Consumer complaint received 2023-01-14
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC.
State: NC
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan
Sub-issue: Denied request to lower payments

Complaint:
RE : Questionable car loan for a senior citizen on a a fixed income. 
Car : XXXX XXXX XXXX  Date of Purchase : XX/XX/XXXX Loan Amount : {$27000.00} Monthly Payment : {$550.00} XXXX Due Payments : XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX Trade in : XXXX ( no payments ) Claimant : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX Senior Representative : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Daughter ) ( XXXX ) ( Granted third party access with Creditor the week of XX/XX/XXXX ) Respondents : XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, OH XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX XXXX Santander Consumer USA Statement of Facts : XXXX, XXXX XXXX, came home to XXXX  from XXXX  the week of XX/XX/XXXX, to help my father, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, wind down his estate ( cook, clean, medical errands, estate planning, financial assistance, etc. ). He has been terminally ill since XXXX of XXXX and needs hospice care. 

When I arrived, I was surprised to learn that my father was able to trade in his XXXX for a XXXX XXXX XXXX  from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. My father is on fixed income and can not afford a monthly car payment. A credit check should have revealed that this payment amount consumes the majority of his Social Security check. 

The dealership and creditor should have turned him down for credit based on his income to debt ratio. Instead the dealership knowingly traded my father for a XXXX that was in pristine condition, no payments and low miles, for a XXXX  with high payments. The dealership was able to sale the XXXX immediately for significantly higher price than the trade in amount. Any reasonable person can conclude the following : " Dad you were hustled out of nice car with no payments. They know you would not be able to make the new car payment. They can see and hear that you did not have long to live. Now they will repossess the XXXX. '' He cried and pleaded for help. He has to make the choice between his house payment or a XXXX  ( he can't even climb into ). 

On or around XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted the finance company to work out a payment schedule for my XXXX. He missed the XX/XX/XXXX payment. I explained he was in the hospital for several weeks in XXXX. He is late on his XXXX payment. We made a promise to pay his first payment next week. We asked if we could set up payments for the third week of every month when he receives his social security check. We were denied because the loan is not current. I asked if the XXXX payment could put at the end of the loan so when we make the XXXX payment and he will be current for XXXX and we can make scheduled payments, we were denied. I asked to speak to their legal department. They said don't have on and transferred me to their escalation department. I asked representative at Santander Consumer USA if my father has XXXX XXXX XXXX. They responded he does not have XXXX XXXX XXXX. I asked if it could be added considering they believed he would live long enough to make his payments. They declined. I expressed concern. How was he extended credit on a limited fixed income with no XXXX XXXX XXXX? I explained he is confined to either the home or hospital and has not been able XXXX XXXX the car more since he purchased it ( someone has to help him with errands ). They said they can't turn down seniors because they could be accused of XXXX discrimination. I responded that my Dad should've been turned down not own the basis of age, rather that he on a fixed income, is in poor health and the totality of his circumstances should've been considered before he was approved for credit. They concluded that my Dad has buyers remorse and said there was NOTHING they could due to help. ( please note they did not talk to my father, only me. ) I believe the Respondents were motivated to sell my Dad 's trade in for a significant profit. They knew he was at the end of his life ( you can see that he struggles to walk as they sold him a lift to get in the vehicle, and they can hear he has labored breathing, and hard time sitting up ). They knew it was foreseeable that they would be able to repossess the XXXX before the end of the contract. 

XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX and a low monthly payment, or a XXXX with no payments, pristine condition and low miles.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation