Our car leasing is through GE money bank and as we approach the end of the agreement, it's generally run pretty smoothly. However, their behaviour has turned a little bizarre recently. I don't always have my mobile close to hand and over the last couple of weeks, I was getting missed calls, but the number was hidden. No voicebox message, no SMS. I just ignored them. Finally I was on the bus and the phone rang froma "Private number". I answered it and it was someone from GE and the 1st thing they asked was MY date of birth for ID purposes. The guy spoke good English and I pointed out that it was an unsolicited call, so why did they need my DOB and what was HIS name? He finally gave me his name and I, reluctantly, confirmed my DOB and the problem was a missing payment for some reason, can easily happen, but the amount missing was not the same amount as my monthly payment and he couldn't even find from when it was missing. I told him to go away, found out some more concrete evidence and come back to me.
So, a few missed "Private numbers" later (no message) a get a call, in French this time, from GE again asking for my DOB. I said I was not going to provide it as HE rang ME, he got all antsy on me and said we would deal with it by mail. I said fine, goodbye.
What annoys me is that it could have been dealt with easier and quicker if
a) they bothered to leave a contact number
b) they had the correct information
c) they weren't so bloody rude
I'll let you know how it develops, but I would recommend anyone avoid them for the time being.
Yes that is how they operate. If they decide that they aren't making enough money off of you they start changing the terms of the agreement. The same thing happened to us.
My advise to you is to pay off your debt to them as fast as possible. Deliberately over pay each month and pay early until you are free and clear.
Their behaviour is borderline criminal. I can assure you that it is deliberate.
After deliberately putting us into default by changing our due date on a 14K note we got pissed off and paid it outright. We were called and asked why we were paying off the note so quickly. I explained and said that we would not be doing business in the future with them. Ever since then we have gotten a mail a month asking us if we want credit cards, signature loans, car loans, home loans, etc.
Your Title only gets it half right. They are also unethical. Just my experience.
Have seen this in the UK, and it it could be a similiar scam. Always ask for the persons name , do not trust the contact number they give you. Call them back on the directory number or the number you get from a web site, that way you are calling the correct number. Never give out personal details over the phone. Never ever give out bank details.
Don't worry I never give out bank details and would be supicious if anyone asked for them. I can appreciate being asked for a date of birth, since they often use this as additonal ID confirmation, but only if I call them, not the other way round.
It is standard Swiss banking practice. CLIP (Caller Line Identification) is suppressed and the call is shown as anonymous. This to ensure client confidentiality.
The Bank does not know who is answering the phone and the agent asks for some identification.
If you are uncomfortable with this, then terminate the call. You then call them and discover what is happening.
I had a private loan for my car through GE Moneybank. Never had any problems. Only reason why I changed provider is that their interest is pretty high. Changed to Berner Kantonalbank (BEKB) is the cheapest (according to comparis) and pretty satisfied so far.
I also have a loan with GE, no complaints so far. Was going to use Berner KB also, but have to be in the country one year before they will give you a loan.
"pigeonsbay" - took me a while to comprehend that name, I first thought it was "pigs on ebay"
I have been using GE for 7 years - I have an account there and if I urgently need some readies, they hand it over with no fuss. They have got me out of a few tight corners over the years.
Only problem I have (except the interest rates) is that when i go to the office in Baden for a couple of grand, they always try and tempt me to take more. Luckily I have lots of experience in paying back my loans - it is always harder and longer than you originally believe.
The interest rates are definitely the worst around - see :
I was i n exactly the same situation as you. BEKB wouldn’t give me a loan because of the one year regulation so I just took out the loan with GE Moneybank and then switched to BEKB as soon as I had reached the year. Difference between the 2, interest wise is immense so definitely worth the extra effort and work.
I get that a lot here in Switzerland, people struggling to say Pigeonsbay haha. Actually its the unofficial name for a Surfspot in the SW of England.
We have had some silly calls from them as well, after 5 calls I was able to get the name of the lady calling, finally. She had a mouthful of "bank secrecy" phrase, they seem to use this concept anytime it suits them and think people will buy it. She gave me her name but deliberately miss-spellled, haha, I was able to figure it out, google and trace her down to the actual bank place she works, wtf? Made me only wonder why the bank thinks it is good not to introduce themselves but demand all sorts of sensitive info, by phone ?! What does the concept of bank secrecy have to do with giving sensitive info by phone.. Next time she called I called her by her real name, she was pretty wigged out..