Consumer complaint received 2024-07-08
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease — Problem with signing the paperwork
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC. (NJ)

I am writing to file a complaint against Santander Consumer USA XXXX ( " Santander Bank '' ) for violations of fair lending laws and regulations through their automotive financing services involved in my recent vehicle purchase attempt with XXXX XXXX. 

The primary evidence Shows Santander XXXX the Following Violation : XXXX. Making Inaccurate Claims About Documentation Santander erroneously claimed that my valid, state-issued XXXX XXXX XXXX license was not acceptable proof of residency because the address listed was a UPS store mail box. However, this was the only current address I had on file with the Nevada XXXX at the time. 

By claiming this made my driver 's license invalid for proving residency, despite it being legitimately issued by the state, Santander made an inaccurate statement that unfairly called into question documentation that should have been accepted as proof. 

2. Potential Fair Lending Law Violations Santander 's erroneous rejection of my state-issued ID over the listed address raises concerns they treated me differently than other applicants based on prohibited factors like race, national origin or other discriminatory reasons, which would violate fair lending laws like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

3. Negligence in Credit Application Evaluation By rejecting a valid state ID without justification and failing to follow up to obtain any alternative proof of residency from me, Santander clearly demonstrated negligence in evaluating my credit application materials fully and reasonably.

4. Failure to Allow Corrections At no point did Santander communicate this issue and allow me the opportunity to provide any supplemental proof of residency documentation to address their stated concern over the ID address. 

Santander 's actions demonstrate making inaccurate claims, potential unlawful discrimination, negligence in their evaluation process, and a failure to allow corrections- ultimately resulting in the improper denial or delay of my automotive financing application over the address on my state-issued ID. 

As a direct result, I suffered significant economic damages from higher financing rates, emotional distress, negative credit score impacts and other quantifiable harm. 

Santander 's conduct represents apparent violations of fair lending laws like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, as well as a failure to follow generally accepted standards of reasonableness, good faith and due diligence when evaluating consumer credit applications and documentation. 

I have attached evidence and communications showing Santander 's specific violation related to the inaccurate claims made about my driver 's license and failure to properly address this issue. Their actions suggest an unlawful pattern of discriminatory practices and negligence in their automotive finance operations. 

I am submitting this complaint so the CFPB can investigate this matter fully and take appropriate enforcement actions compelling Santander to correct their policies, procedures and unlawful lending practices that are directly causing financial harm to consumers. 

Thank you for your review and intervention on this important consumer protection issue. I am available to provide any additional information required.