Consumer complaint received 2021-03-10
Company: TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT CORPORATION
State: MI
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Problem with additional products or services purchased with the loan

Complaint:
I currently own and finance a XXXX XXXX through XXXX. I have always made my payments on-time and have no delinquencies on the account. 

I am XXXX XXXX XXXX and just received XXXX  orders to XXXX XXXX. I must ship my vehicle to XXXX XXXX through a Government Contracted source. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at the shipping port in XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX REQUIRES owners furnish an approval in writing allowing member to ship the vehicle to XXXX XXXX. 

I started inquiring with Toyota Financial Services about obtaining an approval letter back in XX/XX/XXXX. Toyota Finanacial only has one customer service number available to consumers to get in touch with Customer Service. Agents take your call and constantly transfer you to different departments or revert you back into the automated queue system where you are picked up randomly by another agent with no inclination of you being placed on HOLD. After 4-5 phone calls ranging 30-60mins over a week, I was able to speak to someone in the correct department ( Resolutions/Escalations Department ) who can accurately address my issues. They require certain documents in order to verify, route, and approve my request. After many calls into TFS, I doscover that my reuqest with TFS is known as a " Consent to remove the vehicle from the U.S. ''. Personally, I thought an official copy of XXXX XXXX XXXX and proof of insurance would cover the requirements to get consent, seeing as XXXX is a XXXX territory. However they require a few more docuyments than that to route for approval, not a problem, I understand. 

An agent in the resolution department tells me what documents are required in order to process my request and that ONLY a FAX number can be provided as a means to submit these documents to TFS. Due to the difficulties of calling the default customer service number and going through multiple agents and transfers to get to the right department, I requested any type of direct contact information to avoid long hold times when calling again. No direct numbers, direct emails, general emails, or other document upload options can be provided. The ONLY way I can talk to someone who can accurately address my request is by calling and being placed on hold for 30-45 minutes. I DO NOT exaggerate when I explain these wait times. Sometimes I am hung up on. When I call, I immediately ask for a supervisor or to speak with someone in the resolutions department. The agent is trying to diagnose and address my issue first, then follows to transfer me to at least 2 other people where I have to explain my situation again. 

It is XX/XX/XXXX. I have faxed my required documents to the appropiate fax numbers they provided me at least 4 different times. I can never receive confirmation or get advised on the status of my reuqest unless I call. A different agent attempts to address my issue and requests for the same documents via fax. I recently discovered that there is an alternate solution to upload my documents because I have a registered account on the Toyota Financial website. The link on the website to do that when clicked on results in a website error, try again later. The lack of assistance and atttention given to current customers and consumers is grossly incompetent. 

I am quickly approaching my official departure date to execute this XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and if I still haven't received an approval for me to take my vehicle to XXXX. My only other option after this is to obtain an auto loan from my current bank and completely payoff my financed loan with TFS, then obtain consent from my bank. 

Abosolutely ridiculous. 

The interface between customers and Toyota Financial customer service is the complete opposite of what it is supposed to uphold. It baffles me that in XXXX, a company as established as Toyota Motor Corportation lacks the ability to send/receive documents via email or via website portal and refuse provide direct contact numbers to specific departments to further assist the consumer. I have owned three Toyota Vehicles and will never do business with Toyota ever again after the ridiculous interaction I was forced to have and discover with their Customer Service. It destroys the reputation I personally held for Toyota. Never again.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation