Consumer complaint received 2025-12-09 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease — Unable to receive car title or other problem after the loan is paid off
Company: Westlake Services, LLC
State: VT

Complaint narrative:
I financed a used XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXhrough XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MA XXXX ), a dealership which has since permanently closed. Financing was provided through Westlake Financial Services ( XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, CA XXXX ). 

After purchase, I experienced significant difficulty registering the vehicle in Vermont. I attempted to transfer my registration from my trade-in to the financed XXXX, but the Vermont DMV would only process registration applications by mail, as no walk-in or in-person appointments were available within approximately XXXX  miles of my residence in XXXX, XXXX My mailed applications were delayed for several months due to a clerical issue at the Vermont DMV : they mistakenly mixed up my information with that of my father, with whom I share the same name. This error was entirely outside my control.

During this period, I was repeatedly pressured by XXXX XXXX regarding the delayed registration. I maintained transparent communication with the dealership, providing copies of my DMV applications to demonstrate my active efforts and good faith in resolving the issue. The dealership communicated that Westlake Financial might take action regarding the vehicle due to the lack of valid registration. While I do not have written documentation of these communications, the stress and financial impact were significant. To protect my vehicle, I ultimately paid off my loan in full, earlier than anticipated, resulting in undue financial hardship during the COVID-19 emergency period.

More than a year after the loan was paid off, I was contacted again by both XXXX XXXX and a representative of Westlake Financial, requesting a vehicle title that I had never received upon fulfilling the loan. The correspondence was aggressive, unprofessional, and inappropriate. The Westlake representative also implied that I was responsible for Westlake withholding funds from an immigrant-owned small business, which I felt unfairly called my character into question. This appeared to be an unnecessary personal attack referencing the dealers ethnic background and created an impression of xenophobic judgment, further highlighting the unprofessional nature of the correspondence and efforts to harass and guilt-trip. 

This unresolved title issue is unfortunately now affecting me again, years later, as I recently traded in the vehicle as part of a new lease. The new dealership is requesting the title for the XXXX in order to complete registration and finalize my current lease. Because I never received the title, I am still caught in the middle of this unresolved issue, which continues to cause inconvenience, administrative burden, and stress. The ongoing impact highlights that the original errors and poor communication by both XXXX XXXX and Westlake Financial remain unresolved and continue to affect me financially and practically.

Given the prior stress, undue financial burden, and the later unprofessional and accusatory communication, I believe both entities ; XXXX XXXX XXXX and Westlake Financial Services engaged in conduct that was unacceptable and caused me significant ongoing hardships. I am filing this complaint so that this pattern of behavior is formally documented, investigated, and addressed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation