What made me unhappy today ?

[Catrin Lewis]

I'm disgusted (again) with Ally Financial, the car loan people.

One of those rare windfalls plus a work bonus let me pay rather aggressively on our car loan.

Ally doesn't send statements that reconcile. In this case, today's statement showed my total payments were $2,000, I was charged less than $12 interest, and my balance dropped $5,194.75.

The balance drop was real (yay, me). The interest and the total payments figures were complete fiction. They sent no record of several payments so I could confirm that what I sent landed in their books.

It drives me batty. I reconcile every statement I get. With Ally, previous month's balance plus interest, minus payments, never equals the new balance.

I also see that Ally has paid nearly a billion in penalties in recent years. I think they were initially penalized $12 billion in just two cases, but the amount was negotiated way down.

Could be a case of a tangled web woven when deception was first practiced.

I don't trust that company.

I'm not quite following your figures. How can your balance drop $5,194.75 if your total payments were only $2,000? Or do you mean it's dropped to $5,194.75?

Leaving that aside, your post is not good news for me. I, too, got stuck with a car loan from Ally Financial. I've been throwing substantially more at the loan than required, with the goal of shortening a 60 month term to 20 months.

So far the Ally website says it's working. I've got 45 payments left after making five. But they never send me statements and I can't find a link where I can look at them online. I do keep .pdf copies of my payments as I make them, but they don't show the remaining balance due.

Appears I need to keep close watch on these guys.

 

[Stuart Dren]

So far the Ally website says it's working. I've got 45 payments left after making five. But they never send me statements and I can't find a link where I can look at them online.

That's their problem, isn't it? Like, is it old fashioned to expect that you can call them and it be their responsibility to make sure you can view your statements and balance?

 

[Amontillado]

I'm not quite following your figures. How can your balance drop $5,194.75 if your total payments were only $2,000? Or do you mean it's dropped to $5,194.75?

Leaving that aside, your post is not good news for me. I, too, got stuck with a car loan from Ally Financial. I've been throwing substantially more at the loan than required, with the goal of shortening a 60 month term to 20 months.

So far the Ally website says it's working. I've got 45 payments left after making five. But they never send me statements and I can't find a link where I can look at them online. I do keep .pdf copies of my payments as I make them, but they don't show the remaining balance due.

Appears I need to keep close watch on these guys.

You hit the nail on the head. I paid over $5,000, the statement said I paid $2,000, and Ally says that's just business as usual. My payments were probably all credited correctly - but I can't reconcile their statements.

Take the outstanding balance from the last statement, add the interest quoted on the current statement, and subtract the payments the current statement says you made and that won't equal the new balance.

I've had a dozen Ally loans from the 90's going forward. I've never been late or delinquent in any way, but I did get a lesson what their repo department is like.

A guy who worked for us came to me with the sad story his vehicle was on Ally's repo list. It was nearly Christmas, the guy had some tough breaks, so I decided to pay Ally.

Ally refused to take a bank wire transfer. They had me perp-walk to Walmart and send a Moneygram, which is exactly what a scammer would want.

I told them it was stupid, but they steadfastly refused a conventional wire transfer.

I gave the Walmart clerk Ally's destination ID. Moneygram's software defaulted to the last place my employee sent money to, and Ford Credit got Ally's money.

Walmart couldn't help, the money had left. Moneygram wouldn't help because I sent the money on someone else's behalf. Ford Credit was nice but wouldn't talk to me since I didn't have a Ford account.

Ally repo'd my employee's car and I spent the better part of a year calling and writing letters to regulators. The repo department would listen for maybe a minute per call, then go into a sing-song rendition of a prepared statement ending with a disconnect.

Ally's repo staff were not pleasant to deal with, which amazed me. I wasn't a party to the loan, I didn't owe Ally a cent, and I was just trying to send them money.

I've never seen any trace of the $550 that went to Ford Credit. Based on some backdoor inquiries through a friendly dealership, my best guess is the payment was credited to my employee's daughter's Ford account. Moneygram and Ally are the two bad actors in this.

Harumph! A pox on both their houses.

 

[Also]

You hit the nail on the head. I paid over $5,000, the statement said I paid $2,000, and Ally says that's just business as usual. My payments were probably all credited correctly - but I can't reconcile their statements.

Take the outstanding balance from the last statement, add the interest quoted on the current statement, and subtract the payments the current statement says you made and that won't equal the new balance.

I've had a dozen Ally loans from the 90's going forward. I've never been late or delinquent in any way, but I did get a lesson what their repo department is like.

A guy who worked for us came to me with the sad story his vehicle was on Ally's repo list. It was nearly Christmas, the guy had some tough breaks, so I decided to pay Ally.

Ally refused to take a bank wire transfer. They had me perp-walk to Walmart and send a Moneygram, which is exactly what a scammer would want.

I told them it was stupid, but they steadfastly refused a conventional wire transfer.

I gave the Walmart clerk Ally's destination ID. Moneygram's software defaulted to the last place my employee sent money to, and Ford Credit got Ally's money.

Walmart couldn't help, the money had left. Moneygram wouldn't help because I sent the money on someone else's behalf. Ford Credit was nice but wouldn't talk to me since I didn't have a Ford account.

Ally repo'd my employee's car and I spent the better part of a year calling and writing letters to regulators. The repo department would listen for maybe a minute per call, then go into a sing-song rendition of a prepared statement ending with a disconnect.

Ally's repo staff were not pleasant to deal with, which amazed me. I wasn't a party to the loan, I didn't owe Ally a cent, and I was just trying to send them money.

I've never seen any trace of the $550 that went to Ford Credit. Based on some backdoor inquiries through a friendly dealership, my best guess is the payment was credited to my employee's daughter's Ford account. Moneygram and Ally are the two bad actors in this.

Harumph! A pox on both their houses.

I can 'moji you a slice of cheesecake or a beer or a hug or a prayer or a laugh, but evidently no tears of sympathy. It's a time we live in. So I have to compose a reply instead.

 

[Luxuria]

I watched the original Star Wars the other day on VHS and I just got annoyed that Disney and George Lucas have wrecked the trilogy so much. From all the edits and spin-off stupid shows. I happened to catch some of the new Darth Maul animated series in passing and I was just like, "ugh. Why has Star Wars become so dumbed down and stupid? Like, not everything can be shoved in the Marvel mold." I also got mad at the sequels, because of the things that happened to the original trio and that middle movie that made no sense. I liked Finn and he got NOTHING at the end of the Sequels. Nothing happened with him. Nor to Poe. I just...I am tired and just want to never see any other Star Wars film except the original three in their ORIGINAL format.

I just hate Star Wars: Disney Edition.

P.s. I also hate them because they got rid of Jacen and Jaina! I miss them!

 

[Also]

I just hate Star Wars: Disney Edition

Is there no Disney Edition of The Godfather Trilogy yet?

 

[Luxuria]

Is there no Disney Edition of The Godfather Trilogy yet?

I donno. Maybe? If there is, they cut the horse scene out and chopped all the shots of guns. LOL. No one shoots first.

 

[Catrin Lewis]

You hit the nail on the head. I paid over $5,000, the statement said I paid $2,000, and Ally says that's just business as usual. My payments were probably all credited correctly - but I can't reconcile their statements.

Take the outstanding balance from the last statement, add the interest quoted on the current statement, and subtract the payments the current statement says you made and that won't equal the new balance.

I've had a dozen Ally loans from the 90's going forward. I've never been late or delinquent in any way, but I did get a lesson what their repo department is like.

A guy who worked for us came to me with the sad story his vehicle was on Ally's repo list. It was nearly Christmas, the guy had some tough breaks, so I decided to pay Ally.

Ally refused to take a bank wire transfer. They had me perp-walk to Walmart and send a Moneygram, which is exactly what a scammer would want.

I told them it was stupid, but they steadfastly refused a conventional wire transfer.

I gave the Walmart clerk Ally's destination ID. Moneygram's software defaulted to the last place my employee sent money to, and Ford Credit got Ally's money.

Walmart couldn't help, the money had left. Moneygram wouldn't help because I sent the money on someone else's behalf. Ford Credit was nice but wouldn't talk to me since I didn't have a Ford account.

Ally repo'd my employee's car and I spent the better part of a year calling and writing letters to regulators. The repo department would listen for maybe a minute per call, then go into a sing-song rendition of a prepared statement ending with a disconnect.

Ally's repo staff were not pleasant to deal with, which amazed me. I wasn't a party to the loan, I didn't owe Ally a cent, and I was just trying to send them money.

I've never seen any trace of the $550 that went to Ford Credit. Based on some backdoor inquiries through a friendly dealership, my best guess is the payment was credited to my employee's daughter's Ford account. Moneygram and Ally are the two bad actors in this.

Harumph! A pox on both their houses.

Dear God! The rest of that payment better reflect in your balance soon.

Well, as I said, so far, so good with my account. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[Luxuria]

I love learning German, but it's messing up my capitalization again. Ugh. Because all nouns in German are capital and in English, they are not.

 

[Rath Darkblade]

Colchicine, probably.

I sympathise. I've never felt it, but I've been told it's some of the worse pain out there.

Colchicine was the first thing the doctor recommended, but it didn't do anything. I also tried an icepack yesterday, but it didn't do much, so I put it back in the freezer for the night.

Oh, ouch! And you don't even get the fun of being an English country squire.

(Did they say anything about diet?)

Yes. They asked if I was:

- eating too much red meat (which I might be -- I've been making myself a beef- or lamb-chop about three times a week, so I better switch over to chicken or fish)
- drinking too much beer (never touch the stuff)
- eating too many tomatoes (only one per day, as part of a salad)
- drinking too much soft drink (I might be ... a glass of it, maybe four times a week).

Anyway, I don't drink alcohol, and now I can't drink soft drink either. So ... other than water or milk (which I get plenty of anyway), what can I drink? I'm confused. I know I can keep drinking water, but water all the time is boring.

 

[Catrin Lewis]

Colchicine was the first thing the doctor recommended, but it didn't do anything. I also tried an icepack yesterday, but it didn't do much, so I put it back in the freezer for the night.



Yes. They asked if I was:

- eating too much red meat (which I might be -- I've been making myself a beef- or lamb-chop about three times a week, so I better switch over to chicken or fish)
- drinking too much beer (never touch the stuff)
- eating too many tomatoes (only one per day, as part of a salad)
- drinking too much soft drink (I might be ... a glass of it, maybe four times a week).

Anyway, I don't drink alcohol, and now I can't drink soft drink either. So ... other than water or milk (which I get plenty of anyway), what can I drink? I'm confused. I know I can keep drinking water, but water all the time is boring.

Milk, fruit juice . . . can you drink fizzy water?

 

[Rath Darkblade]

Milk, fruit juice . . . can you drink fizzy water?

Hmm ... I did some research on this. Low-fat milk is fine, and fizzy water is fine (as long as it's unflavoured).

Fruit juice, however, is not good because it is high in concentrated fructose, which raises uric acid levels in the body. The uric acid that isn't flushed out of the body naturally into needle-sharp crystals in joints, commonly the big toe, which is what causes the pain.

The only exceptions are tart cherry juice (which I detest) or fresh, whole fruit (which I enjoy, as long as it's seasonal). Love oranges, apples and mandarins in winter, peaches in summer, and fresh strawberries all year round.

The good news for me is that 2 to 4 cups of tea a day (green, black or herbal) is good for keeping gout under control. Also, hot chocolate - as long as it's low in sugar/sugar-free, made with at least 70% cocoa, and unsweetened (e.g. with sugar, honey or high-fat milk) is good in moderation. The key with drinks is avoiding too much fructose and/or sugar, since these are major causes of gout attacks.

For veggies, I love cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and potatoes, and natural herbs/spices like garlic, paprika, ginger, and cinnamon. This is good news, since all of these are good for fighting gout. Mushrooms are also good in moderation, and not included in creamy sauces.

To sum up: if you or someone you know is battling gout, the above are probably good for starters. Also stay away from red meat and processed food. (I know, it's hard to say no to a nice piece of cheese ... love me Red Leicester cheese. Yum).

 

[Rath Darkblade]

You hit the nail on the head. I paid over $5,000, the statement said I paid $2,000, and Ally says that's just business as usual. My payments were probably all credited correctly - but I can't reconcile their statements.

Take the outstanding balance from the last statement, add the interest quoted on the current statement, and subtract the payments the current statement says you made and that won't equal the new balance.

I've had a dozen Ally loans from the 90's going forward. I've never been late or delinquent in any way, but I did get a lesson what their repo department is like.

A guy who worked for us came to me with the sad story his vehicle was on Ally's repo list. It was nearly Christmas, the guy had some tough breaks, so I decided to pay Ally.

Ally refused to take a bank wire transfer. They had me perp-walk to Walmart and send a Moneygram, which is exactly what a scammer would want.

I told them it was stupid, but they steadfastly refused a conventional wire transfer.

I gave the Walmart clerk Ally's destination ID. Moneygram's software defaulted to the last place my employee sent money to, and Ford Credit got Ally's money.

Walmart couldn't help, the money had left. Moneygram wouldn't help because I sent the money on someone else's behalf. Ford Credit was nice but wouldn't talk to me since I didn't have a Ford account.

Ally repo'd my employee's car and I spent the better part of a year calling and writing letters to regulators. The repo department would listen for maybe a minute per call, then go into a sing-song rendition of a prepared statement ending with a disconnect.

Ally's repo staff were not pleasant to deal with, which amazed me. I wasn't a party to the loan, I didn't owe Ally a cent, and I was just trying to send them money.

I've never seen any trace of the $550 that went to Ford Credit. Based on some backdoor inquiries through a friendly dealership, my best guess is the payment was credited to my employee's daughter's Ford account. Moneygram and Ally are the two bad actors in this.

Harumph! A pox on both their houses.

Eek. I don't know Moneygram that well, so I don't know how it works. Ford Credit sounds like their hands are tied. I hope you got your $550 back from your employee's daughter, perhaps.

I've never heard of Ally, but their customer service makes them sound like scammers and bullshit artists, both rolled into one. I'm sure they're a legit company, but their CS team obviously forgot what they're here for: customer service. That means they're the first port of call. If they don't help you, they make Ally look bad. Too much of that, and Ally's reputation suffers ... and guess who gets the blame?

Sorry if I'm lecturing. Part of my job over the past 20-something years in accounts has been customer service. If I did half the things that Ally's CS team did to you, I'd get the boot ... and I'd deserve it. :-(

As for MoneyGram, I did a quick google ("What's better than MoneyGram?") and found this:

Alternatives to MoneyGram that are often better include Wise for lower fees and bank-to-bank transfers, and Remitly or WorldRemit for better exchange rates and faster digital transfers. Western Union is superior for a larger global cash pickup network.

Top Alternatives for Sending Money

• Best for Transparency & Rates: Wise (formerly TransferWise) uses the mid-market exchange rate (like on Google) with transparent fees, usually making it cheaper for bank deposits.
• Best for Speed & Digital: Remitly offers fast, digital-first transfers with options for, express (higher fee) or economy (lower fee) speeds.
• Best for Cash Pickup: Western Union has a larger physical agent network worldwide (500,000+) than MoneyGram.
• Best Value for Low Amounts: WorldRemit often offers better value for smaller, quick transfers with lower fees.
• Best for Large Sums: OFX provides better exchange rates for large, bank-to-bank transfers.

Key Factors to Compare

• Exchange Rates: MoneyGram often adds a markup to the exchange rate. Wise and Remitly often provide better, more transparent rates.
• Fees: Remitly frequently offers fee-free options for first-time users.
• Speed vs. Cost: Instant cash pickup is usually more expensive, while bank-to-bank (1-3 days) is cheaper.

Maybe that can help you?

 

[Amontillado]

Eek. I don't know Moneygram that well, so I don't know how it works. Ford Credit sounds like their hands are tied. I hope you got your $550 back from your employee's daughter, perhaps.

I've never heard of Ally, but their customer service makes them sound like scammers and bullshit artists, both rolled into one. I'm sure they're a legit company, but their CS team obviously forgot what they're here for: customer service. That means they're the first port of call. If they don't help you, they make Ally look bad. Too much of that, and Ally's reputation suffers ... and guess who gets the blame?

Sorry if I'm lecturing. Part of my job over the past 20-something years in accounts has been customer service. If I did half the things that Ally's CS team did to you, I'd get the boot ... and I'd deserve it. :-(

As for MoneyGram, I did a quick google ("What's better than MoneyGram?") and found this:

Maybe that can help you?

Good information. I wouldn't have used Moneygram except Ally gave me no alternatives. Unfortunately, my $550 has been lost in the fog of time. All I can do at this point is never forget.

Ally is huge. They used to be known as GMAC. I think GM got tired of them.

A quick Google search for "Ally financial scandal" reveals a recent $98 million penalty for discrimination against minority buyers, subprime mortgage problems, data breaches, and they settled last year for discrimination in their employment.

Despicable.

The world would have better financial hygiene if Ally disappeared. Just my opinion (corroborated by a bunch of courts), of course.