I have had nothing but problems with my WaMu Home Loans since I refinanced with them in 2003. My original loan was bought by WaMu and it seemed easier and less paperwork to refi with them. Boy was I wrong! Initially they twice tried to set up the closing at an office I could not get to without a plane ride and an overnight stay (I live on a small island in Alaska-no road out) instead of listening to my explanation of why we needed to use a local bank. Then they faxed only part of the paperwork needed to close. The bank officer here called them to check that we had gotten everything and was told we did. We sent in the paperwork and then later they said they would have to raise the interest rate because the closing date was missed due to incomplete paperwork.

A Customer By Any Other Name...

In 2004 I got married. I sent WaMu my marriage certificate to have my last name changed on the account as they requested. A few months later I was checking my account online and noticed that they had misread the certificate, apparently ignored the accompanying letter, and given me my husband's middle name as my new last name. I called to correct this and the online account was changed to my correct last name. A couple of months later it had been changed again-back to my husband's middle name. I called again and this time everything seemed to be fixed ok.

Fast forward to the fall of 2006. It seems WaMu was setting up a new website and they wanted all customers to begin using that one. So I clicked on the link to do just that. I tried off and on for a couple of weeks to get signed up, but no luck. Finally I called- seems I couldn't sign up because the computer didn't recognize my last name - you guessed it, changed back to my husband's middle name again. When I talked to the Home Loan people they said my information was fine in their records, and transferred me to the computer people. They asked for my account number and then wouldn't talk to me because I gave them the wrong (my actual) last name instead of the one they had in their computer. They transferred me back to the Home Loan people, who said they couldn't fix it because the computer folks had to do that. Finally in February after many laps on the WaMu telephone merry-go-round I managed to persuade a Home Loan person to speak directly to a computer person and vouch for me, and did get signed up under my actual name. Problem solved? Well,

I accessed my online credit report this spring and WaMu has reported that one of the surnames I use is- my husband's middle name!!! They are also reporting that my loan is for a single family home when in fact it is for an income propery- a rental duplex. The credit reporting agency won't correct the info because WaMu won't verify it. So, for credit purposes this substantial part of my income doesn't exist. Even though the insurance policy (that WaMu gets a copy of every year) says it's a two family tenant-occupied property. Then a couple of weeks ago I got a credit card offer from WaMu, again with my first name and my husband's middle name instead of my actual last name.

I called them again and got a very nice woman who understood the problem, supposedly, and promised to have someone research and correct it. I explained that I would also appreciate WaMu correcting the misinformation they have broadcast on my credit report.

Today I got a letter from WaMu telling me that if I wanted them to change my legal name I would have to provide documentation. Which is not really what I've been trying to do.

I've written a letter to the customer service representative trying once again to explain, with a copy and another letter to the supervisor for the customer service section and yet another letter with copies of everything to the president of the WaMu Home Loans division. I'm not holding my breath

If I had the money I'd pay it off and be done with them. I can't refinance with anyone else because I can't get anyone to recognize that it's an income property and give me credit for the income.





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