Consumer complaint received 2017-08-24
Company: Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.
State: AZ
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Problem with fees charged

Complaint:
This is the second auto loan that the dealers at XXXX XXXX got for me ; they were trying to help me find a company that will give me a lower payment from over {$400.00} to {$380.00}. They got me Santander Consumer USA and it 's parent 's company is Santander Consumer Holdings. At the time I did n't have enough information about this company and all I had to do is wait for their monthly payment in the mail. However, payments in the mail did not come and on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I dialed XXXX because my car was missing from my apartment 's parking lot. I found out that Santander towed my car to XXXX XXXX towing place. It would have costed me {$25.00} in cash after I pay 3 months of payments for me to get the car out. 

( I went back and forth trying to deal with both XXXX and Santander on the phone and at this point they were very hostile, gave me the run around and were not giving me clear information. If they were going to charge me more fees on my statement ( which Santander did ), I would not be surprised. This time, I gave them my correct address, however, again it still took me longer to receive the statement so I created an account with SantanderConsumerUSA online to make payments. ) Santander finally addressed to me that I can pay 3 months of payments through XXXX XXXX by wire transferring and then they ASKED ME TO CALL THEM BACK TO GIVE THEM THE CONFIRMATION # OF THE TRANSFER. On XXXX/XXXX/XXXX at XXXX, I made the transfer and returned home around XXXX to call Santander to give them the confirmation # and that it would take up to 4 hours for the transfer to go through so I should wait. This was the afternoon before the XXXX of XXXX and that every place especially that XXXX towing company will be closed so I waited until XXXX XXXX ( my birthday ) to call and ask about my car. On XXXX XXXX, I called and XXXX in XXXX told me that the car was towed to XXXX XXXX XXXX in a nice area called XXXX, AZ. XXXX said it was Santander 's order that had my car towed to the XXXX XXXX XXXX because XXXX only has my personal belongings which they removed when the car is towed. I called Santander and a gentleman had no clue after looking on the computer where my car went. It took him about 15 minutes of waiting on the phone for me to find out that it was towed to XXXX XXXX XXXX. I finally took a taxi ( because there is no public bus that will take me there ) and asked XXXX to please release my car and they were very helpful. They also mentioned to me that there may be possibly be a {$260.00} ( something that was close to {$300.00} ) charge on my statement by Santander. I was furious because I found out that when I made the call to Santander to confirm my wire transfer on XXXX, at XXXX, immediately at around XXXX, Santander went ahead and had the car towed to an auction place which now I have to pay higher fees ; Santander did not call it off. Because they did NOTHING and continued to do NOTHING by refusing to take the fees off or helping me, I told them that I will only pay the monthly fee of {$380.00} or {$880.00} from a $ 700-something statement online. Last, I finally received a statement in the mail which amounted over {$1000.00}. Instead of {$700.00}, it went over {$1000.00} and then to what else, much higher?!? This is getting out of control! 

Again, I will continue to pay them the monthly fee and nothing else until they remove these outrageous fees and interests. I did nothing but cooperated with them while they continued to abuse their authority by harassing me and by being hostile towards me. I know I am not the only customers they are mistreating. I would these fees removed because I want out of Santander - all of Santanders! I have all of my paperwork to back up my claims. I also contacted XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX. They are the corporate of XXXX XXXX and XXXX was the only one who was very helpful along with the nice lady from XXXX XXXX XXXX. It is Santander Consumer USA and Santander Consumer Holdings that I have a very, very huge problem with. They are extremely UNETHICAL and are playing games with our credit and our lively hood. Between XXXX/XXXX/XXXX to XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I had to take taxi cabs after taxi cabs to work and buses after buses to work and to other places because I did not have reliable car it costed me well over {$150.00}. 

Again, I would like to resolve this and have Santander remove these ridiculous, unnecessary and outrageous fees plus interests. Their practice is unethical, totally abusing their power and their behaviors or actions are out of control. Nobody especially consumers have to put up with that kind of ordeal. Once I have these fees removed, I would like to have my credit score fixed and I would like to get out of their loans or their " power '' over me and my life. These people at Santander are behaving so badly that they are effecting me in a very negative way. I feel like I am their prisoner. 

Thank you for assisting me in this crucial matter. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Best Regards, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation