Bank, car dealership mistake hurts woman's credit score until WBZ's Call for Action stepped in
BOSTON - The I-Team's Call for Action helped an Ipswich woman who spent years trying to get to the bottom of a mistake that was affecting her credit score.
Nancy Manning said her troubles began when she bought a new car and traded in her old one. The dealership told her it would pay off the bank loan on her trade in. But months later the bank said she still owed the money.
Error impacted credit score
Manning traded her in old Kia Soul and bought a blue Subaru. She drove off the dealership lot without a care in the world. Manning said she went merrily on her way.
A month later she got a call from Key Bank telling her she still owed $6,700 on her loan payoff. She said Ira Subaru of Danvers made the payoff and she did not owe the money.
But the bank said it never got the check and reported her account as delinquent to the credit bureaus.
"I tried to get Ira and Key to talk with each other and try to figure out what happened because I have no idea. I bought a car. They were going to make a payoff. I drove out of the lot with my new car. So somewhere someone dropped the ball," Manning said.
That was in August of 2022, and for nearly two years Manning has been trying to get answers.
"It's affecting my life and it's been so stressful for two years. Just feeling like I'm banging my head against the wall trying to get some satisfaction from someone," Manning said. "It's a problem."
"You were my last hope"
That's when she reached out to the I-Team.
"You were like my last hope," she said.
First, the I-Team contacted Key Bank and was told it escalated Manning's concerns to the Executive Client Relations Department. Then, WBZ contacted Ira Subaru of Danvers. Within days they released a statement.
Our team has worked closely with Ms. Manning to facilitate a resolution to an administrative error between two banks related to her 2022 transaction. We have also contacted Equifax on her behalf to correct her credit report, provided two years of free maintenance and covered certain fees related to the administrative issue. This was an unfortunate situation and we have done everything in our power to help resolve the situation quickly.
Manning said she is grateful that the I-Team got to the bottom of the messy mistake.
"Thank God you came in to help me with this," Manning told WBZ. "Because no one paid me any attention, and you know when they heard who you were and where you work, they started speaking, and calling and saying, 'Oh, my goodness I hear there was a mishap with Key Bank. What can we do to help you?' ... Can I give you a hug? ... you made it all happen."