Consumer complaint received 2024-01-21
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease — Billing problem
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC. (FL)

My neighbor neighbor talked to a XXXX salesman about buying a car. Despite her low credit score, the salesman recommended she seek a co-signer. I understand all the legal ramifications because I have experience being a co-signer. 

XXXX XXXX, 2023 I went with her to XXXX of XXXX XXXX to possibly buy the car. Everyone there knew I was to be the co-applicant. Paper work started with my neighbor and me filling out documents for the financing of the loan. I was told it was a simple twelve ( 12 % ) percent loan. After several hours, the finance people said they were ready to complete the sale. Everyone there knew I was the co-signer. In the finance department, there were no paper documents. Everything was on this large Interactive Touch-Digital Tablet that looked like a giant XXXX. It lay flat and covered the top of the finance officer 's desk. Now documents were selected on his computer and displayed on this pad, which is basically a dull monitor. The only way to read what was on it was to stand over it. We were sitting in front of his desk, looking across. It was not easy to read. Signature places were in colors : green for me and blue for my neighbor. We had to use a special pen to sign. At first, with difficulty, I could not see the documents clearly that were being displayed. Early ones that were presented pertained to warranty, odometer mileage readings, environmental stuff, etc. 

The finance guy started bringing documents up faster and rushing us to sign. After approximately seven documents, all the text was in very small letters. I asked the finance guy why I was signing first. He said, You have the high credit score, '' and he rushed us to continue signing. He should have said I was the applicant. I trusted him and did not think much about it. After these signings, I asked him about copies of what we had signed. He handed XXXX XXXX a USB flash/thumb drive and said, Everything is in this. '' Evidently, he knew what was happening and gave XXXX XXXX the USB Flash/thumb drive instead of me. This way, I would think she was the applicant. 

A couple days later, I was bombarded with email from my credit monitoring service, XXXX. Numerous banks were requesting my credit information. Immediately, I went to my neighbor 's house to retrieve the flash drive. I looked at the USB flash drive and saw that I was the applicant and Neighbor was the co-signer. Also, the loan with Santander Consumer USA is fifteen ( 15 % ) percent. It's not a simple loan either. XXXX payment was {$1100.00}, with {$150.00} in principal and a grand total of {$950.00} in INTEREST. It was hidden away on the Interactive Touch Table documents, and we were not aware of what had transpired. 

That day I called the general manager to complain that I had been misled.. He said he was no longer the general manager. I would have to talk to the new manager. The next day, neighbor went to his office, and he explained to her and later to me that everything could be undone. To us that met, the applicant and co-signer ( me ) would be reversed. When I spoke with him, he was very convinced that it could be changed. He said, " But it has to be done quickly because, after the first payment, it can not be undone. '' He lied.. 

Next day I spoke with present new manager, he blamed everything on old manager and said, You are responsible for the total loan, and you neighbor is the co-applicant. I have your signature as an applicant, and that will be the end of our conversations. I told him I would be seeking legal advice, and at that point, he said, I will not be talking to you anymore ; you and your lawyer will have to talk with my company 's attorneys. '' They should never have used the Interactive Touch table. Im an old man, XXXX  years young. I have a problem with my eyes. I find it very difficult to read small print, even on my computer monitor with glasses. My neighbor said she could not read anything either. She trusted them. What happened to paper documents? And what happened to honesty?? General Manager was even arrogant. 

I emailed XXXX Customer Care. XXXX XXXX in XXXX, Chairman of the Supervisory Board : XXXX XXXX XXXX They then notified the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, Michigan, to investigate. I received an email from XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( no last name of title ). XXXX XXXX would be filing a complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

After a couple weeks, I got an email stating that : I am very sorry for the experience you and you neighbor had with XXXX of XXXX XXXX and their team. Likewise, I am sorry I was unable to meet your expectations. Our dealerships are independently owned and operated. All sales negotiations are handled directly with the dealership and consumer. As I work for XXXX the care department, we are not trained on state laws and sales negotiations. They MUST be handled by the dealership. 

XXXX XXXX should have told me that from the start instead of pretending she was helping us.I thought the Dont trust a car dealer, politician, or preacher, was history.