Consumer complaint received 2017-11-28
Company: TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT CORPORATION
State: MN
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Lease
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Excess mileage, damage, or wear fees, or other problem after the lease is finished

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I signed a two year lease with Toyota Financial Services on a XXXX Toyota Corolla. The issuing dealership was XXXX XXXX in XXXX, MN and the lease was held by Toyota Financial Services. 

The excess mileage fee section of the lease contract that I signed on XX/XX/XXXX did not list an excess mileage fee, which indicates that I would not be required to pay any excess mileage fees. In other words, the section of the contract that listed what fees I would be obligated to pay for excess mileage was blank. In XX/XX/XXXX, one month prior to the termination of my lease, a representative from Toyota Financial Services called me to ask if I had any questions regarding the end of my lease or the fees associated with lease termination. At this time, I asked the representative to confirm that I would not have to pay any excess mileage fees, as my contract supported that I would not be obligated to. The representative informed me, after checking the contract they had on file, that I would not have to pay any excess mileage fees. 

I returned the vehicle in XX/XX/XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a bill from Toyota Financial Services that stated I owed the lease disposition fee, excess mileage charge, and taxes on both fees. I called Toyota Financial Services to ask why I was receiving a bill for excess mileage when they informed me in XX/XX/XXXX that I would n't have to pay for any fees and my contract was blank. They informed me that the contract they had on file from the dealership, XXXX XXXX, showed that I had signed agreeing to pay any excess mileage fees at a rate of {$.00} per mile. I informed Toyota Financial Services that the contract was wrong, as my original contract and the only contract that I singed, shows I would not be obligated to pay any excess mileage fees. Toyota Financial Services told me the contract they were operating under showed I had initialed next to the {$.00} per mile fee and signed at the bottom. I told Toyota Financial Services that the contract was forged, as I had kept my original contract and had not, in fact, signed agreeing to pay any fees. Toyota Financial Services informed me that they had received two contracts from XXXX XXXX for my lease, and that they operate under the conditions listed in the most recent contract received from the dealer. 

I asked Toyota Financial Services what could be done to rectify the fraud as the contract they were using was forged. I was informed that I could submit a complaint with Toyota Customer Experience and/or try to work it out with the dealership directly. I asked that Toyota Financial Services mail me a copy of the lease contract with the forgery, which they agreed to do. I was informed by Toyota Financial Services that any unpaid charges are sent to collections after 90 days without a payment. 

I submitted a complaint with Toyota Customer Experience,  and a dealership representative, XXXX XXXX, reached out to me to asked what the problem was. I informed XXXX XXXX that Toyota Financial Services received a forged contract from XXXX XXXX and that I was expected to pay excess mileage fees and tax as a result. I told XXXX XXXX that I was not going to pay a bill that I was fraudulently committed to paying on a forged contract. XXXX XXXX asked me to send him copies of the contract I had retained, as well as the forged contract Toyota Financial Services was sending me, so that he could review them with the dealership general manager, XXXX XXXX. 

When I received a copy of the forged contract from Toyota Financial Services, I saw that my initials and signature had been forged, and that the dates and names of the dealership funding manager were also inconsistent, among other things. I emailed copies of both the original and the forged contracts to XXXX XXXX and called him to let him know I had sent him proof of the fraud. In an email response, XXXX XXXX told me he was going to show the paperwork to the dealership general manager and follow proper procedure to make sure everything was being done properly. 

After two days had past, I emailed XXXX XXXX and asked him if he had spoken with the general manager about what XXXX could do to remedy the situation. In his response, XXXX XXXX asked me " What exactly are you asking for? And what is that based upon? '' In an email, I responded to him and the general manager, XXXX XXXX, and said that I expected XXXX to correct the situation as the contract Toyota Financial Services received from XXXX XXXX was forged. I did not get a response. 

As there was no further response from XXXX XXXX nor XXXX XXXX, I wrote to the owners of XXXX XXXX XXXX, brothers XXXX and XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX,  explained the situation in detail, and asked that XXXX pay for the fees and tax, being that Toyota Financial Services was operating on a forged contract. I have not received a response. 

I do n't know whether XXXX XXXX forged my signature, or if a representative of Toyota Financial Services forged my signature, but I know that serious fraud has been committed against me as my initials and signature have been forged on a lease agreement I never signed, and that this has the potential to damage my credit profile. Neither Toyota Financial Services nor XXXX XXXX XXXX have taken responsibility to rectify this fraudulent situation. To the contrary, I am still at risk for being sent to a collection agency based on a fraudulent contract and at risk for my credit to be harmed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation