Consumer complaint received 2024-09-20
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Repossession — Account reinstatement or redemption after repossession
Company: Westlake Services, LLC (OH)

Hello, Me and my wife purchased a used vehicle from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. This purchase was done on XX/XX/XXXX with a down payment of {$2100.00}. Upon taking the vehicle home, when we went around a turn on the highway, the vehicle started to hydroplane even at a low mph between XXXX XXXX. I even had to slow down to almost XXXX XXXX  to keep it on the road, and that turn is a XXXX turn. This was also done on dry pavement, which was the weird part. So, I decided the vehicles tires were unsafe for my wife to drive, which upon looking the tires up, they were off road tires only! Who sells a vehicle with off road tires?? So I had them replaced with XXXX XXXX  for the amount of {$1400.00}. I then had them mounted, balanced, and an alignment done at XXXX XXXX, which you can see on the XXXX XXXX  that it was done as well. XXXX XXXX  also found XXXX bad tire pressure sensors on the vehicle, which upon leaving the dealership I could see the pressure tire warning going off non stop due to this, so I knew there was already a problem with the sensors and XXXX confirmed it. Those cost {$50.00} a piece, all said and done at XXXX XXXX  I came walking out with about a {$500.00} bill. So total cost to replace the tires on that truck was an honest sum of {$2000.00}. Now that we got that part done, I shall proceed onto the repossession of our vehicle and how that tire part ties in with the repossession. 

Our first payment was due on XX/XX/XXXX, we missed this first payment due to my wife becoming ill and loosing her job due to her illness and missed work. So I had to prioritize how we paid bills. I've paid late bills before and had no issues, but this went to a whole new level with the dealership. On XX/XX/XXXX my wife went outside and saw our truck was gone, I immediately called the police. Police tell me that it was repossessed by the finance company and that's all they know. I call Westlake XXXX XXXX up and ask them what is goin on, as I only missed XXXX payment and I was just about to make up for that payment and the current one for XXXX. They stated we didn't repossess the vehicle and that the dealership did. I was dumbfounded by this as I haven't ever heard of this happening before, especially after the first payment. Westlake then told me your account is still active and would you like to make a payment. I said no due to the vehicle not being in my possession at the current moment. I told them if my vehicle gets returned to me I will be more than happy to make a payment. 

I call the dealership up and get ahold of finance and told them what happened. They immediately knew who I was, which was strange. I asked why they repossessed my vehicle and she went on to say I missed my payments and then I explained my situation. She said, well they called you x amount of times ; Then I thought, how do they knew how many times they called me and this rose my suspicion of them. I also stated I get a ton of XXXX number calls a day, why am I going to pickup for each one when there spam calls, and then I went on to tell her they should've left me a voicemail and then I would've gotten back to them. She then started to get an attitude with me and then passed me on to XXXX the general manager. XXXX seemed nice, but he's far from it. He stated we missed multiple payments ; XXXX and XXXX of XXXX, I said no, we missed only XXXX, he then went back and said yes you did. Which was a lie, he then went onto that he was sorry and that he wanted us to get back into our vehicle as soon as possible. He also said my contract was terminated with Westlake, I said no its not as I called them today and its still active. I still have an account and can make payments, Westlake told me that the dealership can reinstate my loan back to current and that you would just have to do it on your end ( the dealership ). Well XXXX didn't want to do that and was dead set on me getting another loan instead. I then got pre approved again through capital XXXX this time, I then called XXXX back up the same day on XXXX and stated I got a pre approval and all you have to do is accept it. He didn't want to and then told me to go to my bank to get a personal loan and or at a local credit union. Which I thought was very strange. XXXX then was eager for me to return the key and said more charges will be added to me if I don't turn the key in. I then returned the key and retrieved my belongings out of the vehicle at the repossession facility. After that XXXX no longer communicated with me. 

I was waiting back for XXXX to get ahold of me, in which he never did and then I said let me check their website, I have a hunch its back up for sale on it. Sure enough, our vehicle was back up on their website and pending a sale, which I have screenshots of it as well. It was sold on XXXX. That's a very quick and short turn around and its also on the XXXX that they did all of this. I then looked up Ohio repossession and found that there is also laws they've potentially violated and if so we would like them prosecuted to the fullest under Ohio law. I believe they weren't supposed to sell or post the vehicle until after XXXX business days or maybe regular days, not to sure on that one. Then I should've received a letter giving us the option to be able to purchase the vehicle and also what will be happening. No such letter was received and still to this date XX/XX/XXXX we haven't received any communication from that dealership. I did however received a letter from Westlake XXXX telling me they XXXX our loan at the end of XXXX. Funny how XXXX stated they cancelled my loan when in reality they didn't. Another lie by them. 

So to sum everything up ; Owned the vehicle 2 months, missed XXXX payment, dealership repossessed vehicle, they knew about me and more information which leads me to believe they might've been planning this as a scheme to scam people of money, got pre approved for another loan and wouldn't accept that, broke off communication when I turned in key and got personal possessions out of vehicle, sold our vehicle within 9 days after repossessing it, and never received any notification of this and or letters from dealership for 3 months now, went to lawyer, recommended CFPB. 

So that about sums it up in a short paragraph, but what we would like is our {$2000.00} for tires that we just bought and I'm still paying on those. We would also like our {$2100.00} deposit back as well, since they lost no money when reselling our vehicle and we should be entitled to that money ( They put the truck back up for the same sale amount ). So a check for {$4100.00} would be ok, but if laws are broken by them and if CFPB can confirm that and also prosecute them, I would like to see more money returned to us due to the pain and suffering, financial loss, and stress they've put onto us. 

All of this is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.