtopublicly,inlessthanhalfapercent(0.36)thecompanythoughttheissuewascausedby“theactionsofathirdparty”andin0.22percentthecompanythoughtthey“actedappropriatelyasauthorizedbycontractorlaw.”DebtCollectionDebtcollection(medical,creditcard,paydayloanandother)complaintsaccountfor31percentofallcomplaintsreceivedbytheCFPBin2015.Thetopthreetypesofdebtcollectioncomplaintwere:

• Attemptstocollectdebtnotowed(40%)• Communicationtactics(18%)• Disclosureverificationofdebt(15%)

Examplesofactualdebtcollectioncomplaints:

Problemwithanattempttocollectadebtthatisnotthecomplainant’s:—IpaidthismedicalaccountinfullwiththeoriginalcreditorandIwasassuredthatthecollectionsentryweregoingtoberemovedcompletelyfromallcreditbureaus’reports.ThecollectionagencyisrefusingtoremovetheentryafterafullpaymentwasmadetotheoriginalcreditorandthecollectionagencyisreportingtheaccountasapaidcollectioninsteadofremovingtheaccountasIwastoldandagreedto.

Problemwithdebtcollectors’communicationtactics:

—EnhancedRecoveryCompanyhasbeencallingmyphonenon-stopoverthelastseveralweeks,presumablyaboutadebttocollect.Theyrefusetotellmespecificallywhatthecallsareaboutotherthana“personalbusinessmatter.”IhavemadeitVERYcleartothemthatwehavenobusinessiftheycan’tprovidefurtherdetails.Iwanttheharassmenttostop.CallsalwayscomewhileIamatwork,wastingmytime,andmycustomers’time.

Problempertainingtodisclosureverificationofdebt:

—Acompanyistryingtocollectmanymedicaldebts,whicharealsolistedonmypersonalcreditreport.Ihaverequestedseveraltimesforverification.Thiscompanywillnotfurnishasignedauthorization[orproofoftheprocedures],theyjustfurnishastatement,whichprovesnothing.IaskedtovalidatethenumerouslistingsonmypersonalcreditfileandagainallIreceiveisstatements.ManyyearsagoIhad[several]medicalbills,buttheywerepaidyearsago.


Howdidcompaniesrespondtodebtcollectioncomplaints?

• 1percentreceivedmonetaryrelief,atanaverageof$317percomplaint.• 15percentreceivednon-monetaryrelief,includinghavingdebtcollectioncallsorother

companycontactstoporhavingsubmissionstoacreditbureaucorrected.• 67percentreceivedanexplanationfromthecompany.

Companieschosenottopublicallyrespondto78percentofthedebtcollectioncomplaintstheyreceived.Ofthosetheydidrespondtopublically,in14percenttheystatedthatthey“actedappropriatelyasauthorizedbycontractorlaw.”Twopercentofthecomplaintswerebelievedtobe“aresultofamisunderstanding,”and2percentcontaineddetailsthatthecompany“can’tverifyordispute.”Onepercentofcomplaintsthatreceivedapublicresponseweretheresultofthe“actionsofthirdparty.”

(Source:TheCFPB’s2015ConsumerResponseAnnualReport)

MortgagesMortgagecomplaintsaccountfor19percentofallcomplaintsreceivedbytheCFPBin2015.Thisincludescomplaintsregardingconventionaladjustableratemortgages,fixedratemortgagesandreversemortgages.Thetopthreetypesofmortgagecomplaintwere:

• Problemswhenunabletopay(43%)• Makingpayments(37%)• Applyingfortheloan(9%)

Examplesofactualmortgagecomplaints:

Problemrelatedtoinabilitytopayorobtainaloanmodification:—IhavebeentryingtoworkwithCitimortgagetoobtainaloanmodificationtostayinmyhome.Howevertheyhavenotbeenwillingtohelpme.TheservicedepartmenthaslostmyfileXXXXdifferenttimesandclaimedthatIneverstartedaloanmodification.TheyhaveissuedmejustinthelastsevenmonthsXXXXdifferentcustomersupportspecialistwhowouldnotreturnmyphonecallsandwouldnotreturnemailinatimelymanner.Outofthebluetheypulledheroutofthecaseandthenwegotadifferentrepresentative,whoseemedtobeverykind,understanding,andveryaccommodating.WithXXXX,overthelastseveralmonthswewereabletogetallofthedocumentationtoherinordertocompletetheloanmodification.XXXXindicatedthatshehassubmittedallthepaperworktounderwritingdepartment.XXXXgavemethereassurancethatshe


woulddoanythingthatshecouldtokeepmeinmyhome.CitiMortgagewentaheadagainandswitchedcustomersupportspecialistto(XXXX)whichwillnotreturnourphonecallsoremails.Ihavecalledhereveryday,Iwasluckyonedayandsheactuallypickedupthephone.Sheaskedmyinformationandmyloannumber,assoonassheidentifiedwhoIwasshestatedthatshewasontheotherline.IthasbeenoveraweekandIhavestillhaven'theardbackfromXXXX.IjustreceivedaletterfromXXXXandXXXX,whichisafirmthathasbeenretainedtoconductanon-judicialforeclosuresale.Iamabsolutelyshocked,IwasjusttoldthirtydaysagothatallofthepaperworkthatIsubmittedlookedverygoodandtheyweregoingtodoanythingtokeepmeinmyhome.Nowmycasehasbeensentovertoalawfirmforforeclosureproceedings.Iknowthisisdefinitelyagainstthelaw,andtheyarecommittingfraud.Theyhavenottriedtohelpme,theydon'tcommunicatewithme,theykeepswitchingmyfilearoundtodifferentindividualswithinthecompanywithnoresolution.

Problemwithmakingpayments:

—PennyMacconsistentlymisappliesmypayments.Igenerallypaymorethantheminimum.Theyapplyitalltoprincipal,addlatefees,callmeforpayment,whenthefullamount+isalwayssentinWAYbeforetheduedate.ThenIhavetospendtoomuchtimeonthephonegettingfeesreversedandexplainingtothemhowtoapplythepaymentcorrectly.Ifitdidn’tcostmemoney,Iwouldswitchcompaniesinaheartbeat.

Problemapplyingforamortgage:

—AmerisaveMortgageCorporationofferedmeaveryattractiveinterestrateforrefinancingmymortgage.Iwentaheadandappliedfortheloanastheyguaranteedratelockforaperiodof60days.Theyaskedmetopay$420.00forpaymenttowardsappraisalimmediately.Ialsosubmittedonlineallthedocumentstheyrequested.Thentheysatonmyapplicationforalmosttwomonths.WhenIfollowedup,theysaidtheywerebusywithtoomanyapplicationsandofferedtoextendratelocksincetheyweredelayingit.Theydidextendbutkeptdelayingitfurtherandcomingbackandaskingsomedocumentorother.TodaytheysentmemailsayingthatratelockexpiredandIwillhavetogoforwhateverrateexistsnow.Ontopofittheyarealsoaskingmetopayforappraisalagainsayingthatmyappraisalreportexpired.

Howdidcompaniesrespondtomortgagecomplaints?

• 3percentreceivedmonetaryrelief,atanaverageof$500percomplaint.• 5percentreceivednon-monetaryrelief,includingbeingofferedforeclosurealternatives

(withoutdirectmonetaryvalue)orhavingacustomerserviceissueresolved.• 81percentreceivedanexplanationfromthecompany.

Companieschosenottopublicallyrespondto87percentofmortgagecomplaints.Ofthosetheydidrespondtopublically,in8percentthecompanybelievedit“actedappropriatelyasauthorizedbycontractorlaw.”Onepercentofthecomplaintswerebelievedtobetheresultof“anisolatederror.”


StudentLoansStudentloancomplaintsaccountedfor3percentofallcomplaintsreceivedbytheCFPBin2015.Thetopthreetypesofstudentloancomplaintwere:

! Dealingwithlenderorservicer(62%)! Can’trepayloan(33%)! Gettingaloan(5%)

Examplesofactualstudentloancomplaints:

Problemdealingwithlenderorservicer:—Iamaco-signeronmyson'sstudentloan.DuringtheconsolidationprocessWellsFargoadvisedusnottomakeapayment,andthatalatefeewouldbeassessed.Aftertheloanwasconsolidated,Icalledtohavethelatefeereversed—itwasnot.Theinclusionofthelatefeecausedtheprincipalbalanceandtheminimumpaymenttobegreaterthanitotherwisewouldhavebeen.Ihavebeenrepeatedlypromisedthattheerrorwouldbecorrected.Ithasnotbeencorrected.Inaddition,thereisnowaytosetupautomaticpayments,oraccessaccountinformationwithoutmyson'spermissioneventhoughIamaco-signerontheloan.

Problemrepayingaloan:—AESrefusestoassistmewithareasonablepaymentoptionformyALPLNloan.Iamnotabletomakethecurrentamount(itisanentirepaycheckatmycurrentwage)andtheysimplystatethereisnootheroption.Ifthecurrentsituationcontinuesitwillcausegreatunduehardshipuponmyfamilyandme.TakenotethatIhavemadetimelypaymentssinceforyearsnow.IsincerelyaskedthattheyprovidemewithanotheroptionandtheystatedIhadusedallmyoptions.Theyofferedtoloweranotherloanamount(onlytemporary),butofcoursethatwouldleadtopayingagreateramountofinterestonthatloanleavingmeworseoffthanIamcurrently.Iwanttorepaymydebthowevertheymakeitimpossible,theinterestratesarecompletelyunaffordable.

Problemapplyingforaloan:—Iappliedtohavemystudentloanrefinanced...andthecompanyquotedmeatarateof5.2%,butwhentheloanwasapprovedtheratewasincreasedto6.86%withnoexplanationeventhoughIhaveanexcellentcreditscore.WhenIaskedtherepresentativetoinvestigatewhytheratechangedshesaidshewouldcheckwiththeunderwritingdepartmentandgetbacktome.Thatwastwoweeksagoandnowsheisignoringme.Thisisaclassicexampleof“bait&switch.”

Howdidcompaniesrespondtostudentloancomplaints?

• 5percentreceivedmonetaryrelief,atanaverageof$173percomplaint.• 6percentreceivednon-monetaryrelief,includingreceivingachangeinaccountterms

orhavingacustomerserviceissueresolved.• 83percentreceivedanexplanationfromthecompany.

Companieschosenottoprovideapublicresponse78percentofthetime.Ofthosetheydidrespondtopublically,insixpercentofthecasesthecompanybelievedthecomplaintwasdueto“actionsofthirdparty,”andin5percentthecompanybelievedit“actedappropriatelyas


authorizedbycontractorlaw.”In1percent,thecompanythoughtthecomplaintwasduetoan“isolatederror.”

(Source:TheCFPB’s2015ConsumerResponseAnnualReport;maynottotal100percentduetorounding)

Whentousethedatabase

Beforepurchase/useReviewingcomplaintnarrativesbeforedoingbusinesswithaparticularcompanycanhelpconsumersevaluatethecompanybasedonothers’firsthandexperiencesandavoidproblems.Forexample,Sofia,fromNewYork,waslookingforamoneytransferservicetosendandreceivemoneyforasidebusiness.ShedecidedtousetheCFPBdatabasetoreviewcustomers’experienceswithMoneyGramandWesternUnion,twomoneytransferbusinesses.Shefilteredcomplaintsfirstbycompany,andthenbycomplaintnarrativesfromNewYork.ShenoticedthattherearenearlythreetimesasmanyfraudandscamcomplaintsforMoneyGramasthereareforWesternUnion(despiteWesternUnionbeingthelargercompany),sodecidedtochooseWesternUnionforherbusiness.Afterpurchase/useConsumersmightalsoexaminedatabasedetailstoevaluateacompanythey’recurrentlyhavingproblemswithtocomparetheirexperiencewiththatofotherconsumers.Thedatabasealsoallowsconsumerstoreportunreasonable,unfairordeceptivepracticesandalertothers.Forexample,JohntookoutastudentloanwithWellsFargofiveyearsago.Duetounemploymentaftergraduation,hestruggledtomaketheloan’smonthlypayments.Hetriednumeroustimestorefinancehisloantolowerthemonthlypayments.Despitemultiplephonecallsandemails,thebankcontinuedtorefusehisrequesttomodifytheloan.HefilteredtheCFPBdatabasetoreviewstudentloancomplaintswithWellsFargoandreadsomeoftheconsumernarratives:

—SincegraduationIhavestruggledtopaymystudentloans,duetotermsofunemploymentandlow-wagepayingjobs.IaminabettersituationthanIwassixyearsagobutstillstruggletopaymymonthlypayment.Thishasbroughtdownmycreditandincreasedtheinterestonmyloan.Ihavetriednumeroustimestorefinancemyloantobringdownthepaymenttoamoremanageablemonthlyrate,eachtimeWellsFargo,whoholdsmyloans,deniedtherequest.WiththisIamonthevergeofgoingintodefermentwithmyloans.Thisisanissuemanyofusourdealingwith.Whocanhelpus?


—Threeyearsago,whenmyspouselostherfulltimejob,IstartednegotiatingwithWellsFargotorefinanceastudentloanorlowertheinterestrateorincreasetheremainingperiodtoreducetheminimummonthlypaymentamountbecauseitisveryhardformetopay.Theyneveragreed,buttheyfrightenedmebythreateningtoincreasetheinterest,whiletheinterestissupposedtobefixed!!Isthereasolution?

Basedondatabasedetails,JohndecidedtofilehisowncomplaintwiththeCFPBandincludehisownnarrative,hopingtoreceivehelptorefinancehisstudentloan.HealsohopedtoalerttheCFPBandotherconsumersofWellsFargo’sreluctancetorefinancecustomerswhoarestrugglingtopaytheirloans.

III.HowtousetheConsumerComplaintDatabase1. GototheofficialConsumerFinancialProtectionBureauwebsite:(http://www.consumerfinance.gov).

2. Clickon“Data&Research”intheheaderandselect“ConsumerComplaintDatabase”fromthedropdownlisttoviewthedatabase.(Tosubmitacomplaint,choosethebluelinkinthetoprightcornerofthehomepage.)Alternatively,youcanscrolldownthepage(seegraphicbelow)andclickonthe“Browsepubliccomplaintsaboutcompanies”linkunder“Submitacomplaint.”


3. Thecomplaintdatabasehomepageoffersyouthreeoptions:

(1)Readconsumernarratives;(2)Viewcomplaintdata;or(3)DownloadoptionsandAPI.

Option1:Ifyouchoose“Readconsumernarratives,”youwillseeonlycomplaintswhereconsumershaveincludedacomplaintnarrative(complaintdetails).Thisviewalsorevealsthecompany’sstandardizedresponse,ifany.

Option2:Toviewallcomplaintdataforallfinancialproducts/services,clickonthemiddleicon,“Viewcomplaintdata.”Usershavetheabilitytofiltercomplaintsbyproduct,bynarrativeandbyothercategoriesofdata.

Option3:ThisoptionallowsuserstodownloadallcomplaintdataintoanExcelfile.Thisoptionistypicallyusedforin-depthresearch.

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4. WhileontheConsumerComplaintDatabasehomepage(http://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/),youcanscrolldowntotherowoficonstoreviewcomplaintdetailsbyproductcategory.Forexample,aconsumercanclickonthe“Creditreporting”icon(hoverovereachiconwithyourcursortoseethecategorynameappear),thenthe“SeeCreditreportingcomplaintdata”linkbelowtoseeonlythedataforthatcomplaintcategory.

5. Youcanfilterthecomplaintinformationusingthe(1)grayheaderor(2)thefiltertoolintheblueboxontherightsideofthescreen.

The(1)grayheader(rowabovecomplaintlistings)liststhedifferentcategoriesofdata.Youcanorganizethedatainascendingordescendingorder(forexample,fromAtoZorfromZtoA)aswellasfilternarrativesaccordingtothecorrespondingsub-categoriesthatpertaintoyoursearch.Ifyouareinterestedinseeingnarrativesthatcomefromaparticularstate,Maine,forexample,choose“ME”fromthedropdownlistthatappearswhenyouclicktheMenuiconto


therightoftheword“State”andthenselect“FilterThisColumn.”Or,ifyouareinterestedinseeingalltheinformationinthedatabaseinalphabeticalorderaccordingtostate,choose“SortAscending.”Toremoveafilter,clickonthesmallred“T”symbolinthegraybarorselect“ClearSort”fromthedropdownmenu.Thenyoucanchooseanotherfilter.

6. Thebluefilterboxontherightsideofthebrowserscreen(clicktheblueFilterbuttonabovethegrayheaderifitdoesn’tappearautomatically)canbeusedwhenperformingmorecomplexfiltering.Theboxallowsformultiplefilterconditionstobeappliedtothedataatonce.Youcan“AddaNewFilterCondition”andchoosecriteriathatwillfilteroutanyentrythatdoesnotmatchyoursearchconditions.Forexample,show“Creditreporting”complaintsdealingwith“Incorrectinformation”by“Year.”Usetheword“contains”insteadof“is”toavoidrelevantdatabeingfilteredoutduetoslightvariationsintext(anextraspace,differentcapitalization,etc.).Forexample,ifyouwanttoreadcomplaintswhere“Fraudorscam”isthesub-issuebutyouchoose“Sub-issue”“is”fromthefiltermenuandwritejust“fraud”inthesearchbox,yoursearchwouldturnupnoresultssincethesub-issueis,bydefault,“Fraudorscam.”Ifyouinsteadconductedasearchthatlookedfor“Sub-issue”“contains”“fraud,”yoursearchwouldgeneratetheresultsyouarelookingfor.Avoidaddingextraspacesatthebeginningorendofyoursearchtermstopreventerrors.


7. Afterfilteringthecomplaints,youcanbrowseandevensaveyourfilteredsearch(ifyousetupafreeaccountbeforesearching).



8. Forthebestresultswhensearchingforcomplaintsaboutacompanythatisownedbyanothercompany,searchthe“Consumercomplaintnarrative”column,notthe“Company”column.Whenaddingafiltercondition,choose“Consumercomplaintnarrative”andchoose“contains”fromthedropdownmenu.Thentypethedesiredcompanynameinthesearchbox.Insomecases,thenamesofcompaniesthatareownedbyothercompanieswillonlyappearinthe“Consumercomplaintnarrative”columnbecausethe“Company”columnliststhenameoftheparentcompany(forexample,withprepaidcardsandspecialtyconsumerreportingbureaus).



IV.Findingsandrecommendationsforthe

CFPBConsumerComplaintDatabaseConsumerActionhasworkedtoencouragetheCFPBtomakeitspubliccomplaintdatabaseasuseful,transparentandpowerfulaspossible.Overthelastfiveyears,theBureauhasexpandedthedatabase’sfunctionsandinformation.Itsexistenceisanimportantwayforconsumerstoevaluateabusinessandalertotherstoproblems.However,webelievethereismoreworktobedonetomakethisfirst-ratetoolevenmorehelpfultoconsumers.ConsumerAction’sreviewoftheCFPBcomplaintdatabasefoundittobe“clunky”touseattimesandaestheticallyuninviting.Whenfilteringthedatatotargetasearchweoftenhadnoresultsappear;thetoolwassensitivetospacingvariationsandsometimesdifficulttouse.Weoftenhadtorestartoursearch,whichwastestimeandfrustratesuser.Informationaboutcomplaintoutcomesissparse.MostoftheverylimitedinformationoncomplaintresolutionswasfoundintheCFPBConsumerResponseAnnualReport,andeventheredetailsareinsufficient.Consumerscannotlearnwhatsolutionsareworkingwithcertaincompaniesandcanacquirenofindingsonwhyconsumersdisputecomplaints(nowcalled“feedback”).(TheBureauplanstoaddaconsumersatisfactionratingscaleandnarrativewherecomplainantscanratehowpleasedordispleasedtheywerewiththeoutcomeoftheircomplaintandexplainwhy.)Whileconsumersreceiveresponsesfromcompanies97percentofthetime,purecomplaintresolutionsaredismallylow.AsofJanuary2016,only6percentofcomplaintsreceivedmonetaryreliefand12percentreceivednon-monetaryrelief.Amountsofmonetaryreliefvarybycategory(PrepaidCards:24percentmonetaryrelief;Mortgages:3percent).Privateexplanationsfromthecompanytotheconsumeraccountedfor72percentofresponses.Thesemightincludethingslikewhytheconsumerdidnotreceiveacreditlineincrease,whytheyweredeniedaloanorhowthebank’soverdraftprocessworks.Theseissuesdonotnegatethevalueofthedatabase.Itcontainscriticalinformationforbothconsumersandregulators.Forexample,ourinternlearnedfromstudyingthecomplaintnarratives(detailsofthecomplaint)thatmanyconsumersstruggletohavecreditreportingerrorsremovedfromtheircreditbureaufiles.Thisexposedhimtotheneedtocheckhiscreditreportsregularlytoensureaccuracy,especiallysinceaconsumer’saccesstoloansandcredit(oftenjobsandinsurance)arereliantonthedatainourcreditreports.Likewise,regulatorsareabletolearnfromthedatahowwellthemarketisworking,particularlyinregardtoindividualcompanies’financialproductsandservices,bothingeneralaswellasindistinctcommunities.Basedonwhatwe’velearned,we'vecompiledalistofsuggestionstoimprovetheutilityofthisvaluabletool.

1. Includeallcomplaints.AllcomplaintsfiledwiththeCFPBshouldbepartofthepublicdatabase,includingcomplaintsreferredtootheragenciesorinvolvedinalawsuit.Allcomplaintsshouldalsobelistedbythespecificcompanytheconsumercomplainedabout,notonlybytheparentcompany’sname.


2. Increaseandimproveinformationonconsumerrelief.

a. Addin-depthreliefandresolutioninformation.Thisinformationisnotcurrentlyavailableinthedatabase,andverylimitedreliefinformationisintheCFPB’scomplaintannualreport.

b. Includedetailsabouttheresolutionsconsumershavereceived:i. Monetaryrelief:Showdollaramountsreceived,thetypeofcomplaint

filedandthecompanyinquestion.ii. Non-monetaryrelief:Listthespecificactiontakenbythecompany(for

example,“Errorremovedfromcreditbureaurecords,”“accounttermschanged,”etc.).

3. Releaseexplanations.Seventy-twopercentofconsumersin2015receivedanexplanationfromthecompanyinresponsetotheircomplaint.Detailsfromtheseexplanationsshouldbetransparenttoconsumers.TheBureaushouldprovidethepublicwiththeprimaryexplanationsconsumersarereceiving(examplesmightincludewhyacreditlinewasnotincreasedoraloanwasdenied).Ifcompaniesarenotprovidingcomplainantswithtailoredresponsesasrequired,theBureaushouldpublicallydisclosewhichcompanieshavenotcomplied.Thisishelpfulinformationforconsumerswhoarechoosingwhichcompaniestoworkwith.

4. Includedetailsinpubliccompanyresponses.Ifacompanybelievesthatathirdpartywasatfault,itwouldbehelpfultolearnspecificsfromthecompany’sperspective.Thiswouldhelpdistinguishlegitimatecompanyclaimsfromthosethattakeadvantageoftheopportunitytoshiftresponsibilitytoanotherparty.

5. Notethird-partyreferrals.Creditbureaus,debtcollectionagenciesandothercompaniesthatfrequentlyrespondtoconsumercomplaintsbyattributingresponsibilitytoathirdpartyshouldbecompelledtoprovidetheconsumerwiththenameandcontactinformationofthethirdpartytoexpeditecomplaintresolution.

6. Improvecommunicationwithcomplainants.Ifacompanydoesnotrespondtoaconsumercomplaint,theBureaushouldreportitinthedatabaseas“Noresponse.”Thisshouldincludecompaniesthatdonotrespondwithin60daysofreceivingacomplaint.Itshouldbeeasyforconsumerstoseethepercentageofcomplaintstowhichaspecificcompanydoesnotrespondinatimelymanneroratall.

7. Revealthecompany’scomplainthandlinghistory.TheBureaushouldmakeitpossibleforconsumerstoclearlyseeinthedatabasehowindividualcompaniesarehandlingthecomplaintstheyreceive.Acompany“snapshot”couldincludeanoverviewofresponsetimes,explanationsandrelief(monetaryandnon-monetary).Consumerscouldusethisinformationtoevaluatewhetheracompanyisworthdoingbusinesswith,basedinpartonhowwelltheyaddresscomplaints.(Theupcomingsatisfactionratingsystemshouldhelp.)

8. Enablemobileaccess.Manyconsumersaccesstheinternetprimarilyviaamobiledevice(smartphoneortablet)ratherthanacomputer.Enhancingsmartphonecapabilityisa


mustforanyusefulcomplainttool.Thesearchcapabilitiesshouldnotberestrictedandviewingshouldnotbecompromisedforthoseusingsmallerscreens.

9. Offersimple,step-by-stepinstructionsandupdatethefiltertutorialvideofornew

users.Abriefintroductionforthoseusingthedatabaseintheirwebbrowserwouldbeveryhelpfulforconsumerswhomayotherwiseseethesystemasdaunting.Instructionsshouldencourageuserstokeepsearchessimple;highlightcommandsforrearrangingcolumnsorsearchingdatabykeyword,companyorproduct;andincludeuseful“tips,”like“Whenaddingfilterconditionstothebluefiltersidebar,avoidusing“is”;insteadclickonthetinyarrowandselecttheword“contains”forbestresults.”

10. Improvefunctionality.Makefilteringthedataeasierandfaster.Makechangesthatavoidtheopportunityforuserstobecomefrustratedbyanoverlysensitivefilter,lackofdesiredresultsorneedtorestartsearchesfromscratch.Maketheinterfacemoreintuitiveforthelayperson.

11. Relaxthescrubbingstandard.Whileconsumerprivacyisimperative,sometimestoomuchinformationisredactedfromcomplaintdetails(dates,timesandnumbers),andwhat’sremovedoftenseemsinconsistent.

12. Requirecomplaintresolutions.RequireallcompaniessupervisedbytheCFPBtoadequatelyrespondtoandattempttoresolveconsumercomplaintswithinthe15-and60-daytimeframes.TheCFPBshouldpursuecompaniesthatdonotrespondtoorresolveconsumercomplaintsandholdthemmoreaccountable.TheBureaucouldfollowupwithunresponsivecompaniesdirectlyandpressthemtoprovidemoredetailed,tailoredresponses(andresolutions),bothpubliclyandprivately.Ifnoprogressismade,thebusinessshouldbeslatedforscrutinybytheagency’ssupervisionandexaminationstaff.Businessesshouldbeexaminedandexpectedtohaveacomplaintescalationprocessthatconsumerscanturntoforresolution,asisnowrequiredofmortgageservicers.

13. Offerfurtherrecourse.Whencomplaintresolutionisnotavailabletoconsumers,theBureaushouldprovidewrittensuggestionsastowheretheconsumermightturnnextforrecourse(e.g.,stateAG,smallclaimscourt,tradeassociation/FINRA,etc.).

14. PublicizeBureauactionstakenasadirectresultofcomplaints.WhenfurtherCFPBaction(e.g.,lawsuit,settlement,newrule)resultsfromaconsumercomplaint,theconsumershouldbenotifieddirectlybytheBureauinatimelymanner.Theactionshouldbereportedtothepublic,aswell,toexpandawarenessanduseofthecomplainttool.

15. Disputeoption.TheBureaushouldprovideonelaststepinthecomplaintprocessthatoffersconsumersstrongerrecourseifacompanyhasbeenunresponsivetotheircomplaints.IfaconsumerprovidestheCFPBwithdetailednegativefeedbackintheupcomingsatisfactionratingscale,theBureaushouldconsidertakingfurtheractionagainstacompanythathasnumerousunresolvedoroutstanding(noresponse)complaints.ActioncouldincludeprivatecommunicationbetweentheBureauandthebusiness,deeperexaminationorinvestigationofthecompanyor,ifwarranted,enforcementaction.


ConsumerActionwww.consumer-action.orgConsumeradviceandreferralhotline:415-777-9635Chinese,EnglishandSpanishspokenSubmityourcomplaintsonline:English:www.consumer-action.org/hotline/complaint_form/Spanish:www.consumer-action.org/hotline/complaint_form_es/

Aboutthisreport

ResearchwasconductedbetweenFebruaryandJuly2016byJosueChavez(2016ColumbiaUniversityVirtualIntern)andthefollowingstaffmembers:AlegraHoward,RuthSussweinandMonicaSteinisch.

TermsofUse

ThisreportbyConsumerActioncanbeusedfreelyandreproducedforeducationalpurposes.Nocommercialuseisallowed.©ConsumerAction2016

CFPB Complaint DB REPORT FINAL - Consumer Action · Consumer Action Report: CFPB Consumer Complaint...

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