Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/04/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My car was totaled July 14, 2023 and once the insurance provider paid off the majority of the car loan the remaining balance was to be covered through my Gap Insurance Policy with ******************* Rate Genius. I submitted all documents needed, I received an email from a lady who worked there telling me one of the documents was incorrect, I emailed her back the correct one and since I did that she will not respond to any of my emails nor give me any kind of information or updates on this payoff. As it stands it's not been payed off as the finance company shows I still owe it as does my credit report. I want to get this resolved as it should be as soon as possible.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review this customer feedback. 
  
  We strive to provide the best experience possible and are disappointed to hear that this customer did not receive such at this time. 
  
  A member of our team has successfully contacted this customer, to clarify which documents are currently needed to proceed with the claim, and to work towards a resolution. 
  
  Should this customer have any additional questions or concerns, we invite her to give us a call at ************. 
  
  Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00am-7:00pm MST, Monday-Friday and 8:00am-5:00pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/05/2023

  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 so long as they keep communication open until this is resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Credit Karma constantly shows auto loan refinance options and RateGenius popped up with refinance info stating I could save around $100 a month if I refinance through them. I did some research and decided to apply and get the info because I am a single mom with 2 boys and my truck payment has been drowning me financially. I have worked on my credit score for the last 5 years and it finally went over 700. I am in my late 20s so this was a big accomplishment for me. After I applied I was notified of a hard inquiry (to be expected but didnt realize it would happen that quickly without an agent going over information/rates with me first). 2 days went by and I hadnt received any calls/emails with an update. I logged into my RateGenius account and it said my application was canceled..? I immediately emailed support and asked what happened and the agents response was: Thank you for reaching out. I have reviewed your application and you were approved by a lender however the lender is requiring a down payment. A down payment is only ever required if you are upside down on the vehicle or the loan of the vehicle is higher than the ***** Blue Book and **** values.? To refinance our lender would require a down payment to cover any negative equity and apply it towards the principal balance of the loan. If you are interested in hearing the approval details, please give us a call at ************.My first complaint is 1, why couldnt RG see my KBB value and the amount left on my current loan (I provided this on my app) and notify me that there would be a down payment? This would have prevented my 700+ score from dropping 30 points. I put down 12k for my current loan. 7k towards my new truck and 5k to pay off my previous loan to trade in. Im dry of extra down payment money.My second complaint is that I had to email support to ask WHY my app was canceled with no explanation. I am ANGRY, stuck with the same monthly payment AND a lower credit score.THANKS FOR NOTHING!!!!!!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/10/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review this customers concerns. We strive to provide our customers with the best experience possible and are disappointed to hear she did not receive such at this time. A member of our management team has spoken with this customer and addressed her concerns.
  
  As a third-party broker and must ultimately submit an application to a lender for final approval. All prequalification offers on Credit Karma are based on limited and public information. Until a lender receives the application, we are unable to provide the customer with final numbers. Our lenders consider more in-depth information reflecting on the customers credit report, as well as vehicle specifications such as value, year,make, etc. Due to the agreed-upon terms and conditions as well as the service provided, we are unable to remove any credit inquiries at this time.
  
  Please know that this is not the outcome we expected,however, this can be the case with any finance application. If the customer has any further questions, she can contact our escalations line at at **************. Our hours of operation are 7:00am-7:00pm MST Monday-Friday and 9:00am-5:00pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/24/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I applied to refinance my car loan through Rate Genius after seeing that they were offering 3% lower than my current rate on Credit Karma on 10/19/2023. They ran my credit and I was connected with a representative. The representative just told me that he could not lower my rate at all. He just kept asking to cancel services we got when we got the car and said that he could defer the payment a month. I messaged him back saying that I applied for the better rate like was offered on Credit Karma. After that I have been calling everyday and have done so 10+ times but he stopped answering. I called their corporate number so many times as well. When you choose to talk to customer service, they put you on hold for like 10 minutes and then once it connects they hang up right away. This happened 5 times. I want them to fix the hard inquiry they did on my credit for no reason, stop false advertising rates and not hang up when contacting customer service.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review this customer's concerns. We strive to provide the best possible customer experience and are disappointed to hear this customer did not receive such at this time. A member of our management team contacted this customer to review the ******************** application process and connected them with a representative to discuss the offer received.
  
  All pre-qualification offers on Credit Karma are based on public and limited information, they are not guaranteed or final offers. We are a third-party broker who must submit the application to a lender for final approval with one of our in-network lenders. If the customer needs to speak with us regarding any additional questions or concerns, we invite them to reach our escalations line at **************. Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00 am-7:00 pm MST Monday-Friday and 8:00 am-5:00 pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/09/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Bait and switch. They offered a lower interest rate on car financing. ****% with an outstanding approval rate. They filed three hard credit inquiries which lowered my credit score. They came back with an offer at .05 less than my current rate. After fees, I would end up losing money. Don't walk. run away.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review and address this feedback. Our mission is to provide the best customer experience possible while assisting our customers with their auto financing needs. We are saddened to hear that this was not this customers experience at this time and have spoken with the customer to discuss his concerns.

  The customer was provided with prequalification estimates on Credit Karma based on public and limited information available, they are not guaranteed offers. Once an application is complete and an official credit inquiry is made by a lender, these estimates are recalculated according to what the lenders are able to offer.
  
  While this process has been successful in assisting many customers with their auto financing journey,unfortunately there are times that we are unable to obtain an offer from a lender that best meets the customer's financial needs. In this case, we did receive an offer from a lender, however the rates and terms provided varied from the prequalification estimate provided initially.
  
  We are disappointed that we were unable to assist the customer with their auto financing needs. While we understand the customer's concerns, unfortunately this can be the outcome when applying for an auto loan. If the customer has any additional questions or concerns, we have requested he contact our escalations line at **************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/12/2023

  Complaint: 20715664
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Bait and switch tactics. I have a 827 credit score, I earn $198000 per year, the car is an Acura not an exotic supercar. They advertised that my approval odds were outstanding. They advertised a refinance rate of **** based on the above. They came back with a **** rate. My original rate is the same. I now have three hard credit inquires on my credit score. They should not provide rates to entice customers only to switch to higher rates. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/12/2023

  All prequalification estimates provided on Credit Karma are based on limited information. When an application is completed and an official credit report is obtained, the estimate is recalculated according to what the lender(s) can provide. Otherwise, the prequalification estimate serves as the base rate upon which a final rate would be calculated.
  
  Please note that lenders look at a wide range of variables when determining what offers they are able to make. Such factors include, but are not limited to: Credit Score, Income, Year/Make/Model of vehicle, Mileage of vehicle, Debt to income ratio, Loan to vehicle ratio, Payment to income ratio, Payment history, Current active debts, etc.
  
  We did receive an offer from a lender but the rate had been adjusted based upon the information the lender had received and what their specific criteria require, raising the rate from the initial estimate.
  
  Again, this was not the outcome we expected as our primary goal is to provide the best customer experience possible while assisting with their auto financing needs.
  
  A manager did reach out to the customer to discuss the process and answer any questions the customer may have. The customer communicated that he would remain displeased. As such, we are considering this matter closed as RateGenius has done all that we can do to assist the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My husband and I have an excellent credit rating. We recently purchased a Tesla and were required to initially finance with their lender at ****% (this was non negotiable). We researched and found Rate Genius with favorable reviews and an online APR for refinancing for persons with excellent credit ratings being ****%. We applied online yesterday, and they emailed saying they were finalizing our contract. They ran a hard credit inquiry on our credit to return today asking me what I was trying to achieve (why would you ask that since I applied to refinance a loan?). They then told me they would not be able to find a rate lower than what we have since the current market does not have loans for better than our current rate. I would never have engaged Rate Genius had they not false advertised on their website a rate which someone with my credit could easily get. I demand they rescind the hard credit inquiry to my credit immediately due to their false advertising.In reading other complaints to BBB it is clear that others experienced this very same false advertising issue, to the detriment of their credit ratings. BBB please help get this rectified and stop this company from damaging others.Thank you!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/15/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to address this complaint.
   
  Our primary goal here at RateGenius is to provide the best customer experience possible by assisting our customers with their auto financing needs. We are saddened to hear that we were unable to meet that goal for this customer at this time.
   
  Prequalification offers are estimates based on public and limited information available, they are not guaranteed. Once an application is complete and an official credit inquiry is made by a lender, these estimates are recalculated according to what the lenders are able to offer.
   
  The customer was provided with prequalification estimates on our website. In order to submit an application, customers must first agree to RateGenius' terms and conditions, which include credit pull authorization. The customer is unable to submit the application without first accepting these terms and providing authorization for pulling credit. In this way, RateGenius is doing all we can to minimize impact to the customer's credit while working to find the best terms and rates available in the market today.
   
  While this process has been successful in assisting many customers with obtaining new auto loans, unfortunately there are times that we are unable to obtain an offer from a lender that best meets the customer's financial needs. We did receive an offer from a lender, however the rates and terms provided varied from the prequalification estimate provided initially.
  
  We are disappointed that we were unable to assist the customer with their auto financing needs. While we understand the customer's concerns, unfortunately such can be the outcome when applying for an auto loan. The customer did submit an application for refinance, providing authorization for lenders to pull an official credit report. As such, we did submit the application to lenders in an attempt to obtain an offer per the customer's request via a completed application. For these reasons, we would be unable to have the inquiries removed.
   
  We have contacted the customer to discuss her concerns, reviewed our process,and apologize for any inconvenience. If the customer has any questions, we invite her to give our escalations line a call at ************** and we would be very happy to assist!
   
  Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00am-7:00pm MST Monday-Friday and 9:00am-5:00pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/18/2023

  Complaint: 20596727
  
  I spoke directly with Rate Genius on this issue. Their representative on a recorded line acknowledged that the ****% they offered me was the going rate in the market. Rate Genius' false advertising deceitfully lead me to believe a ****% rate was achievable with my credit rating which is the only reason I even agreed to the terms and conditions in the first place. Please see the attached screenshot of the rate and the credit rating they advertised for the record.

  This matter is not closed and all consumers need to be made aware of this false advertising and Rate Genius be held accountable.

  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2023

  Per the screenshot provided by the customer, the rates provided are via a third party website www.thecreditreview.com. Third party sites can only provide pre-qualification estimates based on limited public information available in the market. The rates provided reflect the starting possible rates that *** be available as indicated in the screenshot with the terms "STARTING APR." Starting APRs are re-calculated when additional information is obtained by way of a completed application and an official credit inquiry.
  
  The rate provided was the true starting APR upon which an official offer is calculated from. The offer quoted to the customer over the phone by the loan specialist was the lowest rate available for this customer per their specific circumstances (ie: credit score, payment history, debt-to-income ratio, loan-to-vehicle value, mileage, age of vehicle, year/make/model, etc.).
  
  Again, in order to submit an application, customers must first agree to RateGenius' terms and conditions, which include disclosure that no rates or terms are guaranteed until a lender extends an official offer as well as credit pull authorization. The customer is unable to submit the application without first accepting these terms and providing said authorization for pulling credit.
  
  A manager called and spoke with the customer to explain this process. The information provided online was accurate information. Because the customer completed the application by agreeing to the terms provided, we are unable to have the inquiries removed. RateGenius has done all that we can do to assist the customer but the customer remains dissatisfied. It is for these reasons that we are considering this matter closed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/18/2023

  Complaint: 20596727
  
  I am rejecting this response since Rate Genius is affiliated with the 3rd party advertiser and is responsible for false advertising by their association. This same issue has been previously reported to BBB, so it clearly is an issue that this company refuses to acknowledge. Again, had the advertisement not reported a 'starting at' rate that I was qualified for based on my credit rating, I would have never agreed to the terms and conditions in the first place. The representative who I spoke with initially on a recorded line stated that ****% was the 'going rate' they were seeing from lenders, but their advertisements indicate otherwise whereby misleading customers.

  This complaint is not resolved as company refuses to accept responsibility for misleading the public. 

  Regards,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/12/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company continues to generate leads through false advertising via its display add partnerships and marketing affiliates. as of 9/12/2023, you can find auto loan refinance rates for top tier applicants at ****%. When talking with them they said top tier applicants can get a 6-7% interest rate. This is nearly triple the rate they are boasting online. They have pulled my credit and it is now impacting my credit score. they also wasted a significant amount of mine time on the application and various follow ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review this customer feedback, we are disappointed to hear about his experience. A member of our management team has attempted to reach this customer by phone however, we have been unsuccessful.
  
  Pre-qualification advertisements are not guaranteed offers or pre-approvals, and are based on limited public information, as disclosed when submitting the application.
  
  We are a third-party broker and must ultimately submit the application to our lenders for final approval. This customer did not qualify for alternative rates at this time and has declined to move forward with the only offer we received.
  
  Rategenius does not offer pre-approvals or guaranteed offers, and certain qualifications must be met to achieve alternate financing terms with our lenders. We received this customer's authorization for credit pull when he submitted his application, we are unable to remove any inquiries.
  
  At this time, we have no other offers to present to this customer and have placed his information on a do not-contact status. We invite this customer to speak with us regarding any additional questions or concerns,by calling our escalations line at **************.
  
  Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00 am-7:00 pm MST Monday-Friday and 8:00 am-5:00 pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/29/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear BBB, I applied for auto refinance through RateGenius which was a horrible experience along with insulting. I want to inform BBB and Credit Karma of the experience( because it was a refinance offer on displayed on Credit Karma), first I had to contact RateGenius for status of application because I was informed, I would get results of my auto refinance application within 24 to 48 hours, but I did not happen. When I called, they stated they had two incorrect phone numbers to contact me. Afterwards I spoke with ******************* who stated I was approved for a refinance auto loan over 8% APR (my credit score at the time was 794 Experian per RateGenius). To refinance at this rate was unacceptable especially because of my credit score and the only reason for applying initially was because it was advertised on Credit Karma, I was rated excellent approval for APR less than 4 % (my current was ****% with USAA), so why would I refinance for a rate/APR over 8%? So, I informed ******************* this was unacceptable rate, and I was no longer interested in applying for a loan to refinance for my auto refinance (2023 Palisade Calligraphy less than **** miles excellent condition). Then on August 28th, 2023, I receive this in an email denying my approval for auto refinance application (see attachment). I take my credit very seriously and believe my application should have been closed instead of a loan denial (inexcusably may affect my credit score) because of an offer that terms/APR was totally unacceptable in my situation and excellent/high credit score.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review this customer concerns, a member of our management team has addressed all complaints regarding the Rate Genius Process as a third-party broker.
  
  We received authorization through our recorded line to proceed with his application resulting in hard inquiries. Credit Karma pre-qualification offers are not guaranteed or pre-approval as they are based on limited public information. We must send the application to a lender for final approval and loan details. After further review of the account, ********************** will not remove any hard inquiries.
  
  At this time, a loan specialist presented ********************* with the best offer possible that we received from our lender. It is for the benefit of the customer to remain in his current loan, and he has declined the approval presented to him. His application has been placed on a do not contact status and closed out per his request.
  
  Should this customer have any additional questions or concerns, we invite him to contact our escalations line at **************.
  Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00am-7:00pm MST Monday-Friday and 8:00am-5:00pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/28/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I applied for an auto refinance loan through Credit Karma. Rate Genius advertises through Credit Karma.When I applied for the refinance, Credit karma had ALL of my financial information and vehicle information. Rate Genius was advertising several refinance options, all with much lower APRs, that I am currently paying. (2.99%.-5%.). Based on this information, I approved a hard pull on my credit through rate genius. Once my credit was polled, they could not offer me anything even close to what was advertised. The offers were actually worse than my current loan.When I ask for an explanation, the representative (*****) said that there were other factors like income and age of vehicle that effected the percentage rate. I explained to him that all of that information was provided before hand. He did not have much of a response so I asked to speak to a supervisor.I was put on hold for a long time and then told that a supervisor would call me back. After waiting for a week and never hearing back I reached out again through email. Magically, 20 minutes later a supervisor called me back. I explained the situation to the supervisor (******) and he blamed credit karma. He said that credit karmas information was incomplete and he shares my frustration. He seemed to insinuate that this was a repeated problem with Credit Karma. Our conversation was recorded for security purposes.I have done business with Credit Karma for several years and have never had problems with any financial institution recommended through them. I feel rate genius is falsely advertising lower rates.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review this customer feedback.
  
  We received this customers application through Credit Karma. These advertisements are pre-qualifications only. Pre-qualifications are not guaranteed offers or pre-approvals and are based on limited public information as disclosed when submitting the application. We are a third-party broker and must ultimately submit the application to our lenders for final approval. Certain qualifications must be met to achieve alternate financing terms with our lenders. This customer did not qualify for alternative rates at this time and has declined to move forward with the only offer we received.
  
  We are disappointed to hear about the customers experience.A member of our management team has spoken with the customer to explain the process, answer his questions, and address his concerns. Unfortunately the customer indicated that he would remain displeased. As such we are unable to fully satisfy the customer.
  
  Again, we are disappointed in this outcome as our goal is to assist all of our customers with their auto financing needs. We do wish to be of any assistance we can. We invite the customer to reach out to our escalations line regarding any additional questions or concerns he may have at ************** and we would be very happy to assist him!
  
  Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00 am-7:00 pm MST Monday-Friday and 8:00 am-5:00 pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2023

  Complaint: 20510944
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The advertising practice used in this case is misleading.

  The person who handles BBB cases for *** genius reached out to me. First of all, let me say that it is odd that they have a designated person for this type of job. It leads me to believe that they get a lot of BBB complaints.

  After getting more details from RateGenius, the reason for denial through the lender, that they work with was due to the mileage on the vehicle. Again, the mileage of my vehicle was part of the information provided to Credit Karma, and therefore should have been provided to rate genius when advertising the offers.  Even if you met every piece of criteria that they required, you could still not get the advertised rate. I feel this is the very definition of false advertisement.

  Regards,
  
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2023

  Rates provided by Credit Karma are offered when, based on the information provided, there was a pre-qualification (not necessarily an approval) for a rate that was better than the customers current loan. Prequalifications are based on limited public information and are subject to change when additional information is provided by way of a completed application and official credit inquiry. (Here is an article from Experian for more information on the difference between prequalified vs Preapproved: ***********************************************************************************************)
  
  RateGenius uses a network of lenders to assist our customers in locating the best rates available in the market today. When initial information is provided, we will identify what the best possible rate *** be based on what the lenders can provide. However, when additional information is provided, the initial rate quoted by way of a prequalification *** not be available and it *** be necessary to go through other lenders. In this process, certain stipulations that *** not have had an affect before *** effect the new rates available through a different lender, such as mileage.
  
  Additionally, in order for RateGenius to receive an application from Credit Karma, the customer must go through an authorization screening prior to being able to submit the application. This is by way of a box that needs to be checked which attests to agreeing to terms that are listed thereafter, including a Credit Pull Authorization. Customers cannot submit an application unless they check that box and click Submit for Approval. 
  
  In this way, both Credit Karma and RateGenius are doing everything we can to minimize impact on the customer's credit score while still finding the best rates and terms in the market today.
  
  Through this process, we did receive an application from Credit Karma with authorization to pull credit. Per the customer's request by way of the completed application, we submitted it to a lender and we did receive an offer, not a denial. The offer we received did have benefits for the customer but the customer refused the offer.
  
  We are disappointed that the customer was displeased with the service provided by RateGenius as our goal is to provide the best experience possible while assisting our customers with their auto financing needs. 
  
  RateGenius has done all it can to try to provide the best service possible for the customer, however the customer has indicated that he would remain displeased unless provided an offer matching the prequalification estimate which is unavailable based on the information provided by the customer by way of the completed application and credit pull. 
  
  For these reasons we would be unable to fully satisfy the customer and are considering this matter closed.
  
  Again, we are disappointed in this outcome as our goal is to assist all of our customers with their auto financing needs. We do wish to be of any assistance we can. We invite the customer to reach out to our escalations line regarding any additional questions or concerns he *** have at ************** and we would be very happy to assist him!
  
  Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00 am-7:00 pm MST Monday-Friday and 8:00 am-5:00 pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/05/2023

  Complaint: 20510944
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There are two outright lies in the response from RateGenius.  First of all, I was never offered a refinance option that offered benefits to me. Every offer they came up with was worse than my current loan.  They are trying to make it sound like I had options.

  The second lie is regarding what they claim I said would be an acceptable outcome.  They are making it sound like I am being unreasonable and will only except the very low ****% APR that was advertised.  I explained to the representative from rate genius, that I did not expect the lowest possible APR, but did expect it to be in the range advertised (between ****% and ****%).  
  

  Furthermore, this response from rateGenius seems very cut and paste to me.  They did not address my specific issue, but instead quoted their terms and conditions. Of which I have no doubt is bulletproof an ironclad.  Why do they advertise a range of APRs that are not possible?  Why dont they advertise that a used vehicle must have less than ****** miles to qualify?  The answer is simple, they get more business this way, regardless of the facts.  I would like to know how many 7+ year old vehicles have less than ****** miles.  
  

  If they are going to continue to advertise this way, they should have to use a more thorough pre-screening process.  Since they like checkboxes so much, why not put a checkbox indicating whether your vehicle has more or less than ****** miles.  That would save a lot of unnecessary, hard credit pulls.  Just a thought.

  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/01/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  RateGenuis advertised on CreditKarma that they could lower my interest rate from what I currently have and that I qualified for a car refinance rate as low as 3.5%. I have wxcellent credit. After applying, they then say they immediately that they cannot beat my rate. I received correspondence from ************************* ********** ********************* I feel like these companies are practicing predatory lending on customers with a bait and switch. Luckily, I am not one to fall for schemes that lenders try to pull on suspecting customers. This lender should honor their advertisement and give me the lower rate.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/02/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to discuss and review this customers concerns.
  
  A member of our escalations team has reached out to resolve the customers concerns regarding the refinance process through Rategenius. We are a third party broker, and ultimately the lender must give their final approval to refinance. Offers extended through Credit Karma are based on public information and are not guaranteed. At this time, we are not able to assist with a better offer however, we encourage him to reapply again in the future.
  
  Should the customer need to speak with us regarding any additional questions or concerns, by reaching our escalations line at **************.
  
  Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00am-7:00pm MST Monday-Friday and 8:00am-5:00pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday. We value your time and consideration.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/09/2023

  Complaint: 20406780
  
  I am rejecting this response because this business is obviously using deceptive advertising to get people to apply for an interest rate that the business has no intention of offering to anyone, even someone like myself with excellent credit.  They are committing fraud. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/09/2023

  This customer declined the approval from our lenders as he did not qualify for the interest rate he is requesting, based on advertising seen through Credit Karma.These advertisements are not guaranteed offers or pre-approvals, and pre-qualification offers are based on public or limited information.
  
  We are a third-party broker and must ultimately submit the application to our lenders for final approval. RateGenius does not offer pre-approvals or guaranteed offers. This is disclosed in the Terms and Agreements before applying and we refer the customer to both websites for more information.
  
  A member of our escalations team has attempted to contact the customer so as to explain the process and answer any additional questions he might have, but has been unable to reach the customer. If the customer would like to discuss the matter further, we would be happy to assist him. Otherwise, he has indicated that he would remain displeased. Seeing that we have done all we can to assist the customer with his concerns but he has not accepted or returned our calls,we consider this matter closed.
  
  If the customer wishes to speak with us regarding any additional questions or concerns, we invite him to please reach our escalations line at **************.
  
  Please note that our hours of operation are 7:00 am-7:00 pm MST Monday-Friday and 8:00 am-5:00 pm MST on Saturday with no hours on Sunday. We value your time and consideration.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/01/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I did a refinance application with *********** 10/2022. While doing thru refinance application I was never told about having to send in my plate due to taking my husband off during the refinance process. Now I am being penalized by the *** for not turning in my plates when I was never told to do so in the first place. This company needs to be fined and I intend to file legal action against them as well. I am looking at almost $200 in fees from the *** due to their error and it's completely unacceptable . The *** has never issued me a registration card for my vehicle since 01/2022 so at any point I can be pulled over and ticketed due to my registration not even being valid on my car due to rage genius and their refinancing error if not telling me the proper steps of what to do after refinancing with their company

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/02/2023

  Hello and thank you for the opportunity to address this complaint.
  
  Our primary goal here at RateGenius is to provide the best customer experience possible. As such, we are disappointed to hear that the customer did not receive the quality service we strive to provide.
  
  Multiple attempts have been made to contact the customer including voicemails and emails. We would love to assist the customer further and ask that she please return our calls and/or emails. If needed, we also invite her to call our escalations line at ************* and we would be happy to assist her!
  
  Please note that our hours of operation are from 7:00am-7:00pm MST on Monday through Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm MST on Saturday, with no hours on Sunday.