Consumer complaint received 2020-10-06
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — Denied request to lower payments
Company: Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (VA)

Ive lost everything trying to keep my transportation so far I've paid almost XXXX and only XXXX has gone to principal and a maturity date of XXXX there is no way I am going to survive this if I do not get help the balance is over {$22000.00}, In XXXX I purchased a car from XXXX of XXXX. I went in hoping to resolve the bad car situation I was in after purchasing a lemon from a local dealer. The car was not working yet I was still paying the car note. I selected a major dealer hoping to resolve the situation I was in before having to have the lemon repossessed. Upon arrival I discussed with the sales man XXXX XXXX XXXX Can't recall his last name however he is no longer employed the following events will most likely explain why he is no longer working as well as the financial agent that took my application. I went in and explained that I purchased a car that was no longer working after a few months of driving it. I was hoping to make a trade into a more reliable car for my children and I being that I am a single parent of XXXX. When I explained that I was trying to trade in the vehicle they stated this would not work and to let the car go and cease paying, according to the sales manager at the time this happens all the time and I wouldn't have to worry about anything because the loan shark would write the loan off. So eventually we settled on the XXXX XXXX XXXX, my mother was convinced to sign as a co owner and we were told by both the sales manager and the finance individual who once again no longer works there that after a year of paying the high payment of XXXX on time that XXXX would automatically refinance my loan despite credit scores. This was the second UDAAP violation of that dealer. I feel that they were very deceptive when convincing me to purchase this car knowing the situation I was in and the advice they gave me regarding letting the car go because eventually the other loan place picked up my old car and still came after me for the remaining balance something the dealer promised wouldn't happen because according to the manager this happens all of the time. He had both me and my mother convinced and we are pretty smart but I guess vulnerable at the time. We believed what was told. So the previous car place I was paying along with the XXXX car payment eventually I settled with the loan place but can you image paying two car notes one for a car  you are no longer driving and another where the payment was something could not afford. After struggling to maintain the payments for 12 months I called the lender to find out that Santander was not XXXX so the entire time I'm thinking I am with XXXX as the financial agent and sales team including the manager stated that I would be with XXXX and that after 12 months I could refinance to a lower payment. Santander explained to me that they don't do refinances and I would need to find a lender that would refinance my car which based on the type of loan and the value and loan balance and credit issues no one is going to be able to refinance the car. Not only being in a bad financial situation I was advised that everything I was told was a lie. So I continue to pay the XXXX with the help of some deferments by Santander I barely survived and I am still having financial troubles. So one day I go into XXXX for an oil change in late XXXX or early part of XXXX I am approached by the same sales manager asking if I received any mailing correspondence in regards to refinancing shocked I am like no I thought I was no with XXXX, ( he is like a lion preying on young women for a sale ) he convinces me to come to his desk to find out if any refinance options, apparently when I get to his desk the refinance option is out of the window due to value situations I believe he did this to mislead me to sit at his desk to yet again try to sale me a new car after explaining to him my terrible situation. He tells me that in order to recover from the financial stress I would need to let this car go XXXX XXXX XXXX because in his words ( sales manager ) the car is going back eventually apparently he even knows that I couldn't afford it. So after discussing and being hesitate he tells me again that he knows people with XXXX credit scores that let the car go and no one comes for them for the balance. He tells me that if I get a new car I wouldn't have payment for two months and this would help alleviate some financial stress. Trying to convince me yet again to let another car get repossessed that that all would be well. I insisted that this was not the way as he had told me this before and they still came for me, he proceeds to tell me to stop paying the other company that I had the settlement with and that eventually 'they 'd go away '' yes this was told to me. I continue with not wanting to go through with such and insisted he find a way to take care of the current car I have. He even joked about crashing the car. So eventually he ask to call my mother because of course he wanted to convince her to convince me to proceed. All he cared was about his sales not my situation and the high car payment was causing some nights for my children and I to go hungry. I couldn't let a car go I needed to get to work and could not afford to get another car and have Santander come for me for the loan amount. The sales manager gets my mother on the phone explains to her about the people he knows that have had cars repossessed even told her to tell them they could stop calling as if that would make any collector go away. So he convinces my mother that this is a good move, SO im torn because of my situation. He literally runs loan through with my mother and my name on the credit check and my mother never authorized her credit to be pulled however this was done, she wasn't even in the office. I took the new car home but thought about past experience and just used common sense that this would not be the way to go, especially because the new car payment was XXXX and that was only XXXX less. The next day I return the new car to pick my car up. I told them I did not want the new car anymore and was going to try to fix things with the current hole I was in. The sales manager then goes and gets another individual who tells me this is 'kind of a done deal ' I told him no it was not because my mother never even signed anything first for you to even pull her credit to get an approval for the new car. she never signed anything co signing on the new car app that you submitted. After letting him know firmly I know that this isn't a done deal the car was returned and I was able to take my car home, the sales manager convinced me to take the car home and come back with my mother to finish paperwork. This has been a very trying few years, thinking I was going to a major dealer because I was fooled at a local dealer to be fooled ten times more here was a very depressing feeling. XXXX of XXXX convinced me the XXXX time with unfair and deceptive tactics and then after explaining my financial situation tried to get me into another bogus deal. I don't want to let the car go I want to pay the loan however I will never pay the car off as most of the payment goes to interest and the payment is just too high. I need help from XXXX in getting this payment down. I feel that someone should be held accountable for their lies especially telling me that as long as I paid on time for 1 year I would be able to automatically refinance for a lower payment. My credit is awful due to the struggle with keeping up with basically another mortgage payment for a car {$600.00}. its ridiculous. I feel someone needs to help me get this payment lowered I was tricked into purchasing this car and lied to. I was even about to get tricked a second time if my intuition didn't get to me. I need help, this is my only means of transportation my mother only agreed to getting on the first loan because she was told we could refinance in just my name after paying on time for 12 months. If anyone needs my mother to testify to what the sales manager discussed with her in regards to letting the XXXX XXXX go and getting a new one she will. I just need help with lowering these payments. XXXX has caused a great deal of stress. Half of the agents who helped me no longer work there that should speak volumes. I can't believe such a large dealership would handle my delicate situation like this. They knew my issue with the car I had before coming there and I just feel someone should be able to help me. XXXX took advantage of a single parent who was desperate to have a reliable vehicle. No one cared to tell me the facts only manipulated me to believe what they said to be true. I truly hope no one else has this experience, please help!