A FATHER’s credit score dropped drastically after a car accident despite his claims that the other driver was at fault.
Jason Dewey’s son was driving a Kia Forte last July when another driver rear-ended him in Southern Utah.
Jason Dewey had to pay a hefty fine after a car accident involving his son[/caption]
The car sustained enough damage that it needed to be towed.
A week after the crash, Dewey, who cosigned on the car, still hadn’t heard from the other driver’s insurance company and decided to call them.
“Their insured drivers have 30 days to notify them of an accident, and they wouldn’t take any action on it until then,” Dewey told local NBC affiliate KSL-TV.
About $15,000 worth of damage was done to the car, said Dewey; however, it was towed to Las Vegas before it could be looked over by an insurance adjuster.
By the time Dewey’s adjuster arrived at the tow yard in Hurricane, Utah — about 290 miles south of Salt Lake City — the car was gone.
“It had been towed to Las Vegas and impounded by Kia Finance,” said Dewey.
The Kia sat in the tow yard for three weeks and during that time, was racking up charges.
“So, I didn’t notify them of the accident, and there were $1,700 of fees of impound fees at the yard,” said Dewey.
He paid the fees, but claimed that the other driver’s insurance should have done it, and got the car back.
However, months later, Dewey learned that Kia Finance reported a repossession on his credit file, taking both his and his son’s credit.
Dewey said his credit went down by 175 points overnight despite making every single payment on time, including when the car was in the tow yard.
“I spent hours on the phone. It was hard to get a hold of anyone who could make any decisions,” he said.
Dewey disputed the repossession several times with credit bureaus but claims that Kia refuses to remove it.
“My hope is that Kia will look at this holistically and say, ‘Hey, I’ve had a good customer that paid their bills on time, was involved in a miscommunication, and there’s no harm done,’” he said.
“I still am paying on the vehicle. Just remove that repossession from my credit.”
A Kia spokesperson told KSL-TV in a statement that Kia won’t comment on customer accounts, but they “remain committed to delivering exceptional customer care, conducting business with integrity and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.”
Dewey claims that Kia confirmed to him that they wouldn’t remove the repossession on his credit file per their policy.
Now, Dewey and his son have to live with the repossession on their credit for the next seven years.
“I’m a little bitter,” said Dewey. “It hurts a little bit.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Kia for comment.
