Consumer complaint received 2021-04-26
Company: Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.
State: NJ
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan
Sub-issue: Denied request to lower payments

Complaint:
In XXXX Santander hired a third party company called XXXX XXXX XXXX to repossess my vehicle after a long drawn out dispute about the loan amount owed to Santander back in XX/XX/XXXX. I spoke with more than 10 agents between XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX when I was strong-armed into paying Santander with money I didnt have which I had to borrow due to low income. By repossessing my car which is a necessity for me to look for employment and feed myself it caused emotion distress, I ask for COVID-19 deferred payments and/or smaller payment which they contested and said They dont provide earlier in the pandemic. Santander collections practices were predatory during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, I asked for an investigation of accurate payment history and the amount owed to Santander as it did not look accurate as checked in the account they provided to make payments ; and felt I was being charged a higher than normal interest rates not contracted ; all while being furloughed and eventually terminated from work due to COVID-19. The company made it very difficult and put more pressure and hardship on me while looking for answers to my questions about the accuracy of amount owed on the car loan. I submitted a CFPB complaint about Santander in the past because of this run around which caused a great deal of stress. After submitting my complaint, when I would call Santander the customer service representatives would say they do not see a complaint for my account and wouldn't verify if the amount owed on the car was accurate or not and how this was determined which they responded with repossessing my car. Secondly, after stressfully looking for the funds to get my car back from repossession, I was able to retrieve the car back from the XXXX XXXX XXXX the 3rd party hired by Santander after paying Santander {$2000.00} in the allotted 10 days they pressured me to make payment. When I went to XXXX XXXX XXXX pick-up location I found damages to the vehicle while my car was in their care. Both companies ( Santander USA Consumer and XXXX XXXX XXXX ) refused to resolve the issue. XXXX XXXX XXXX caused drag damage to the front bumper. XXXX XXXX XXXX also broke into my car ( they didnt have access to my keys ) and left scratches on the leather portion of the door, and detached the weather seal around the drivers side and passenger side. My property was removed from the car and put into trash bags, even though payments were made in the allotted time. When asked about my personal belongs XXXX XXXX XXXX advised the car was being prepped for auction. I witnessed employees of XXXX XXXX XXXX inside vehicles including mine without mask, gloves, or following any COVID-19 protocol. They refused to let me view the vehicle before signing paperwork, stating that the paperwork needs to be signed in order to see/retrieve the vehicle. I filed a complaint to Santander USA Consumer about the 3rd party they hired XXXX XXXX XXXX because that is what the third party advised me to do. When I filed the claim Santander USA Consumer did not address any of the issues and told me to go back to the XXXX XXXX XXXX after this same company told me to contact Santander because thats who hired them. Santander is denying responsibility for the damages to my vehicle, and Santander said XXXX XXXX XXXX is denying claims of damages. Thirdly, due to Santander unwillingness to work with me on the car payments I could afford during the pandemic, they placed derogatory marks on my credit profile with the 3 credit bureaus and has since caused hardship in getting my life together, as I want to relocate but with such marks on my credit file from Santander it will be difficult relocate and make the needed adjustments to do so.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation