How long has this been going on?

Ever wonder if the right hand talks to the left hand at some larger corporations? I had an incident today which made me think they weren't talking to each other at Wells Fargo.

Yesterday while eating my lunch, I got a call. As I was eating I didn't answer it, nor did they leave a message. However, once I'd finished eating, I called the number back: it was a collections call from WF. They called because the last payment I made on my mortgage was $300/so less than my normal monthly payment; and as such, my file was entering into loss mitigation.

Why did I pay $300 less? Because I'm in the trial period for my Making Home Affordable qualifying, and the paperwork for that says to pay the amount listed. This is what I've done. Unfortunately, I am the one that got to tell this part of WF that I'm in said-program, and that yes, there was a reason the payment was less.

After work, I decided to call one of the two numbers I have for WF related to my refinancing--the collection call didn't come from one of these two. The rep on the phone said I should pay the missing amount; that it would not effect my qualifying. He also suggested doing a check over the phone, rather than mailing in my check--the two payments options I have. I then asked him why I couldn't pay online, to which he responded that the system is not set up this way (which is strange, since to date, I've paid all my payments through my bank online, and isn't a check by phone basically the same thing?--but I'm following instructions of the paperwork). In any case, as I wasn't able to scope my bank account records while on the phone as I wasn't home--and I'm not terribly fond of paying over the phone in the manner--I declined to do a check over the phone then and postponed it to after I could get home and check on things (I also didn't have my checking account # handy).

So later last night, after I got home, I found my paperwork related to the MHA program. It says:

"If the trial period payments are made in amounts different from the amount stated your loan may not be modified." (their underlining)

So, I called the other WF number I have, to check on whether/not I should pay--and potentially do the phone pay for both the October & November differentials (as I sent in Nov's payment earlier in the week). The rep on the phone this time told me to not pay the missing amount... ahh, the fun.

So, I've decided to not pay the difference--per the mailed instructions I've received. And I'll check back next week sometime to see if they've gotten the new payment.


Kiss me once, then once more
What a dunce I was before
What a break, for heaven's sake
How long has this been going on?