Consumer complaint received 2024-05-06
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Repossession — Lender trying to repossess or disable the vehicle
Company: Westlake Services, LLC (CA)

We woke up to our car not being in the driveway on XX/XX/XXXX we called our lender Westlake Financial and were told that our car had been stolen to file a report, Westlake financial stated there were no notes or history of a pending repossession & they did not have our vehicle in their possession. I was then transferred to XXXX from Westlake at the impound department who stated they had no order or history of a repossession & they did not know how the dealer could state they have the vehicle if they are not able to see that. We called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX am to confirm what XXXX had said, XXXX from the dealership then proceeded to tell us he would call to confirm with Westlake it was a mistake & we could come pick up our vehicle he never called back so I called Westlake at XXXX XXXX & was told the dealership had requested a payout, bought back our contract & paid XXXX for the vehicle without any note or notice from Westlake. The dealership had first told me they did not have possession of our vehicle. I then asked for proof from the dealership that Westlake had initiated the repossession & was sent an email from the dealership that Westlake had supposedly sent on XX/XX/XXXX. If Westlake is stating they did not repossess our vehicle, has no notes or history in our account of a pending or current repossession then how did they send an email to the dealership regarding a change of contract if they had no knowledge of that? Also, the dealer does not open until XXXX am PST when Westlake opens at XXXX AM, our vehicle was already gone before XXXX AM when were they able to communicate the repossession if Westlake says they do not have knowledge or know where our vehicle is, when first calling Westlake beginning st XXXX AM I was told by several different customer service representatives, the compliance department & impound department that they had no history of an email sent to the dealership or ordering for a repossession. Westlake also told us that we were 45 days behind since it counts from when we first signed on our contract when we bought the car in XX/XX/XXXX after another rep told us we were only XXXX days late on our XXXX payment due XX/XX/XXXX was willing to take our payment + late fees totaling to {$490.00}. Once the dealership spoke with Westlake after they told us theyd confirm it was a mistake, Westlake then told us that they had no power over our account that it now belonged to the dealership & Id have to call them, but before there was nothing in our account regarding anything like that. being bounced back & forth the dealership had told me had to pay {$17000.00} + XXXX in repo fees to get it back after they me told that they originally did not have my vehicle. We were also not told where the vehicle is located to retrieve our personal belongings & was told by XXXX XXXX XXXX they did not have the vehicle but could get it to there facility if we paid XXXX to them. we never received any notice of a pending repossession, we did not receive anything from Westlake financial or XXXX XXXX XXXX about a repossession, change of contract or any buy back process. Westlake financial is saying they never ordered for a repossession or had any note to begin one so how did a tow company receive our information to come & pick up our vehicle with no notice from the actual lender? as if XX/XX/XXXX we still have not received a phone call or any documentation as to where to our vehicle is to retrieve our possessions & XXXX XXXX XXXX states they dont know where it is. There was a lien on the vehicle with XXXX XXXX a salvage title we were not told once we bought the vehicle, we also paid for our own smog that the dealership said we needed to do in order for them to complete the registration process