Consumer complaint received 2022-08-18
Company: Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.
State: FL
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan
Sub-issue: Lender trying to repossess or disable the vehicle

Complaint:
I have been dealing with problems with this corrupt company since the global covid pandemic started in XX/XX/XXXX. I lost my jobs at that time ( and also thru out XXXX, XXXX, XXXX due to being in XXXX XXXX and retail ) .I reported this company numerous times to XXXX  ( They have a government red warning on the buiness link on the XXXX  for this company ). I was also contacted by XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX regarding the complaint against this company. They wanted to hear my story. The XXXX  has received almost XXXX complaints in almost 3 years regarding SANTANDER CONSUMER USA. They were sued in a {$550.00} M class action suit which I received a post card in the mail saying I was including in this class action suit ( got no help like I was supposed to and received a {$250.00} check ) .They were being sued for unlawful consumer financial practices= giving loans that people could not payback, interest rates that were sky high.This company has the worst customer service reps, They would rather be rude, Then help you come up with a reasonable solution to pay and keep the car.They sent private investagators to follow my car ( They knew where I lived, They could've picked it up at where I lived- I always made sure I did call the company so they didn't think I was " hiding '' the car. They repoed my car while I was in the grocery store XX/XX/XXXX. I had just dropped my mother off for XXXX XXXX XXXX. I then had to jump through hoops trying to get my car reinstated. They made me pay double of the amount I owed for missed payments, The tow company also took pics of personal documents that were in my car including my birth certificate, ss # on private papers, other personal information that could lead to Identity theft ( I had asked them over the phone not to do that, They said they had to ) .I would get letters sometimes threatening they would repo my car again stating I owe whatever amount, which wasn't adding up. They weren't applying my payments to my car payments, They were putting towards interest and late fees that they tacked on my contract during the year of the global pandemic of XXXX. I had reached out to customer service multiple times for economic hardship help, They said they will look into it. They had someone only once or twice reach out to me regarding the help and Everytime I called, The business hours said they were closed ( I only had cell service when I would get to port sometimes while traveling at sea for XXXX XXXX  XXXX  ) .I then asked customer service if someone from hardships could email me, so I could communicate and come up with arrangement and they denied me that service.I then reached out to XXXX  again, The attorney general of Florida and Finally the Attorney general of Texas who acknowledged complaints against this company. They gave me the number for the Federal Trades Commission which now I contacted=writing this complaint. I just recently = end of july received a letter in the mail from Santander Consumer stating that after a recent file review, They determined my account was due for a refund of {$26.00}. So If I was so behind on these so called payments, Why would they send me this letter saying I'm due for a refund? This morning ( XX/XX/XXXX ), They repoed my car. I called and was transferred to a rude lady who basically said " your car was charged off ( no one told me this ) and you now you have a negative mark on your credit. Also you owe the back payments plus towing fee, but at this time we are not willing to offer you to pay off that amount or reinstate the contract. To get the car back, You must pay in full {$8000.00}, plus tow, and all these other fees that apparently added up to another {$400.00}. " She then proceeded to tell me addtional fees that made no legal sense to me, basically added up to {$12000.00}. I told her no way do I have that money when I now live under poverty class level due to the ecomony here in XXXXShe offered no solution other than to tell me that if I want my personal property, to call the XXXX XXXX and they will give it to me for free with an appointment. This company is heartless, They prey on consumers to give them high interest rates, high car payments and make them struggle just to keep the car.I want something done against this company. This is a type of fraud practices to get consumers into car loans that aren't even affordable.They should of gave me the option to pay missed payments and get the car back. They are ruthless and report false things on your credit report, but do not report when I was making payments.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation