Places Not to Get Auto Loans

No. 1: The Auto Financing Network. Unless, of course, you like to be stalked if you fall behind on a car payment:

But the tale of Phoenix's Jennifer Dicks and her delinquent Chevy Cavalier is so beyond we fully expect Lifetime to option the story for a film. Last year Dicks (allegedly) bought a Chevy Cavalier with a loan from the Auto Financing Network, a local auto loan company that claims to approve 100% of applicants for loans. AFN's website claims its Top 3 Priorities of 2008 are #1 Treat Customer Right #2 Treat Customer Right #3 Treat Customer Right.

A new motto for 2009 might be in order. ("Treat Customer Like Psycho Ex-Girlfriend"?) In a lawsuit filed against the company in an Arizona superior court Dicks claims the collection agency went so far as to buy the url that matches her name and create a "Jennifer Dicks isn't paying for her Cavalier!" website.

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In early April Dicks fell behind on her payments again. This time, the lawsuit claims, AFN registered the URL to Dicks' name and created a site titled "Jennifer Dicks isn't paying for her Cavalier!"

And that's when the relentless text message campaign of shame began. On the other side of the phone was someone identifying himself as AFN President Michael Fischer, who started, innocently enough, by (allegedly) imploring Dicks to "Call me." Gradually he became more desperate. Here are some (alleged) highlights from the dozens of texts quoted in the complaint, which accuses AFN of a litany of charges including consumer fraud, invasion of privacy and defamation:April 8:

You need to call me. This has put me in a bad spot. I know you don't give a shit but I do. I need the car back.

April 10:

Can you quit playing games and give me the car?

April 11:

I'm 2 miles away coming to your house...are you home? Neeee the car.

Believe it or not, the text messages get even more psychotic. I foresee another company going out of business in the very near future. And Jesse Watters may end up with a new assistant...