Consumer complaint received 2020-10-20
Company: Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.
State: TX
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Billing problem

Complaint:
There are multiple continuous issues regarding my auto loan account with Santander Consumer USA. Ive contacted Customer Service multiple times regarding my payments not being properly credited and/or updated on my account which brought several additional matters to light without explanation.

To date, my account shows as PAST DUE with a total of {$680.00}. This total amount represents a {$340.00} payment for both ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX and ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX. However, MY ACCOUNT HAS REMAINED 1 to 2-MONTHS AHEAD, I PAID {$400.00} ON  XX/XX/XXXX TO WHICH INCLUDED MY PAYMENT DUE XX/XX/XXXX. I had to call Santander XX/XX/XXXX and earlier this year ( also in XXXX and XXXX ) for correction of the same issue and refuse to keep debating the known fact that my loan account is ahead, not behind. Santanders intent has remained to cause duplicate payments, excessive interest, and/or an unjustifiable delinquency just as now- no payment was/is owed or due until XX/XX/XXXX. 

My contact with Santander always fails to generate logical explanations regarding my account, amounts alleged as past due, owed, or required to pay off my loan. The online message I sent Santander on XX/XX/XXXX didn't prompt correction on or simple review of my account before XXXX billing statement was generated as I thought it would. As neither occurred, it seems Santander figured I'd just keep paying alleged as past due payments or else provide substantial proof that removes their ability to claim the repeated account issues as system errors. 

Santanders allegation of a Past Due Amount that keeps resurfacing  and daily Amount Due shown 365-days/yr for my online account are either fraudulent or actually of my 3 deferred payments. Conversely, these deferred payments extended my loan term ( i.e.,  maturity date ) to XX/XX/XXXX, and Santander 's accumulating a baseless surplus of interest for the same 3 payments on the end of my loan which do in fact represent unfair and deceptive business practices. I havent received certain statements as with XX/XX/XXXX, yet XXXX statement DATED XX/XX/XXXX subsequently arrived a week late and again Santander now suddenly alleges a {$340.00} Past Due Amount. 

While a {$680.00} Total Amount is listed on the statement as the alleged Past Due Amount PLUS XXXX 's payment, it's strangely DUE BY XX/XX/XXXX NOT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. If my account has not been altered, Why and How would my XX/XX/XXXX Current Bill for XXXX be due XXXX the MONTH PRIOR to the bill instead of XXXX the Current Month 's Payment Due Date. In the same, ( my first through last payment ) XXXX is 40-Months and  XX/XX/XXXX made 39 payments Ive paid, yet ONLY 37 Payments of the 40-Months were DUE which verifies my account 's OVERPAID. This also proves theres been no reason for the monthly emails Santander keeps sending claiming to be unable to reach me stating of trying to contact me by phone. 

The fictious emails only started upon my XX/XX/XXXX advanced payment as my phone number changed XXXX a year ago now. This also substantiates Santander 's deceptive actions as their emails weren't relevant to anything other than preparing to portray my loan as delinquent hence now the Past Due appearance of my account. Santander has willfully created undue payments, excessive interest, undue distress, and financial hardship in my consistent efforts to minimize charges, interest, and fees- thus pay off my loan. 

In efforts to deter creation of any issues, I never informed Santander that I lost my job 2yrs ago due to XX/XX/XXXXXX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX  thats caused XXXX  XXXX  XXXX. Ive suffered several life changing events since that time including loss of my home by fraudulent means and Identity Theft that became extensive XX/XX/XXXX. I still however managed to remain current/ahead on my account throughout it all. Even while Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on remaining household income, I struggle to remain ahead despite Santander unreasonably displaying a continuous {$340.00} Current Amount Due daily.

Santanders withheld, cant and/or refuses to provide specific accounting of my loan and the results of previously alleged  corrections still remains unknown. Ive not paid XXXX payment on account of Santanders consistent practices, as they shouldnt constantly need to be told their actions are unjustly incorrect. Even to date, Santander states my " Payoff Amount '' basically equals to my Loan 's Initial {$24000.00} Balance as if a " 3yr Early Payoff '' doesn't reduce the balance by removing the remaining 3yr charges of the loan 's term.

PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED EMAIL AND LETTER SENT FOR FURTHER SPECIFIC DETAILS. Screen shots, billing statements, and account printouts are also available if needed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief