Consumer complaint received 2015-12-22
Company: Westlake Services, LLC
State: FL
Product: Consumer Loan
Sub-product: Vehicle loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease

Complaint:
Now, we have been the victim of financial mismanagement by an auto finance company ; Westlake Financial XXXX XXXX XXXX, who financed an automobile purchased for our XXXX XXXX XXXX daughter upon her recent graduation from XXXX high school which amounted to approximately XXXX with a down payment of XXXX plus costs. About a month after making the first payment she was rear-ended in a XXXX car accident which subsequently went to arbitration determining that another driver covered by XXXX XXXX was determined to be at fault. Our XXXX insurance had her and the car covered, which insurer paid Westlake XXXX plus. Included in the transaction was XXXX insurance covered by the finance company itself, a division of Westlake. Although Westlake was notified of the accident, they continued to harass us by phone and correspondence that other payments were due. This went on continuously for a month and a half at the rate of a dozen calls per day ( XXXX kept a record ). I then sent a registered cease and desist letter, a copy of which I have attached. That did not deter them in any way as the calls kept coming. Of course I found out that they were separate departments and one did not inform the other, typical of these companies who think that automation will take care of everything. Their personnel got very nasty with me when I tried to explain and I feel certain that their next act was out of vengeance, which was to report that the car was 'REPOSSESSED '' - that was the final blow. Her credit score has dropped to around XXXX when it was XXXX before this episode. 
We have enlisted the aid of XXXX XXXX, who specialize in repairing credit, however that does n't solve the main problem - the damages incurred by Westlake Finance. 
Of course, we are seeking an attorney for XXXX so that we may recover serious damages inflicted by West Lake Financial for their purposefully malicious negligence and due diligence failure. While much of this is a result of 'Business Automation ', it is no excuse for their obvious negligence - " The right not knowing what the left is doing ''. Additionally, West Lake Financial, insurer of the XXXX on the same auto, was paid up-to-date as agreed to with regard to the finance agreement, up to the point of the accident, when XXXX took possession of the automobile and claimed its status as 'totaled ', thence paying $ XXXX plus, up front, even though XXXX was the insurer for the party responsible for the accident as determined in arbitration. Westlake has continued to attempt to decrease their liability by claiming that we still owe them when they, the holder of the XXXX, should have satisfied all - a XXXX is a XXXX Is a XXXX. Unfortunately many companies are depending on automation to solve their productivity problems while unknowingly creating greater ones with the burden being placed on the consumer. 

Her credibility together with increased financial burdens have been seriously affected thus denying our consumer rights. Moreover, the credit reporting company 's involvement has indeed compounded the situation considerably. They also can not continue accepting false information and then publishing it with impunity - particularly in XXXX 's case, to wit ; providing information that the auto in question was 'Repossessed ' when in fact 'Totaled ', as the term is used. The XXXX insurance business is a 'Risk ' ; however they clearly are attempting to evade that which they take, and continue to escape responsibility. 

This kind of business operation, 'neglect of due diligence through automated reliance ' is unfortunately, a prolific practice used throughout today 's business culture and needs to be addressed with full vigilance. We look forward to achieving some semblance of success and maybe do something about this obvious practice of, for lack of a better word, XXXX the consumer.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation