HELL! It’s just a never ending ordeal once you have a mortgage with them. A week ago I sent a registered letter to customer service:

*Begin Letter*

Customer Service
Countrywide Home Loans
PO Box 5170
Simi Valley CA 93062-5170

Dear People,

I am writing to advise you that I have NEVER, in my entire payment history with any company, had as many problems as I have had with you and your supposed ‘customer care’.

In October of 2007, I queried Wade, the Countrywide representative that assisted me with my refinance on the above account, asking him if I could make bi-monthly payments on my account to lower the principal balance. His reply was Yes.

I did not have a payment due until the 1st of November and I electronically submitted a $900 payment on the 15th of October. About a week later, I went to the Countrwide online site and checked my account. It showed the $900 as being a principal payment. I immediately called Countrywide and spoke with a representative that informed me that I would need to submit the remainder of the payment – before the due date – with a note explaining that I wanted both payments applied as my monthly payment due on November 1st. I did exactly that, mailing a check for $700 and sending a note with it, explaining how the payment should be applied.

I thought nothing more of it. At the end of December I received several ‘automated’ calls from Countrywide. I really didn’t believe I had a problem and dismissed them as a query to refinance.

In January, I received a call from a Countrywide representative that didn’t speak English very well. When I queried as to what the call was about, she simply stated, “Thank you for your payment.” I asked if there was anything else the call was about, she replied again, “Thank you for your payment.” Yes, I was puzzled but didn’t feel the need to pursue it.

Late January I received another call from another Countrywide representative that didn’t have a command of the English language. She informed me that I owed late charges and my payment was past due. I admit to being huffy, but she told me, three times during this conversation, “you submitted your monthly statement,” three times I told her that I did not send statements, Countrywide did, I sent payments, and she told me I would have to call the ‘home retention’ number.

I made that call the following a.m. (I do not have the date but I know you do). I spent an hour on the phone while one person stayed on the line with me and we waited for another person to straighten out my payments and set everything up to date. It was all (supposedly) taken care of by the time I got off the phone.

I started receiving phone calls again, informing me that I was late on my payments. I called the home retention team again and spoke with Andrew – he waited with me while Shabonda told me that she would send an email to tech support – because your website wouldn’t allow her to correct the payments – and Andrew said he would need to send a letter out to the credit reporting agencies. Shabonda said “NO” she had checked the system and I was reported late at Countrywide but not to the reporting agencies. This phone call took place about 10 days after the original one that should have corrected my information. And now I was relying on a tech support person to receive an email and make sure my account was straightened out.

Not to worry, I started receiving phone calls again telling me I was late on my payment. I received a ‘notice of default and acceleration’ in the mail and have received numerous snail mails informing me that I owe back payments and late charges. And I called again. I spoke with Joel, everything was taken care of, my account hadn’t updated yet but it would, did I want to set up a ‘promise to pay’. I had a fit, why should I promise to pay when I’m not late. He said it would keep me from receiving phone calls. What a crock of crap.

On February 11th I spoke with Sherry. My account was updated. I called back on February 12th and spoke with Carolyn, my account was updated. Then I received more demand letters for payment from Countrywide and not only that, I checked with IdentityGuard.com and Countrywide had reported me as being late on my mortgage payment.

I called on February 19th and spoke with Damian about my credit report, I wasn’t kind, he was. I have received a form letter from Countrywide – that was apparently sent out to the credit reporting agencies, telling me that my payments are current. NO KIDDING? Gee, thank you so much! It could take up to 60 days for the credit reporting agencies to receive and correct their information. For that I’m supposed to be eternally grateful?

All of the representatives I called at Countrywide were helpful and courteous, and apologetic, but what does that do for me? Am I supposed to accept “I’m sorry,” from Countrywide and just be happy? I DO NOT ACCEPT THAT. My time is worth $35 an hour. I have spent over 15 hours trying to resolve a mess that you and your agent Wade created for me. I would like to be reimbursed for that amount. That is $525. Please mail a check to me at the above address.

I have contemplated taking out a full page ad in the Las Vegas Review Journal to write about my experiences with Countrywide and their lack of Customer Service. I may do that, depending on what I hear back from you. I also am a very prominent poker blogger http://table-tango.pokerworks.com and I have chronicled a bit of my irritation with your company’s handling of my account, I am planning on developing the thread, and how it develops will depend on you.

My time spent resolving your errors are not the only issue, I have spent a lot of years since filing a bankruptcy in 2001, to recoup and rebuild my payment history and move forward with my life. Your errors cause me embarrassment and stress and time loss.

I am waiting to hear from you.

*End Letter*

It should end there with some nice little letter or phone call telling me how sorry they are- and can’t reimburse me for time lost/spent – but it doesn’t.

Instead, I got a phone call from James on 3/10/08, telling me that all my payments were made but they hadn’t been credited properly. Being my sarcastic, bitch self, I queried, “What does that have to do with me? I’m not the accounting department and I certainly can’t be held accountable for Countrywide’s failure to do what they are supposed to do?”

The long and short of it was that James wanted me to call 800-669-0102 the following day. I asked what department the number went to…”the collection department.” I asked why I should call when it was their mistake and I couldn’t seem to straighten it out even with spending 15 hours on the phone in different calls, to different departments, and speaking with numerous people. James had no answer for me.

Today, 3/11/08, I called and spoke to Mark. Mark had a slight edge in his voice when I started my Countrywide incompetency rant. Poor Mark. My ASS! Poor me! Mark said the February payment was received on the 28th and there was some kind of payment reversal. Really? Another Countrywide wonder feat. Mark really didn’t want to talk to me anyway. None of them do and they must be hearing a lot of noise from a lot of people but that ain’t my fault or problem.

I got transferred to Marcus. Marcus had me wait on the line while he tried to ‘apply’ the payment and straighten it out. The system wouldn’t take it. Their system is whacked and has been for quite some time. Nice way to do business boys. Marcus tried to get in touch with a representative that could apply the payment – and couldn’t. Marcus sent a message/left a message for the representative and told me he would keep trying. Marcus also told me he would put a ‘stop’ on the harassing collection phone calls for me and that he would also make sure a ‘stop’ was put on notifying credit reporting agencies. Thank you, Marcus. I spent 27 minutes on this phone call. And at the end of it, I was invited to call a number in case I was interested in refinancing. No thank you, Marcus.

I can hardly wait to see what Countrywide has in store for me next.