Complaint Review: Americredit - Fort Worth Texas

My 2001 car registration STILL shows AMERICREDIT FNCL SVC as the iienholder, and I never received the pink slip once the car loan was paid off in 2006.  When I called again today, they said they had updated their database & my record hadn't come over yet, same as the last three times I called.  If the missing record shows that they sent a reliese of lien letter that was not returned, they will not send another.  I will have to call a comany called Getmycartitle to get my lien release.  I have paid off many car loans in California and never had to file a lien release in California:  The companies just sent the pink slip. 

Getmycartitle (getmycartitle.com/gmfinancial at (888) 557-2819 told me that I would have to pay $23 and enter my complete VIN on their website to get a release of lien letter, which I could take to the DMV (in my spare time), to request clear title to my car.  When I asked about their affiliation with Americredit/GM Financial, they admitted that they are the only source for getting clear title from those companies.  In addition to Americaredit's abysmal recordkeeping and customer service, now they are demanding that former customers pay an additional $23 to Getmycartitle to get these old liens released.  Getmaycartitle charges extra to get your actual title and save the trip to the DMV.

In 2011, General Motors Financial Corporation (registered in Texas) "merged" Americredit into itself, per a document filed with the California Secretary of State under Americredit's name.  General Motors Finance Corporation has NOT registered as a foregn corporation (or even as an LLC) doing business in California and therefore should not be allowed to operate in California. 

Germycartitle labels itself as a "service" of PDP Group, Inc., which surrendered its right to do business in California on May 10,2005, so Germycartitle cannot legally do business in California, either.  

Why are shysters like this still ripping off Californians?  California's Secretary of State has no enforcement power, other than to suspend corporations and LLCs.   I have reported GM Financial and Getmycartitle to the FBI, as they are doing business across state lines without informing the people (at least in California) of their ownership by filing the required foreign coroporation paperwork with the Secretary of State.

If you have problems with any of these companies' business practices, search for your state's Secretary of State website's business information section. You can search by name for an LLC or for a corporation with just one or more keywords.  If they can't do business in your state, you may be able to challenge their right to collect monies from you or harass you in any way.  GM itself has filed its paperwork in California as a foreigh corporation (so it can sell cars), so why not its financing company?  Do these small companies believe that laws don't apply to them, or am I mistaken?