Consumer complaint received 2025-05-30 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Repossession — Company communicating payment assistance or payment extension options
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC.
State: AR

Complaint narrative:
To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Subject : Formal Complaint Against XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX, TX ) and XXXX XXXX XXXX / XXXX XXXX XXXX I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding a series of deceptive, misleading, and unethical practices by XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, TX, and XXXX XXXX XXXX, also known as XXXX XXXX. These practices caused significant financial, emotional, and physical hardship, especially given that I am managing chronic illness and relocating across state lines. 



1. Deceptive Loan and Hidden Add-Ons In XX/XX/XXXX, I purchased a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. During the sales and financing process, the terms of my loan were never fully explained to me. I was verbally directed to sign on an XXXX with no visible documentation, just a signature line. There was no opportunity to read the contract, and no physical or digital copy was provided to me at the time of signing. 

Several weeks later, I returned to the dealership to retrieve my license plate. I explained that I had never received any paperwork. XXXX XXXX XXXX then discovered that my email address had been entered incorrectly, which they corrected on that visit. Once the documents were re-sent, I discovered a {$4000.00} service agreement had been added to the contract without my knowledge or consent. 

This service agreement was never mentioned verbally, nor shown in any written form before or during the signing process. I had paid a {$1000.00} down payment, which would not have been necessary had the {$4000.00} unauthorized service agreement not been included in the contract without my knowledge. 

As an inconvenience to me but convenience to XXXX XXXX XXXX and Santander, my email address was entered incorrectly. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX, working under commission for Santander, were partners in this transaction. 



2. Financial Hardship and Miscommunication on Refund Use My first loan payment was due in late XX/XX/XXXX ( either the XXXX or XXXX ). I became ill that same week, which led to financial hardship, but I still managed to make that payment. I also contacted Santander and successfully canceled the unauthorized service agreement, resulting in a refund of {$3800.00}. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Santander to ask whether that refund had been applied toward my installment payments, since I had fallen behind due to medical issues and rent. I explained that the {$3800.00} refund could bring my account current and relieve some of the financial strain. The representative told me that, according to Santander policy, such refunds are applied toward principal balance, not toward monthly payments. 

The representative also used vague language, stating the money would be applied in reverse, a term that was confusing and unclear to me as a consumer. He ultimately asked what I wanted done, and I clearly stated that I wanted {$2600.00} of the refund to be applied to the overdue payments, with the remainder going toward the principal. He stated that the request would take two days to process and confirmed my car was not on a repossession list. 

This phone call was witnessed by my friend XXXX XXXX, an attorney. 



3. Repossession After Misleading Reassurance Despite this assurance, on XX/XX/XXXX, my vehicle was repossessed by a third-party company. This happened around XXXX XXXX while I was relocating from XXXXXXXX XXXX, to XXXX, XXXX, and staying temporarily on a private 2.5-acre property with a friend about 30 miles outside XXXX. 

When I contacted Santander, they acknowledged my XX/XX/XXXX call and confirmed that the representative had told me the account was not in danger of repossession. Yet they still deemed the repossession valid after a supposed investigation conducted by XXXX, a representative from their Executive Office. Despite being told she would return my call within 24 hours, I never received one until XX/XX/XXXX, after I had informed Santander I was attending a funeral that week. It is my belief that this timing was deliberate. 



4. Refusal to Assist With Personal Belongings After my vehicle was repossessed, I attempted to recover my personal belongings, which were still inside. The storage location told me I would need to retrieve the items in person. I now live in XXXX, Arkansas, more than 600 miles away, am recovering from illness, and have no one in XXXX who can assist me. 

The storage company stated that Santander could authorize the vehicle to be moved to a closer facility, but Santander refused to take any action or provide any accommodation for my health, distance, or disability-related challenges. I was offered the option to have someone retrieve the belongings on my behalfbut no such person exists in XXXX. 



5. Privacy and GPS/Data Retention Concerns I would also like to file a complaint regarding the manner in which my vehicle was located and taken. The repossession took place in a remote private location, which leads me to believe GPS tracking may have been used by the third-party agent under Santanders contract. 

During a recorded call on XX/XX/XXXX or XXXX, a Santander representative named XXXX ( Employee ID XXXX ) stated that Santander does not have access to GPS location data and claimed that the third-party repossession agents use surveillance cameras to collect license plates as they drive. This raises serious privacy concerns, especially regarding : Collection and retention of personal license plate and location data Potential violations of data retention and anti-stalking laws The lack of transparency regarding how repossession agents track vehicles on private property 6. Violations and Consumer Protection Issues I was misled into signing loan documentation that I never saw and did not have access to at the time of signing.

My email address was entered incorrectly, delaying my access to essential documents and allowing unauthorized charges to go unnoticed.

I was given vague and confusing financial language from Santander representatives and was led to believe my account would be adjusted to bring it current.

I was assured my vehicle was not being repossessed, yet it was taken from a private property just ten days later.

Santander refused to offer a reasonable accommodation to help me retrieve my personal belongings, despite my documented health challenges and long-distance move.

The methods used for repossession raise ethical and legal concerns about consumer data usage and surveillance.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation