Consumer complaint received 2024-07-12
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Lease
Issue: Repossession — Loan balance remaining after the vehicle is repossessed and sold
Company: Westlake Services, LLC (SC)

On XX/XX/XXXX We contacted the company Westlake Portfolio Management to make a payment and to require about an email that was sent out from XXXX XXXX about lowering the remaining payments as a option before the lease ended on XX/XX/XXXX. The representative told me and my husband who is the co- signer of the vehicle not to make a payment today which was XX/XX/XXXX. That he would email us a form to sign and to send it back immediately. We asked when will we receive the form he stated in 2-3 business days because it would take 24hrs to have a new form updated. On XX/XX/XXXX the vehicle was repossessed by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, which in turn damaged the vehicle while in their possession. We contacted Westlake to explain what we we're told by one of their representatives for the company. In return the company claimed that all calls are recorded and being monitored and they had to go back and replay the call, but if we wanted to obtain the vehicle we were responsible for paying the repossession fee {$600.00} & some change to obtain the vehicle back in our possession. On XX/XX/XXXX we paid the money to Westlake.On XX/XX/XXXX we picked up the vehicle from the XXXXXXXX XXXX. We made payments. On XX/XX/XXXX my husband called Westlake to make payment arrangements he spoke with XXXX XXXX who stated the vehicle was still showing in their system as if it was still repossessed. My husband explained we have had the vehicle in our possession since XX/XX/XXXX and the person that did the release paperwork with towing company for us to get the vehicle said all of this would be cleared on the account. XXXX explained they never took it out the system and he was updating the account with the correct information. He explained since the car was back in our possession and we have been making payments they were on the lease portion that was expiring on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX sent me and my husband the same day called Amendment To Motor Vehicle Lease Agreement, he also said he was documenting the account for payment arrangements. On XX/XX/XXXX the same vehicle was repossessed again. We called XXXX again got a representative on the phone named XXXX who claimed to be a supervisor. We explained to him the car has been repossessed again and we called on XX/XX/XXXX to make payment arrangements for XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX pulled up the account and stated the account had no payment arrangements notated the only thing he saw was the form that was sent by XXXX. XXXX then stated because the form was not signed and returned the company had the vehicle picked up!! We then asked how is it OUR fault that you're co-worker did not document on the account?? XXXX then stated the form should have been signed and returned within 5 days. We explained that while talking to XXXX he NEVER SAID nor gave a time line of when the form should be returned. XXXX then stated that the company had to listen to the tapes since all calls are recorded. We asked what do we have to do to get the vehicle back? XXXX stated we had to pay {$4200.00} + additional repo fees to obtain the vehicle which is the total of the remaining lease. Then we can pay another {$5000.00} in maturity payments to pay the vehicle off. When we originally purchased the vehicle it was from XXXX XXXX XXXX which this company just vanished one day. Next thing we know Westlake Portfolio Management had taken over the contracts from previous company. We have had this car for over 4 years making bi-weekly payments of {$260.00} totaling $ XXXX {$530.00} a month. For 4 years and this car still has a balance of almost {$10000.00}!!!!! This company is XXXX  people and SCAMMING people out of money by clearly over charging them. The original lease purchase was done on XX/XX/XXXX for {$28000.00} amount paid by the end of lease. If we have been paying all this money where is it going???? You make payments this company does not provide any receipts only transaction statements. When this company took over they NEVER sent updated contracts with them and the original contract account number was changed once they got involved. At this point we don't even know if that's legit.