Consumer complaint received 2025-05-09 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: Exeter Finance, LLC.
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint concerning a serious and unresolved dispute with Exeter Finance regarding my auto loan for a XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX : XXXX ). 
The original finance agreement, dated XX/XX/XXXX, was signed with XXXX XXXX, XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX. I never executed a loan agreement directly with Exeter Finance. Nevertheless, Exeter began servicing the loan and has received all my payments since origination. Despite this, they are now referring me back to XXXX XXXX to resolve the matter, while continuing to report the account as 76 days delinquent, causing severe and unjust damage to my credit profile. 

The issue stems from a total loss of the vehicle. My primary insurer, XXXX XXXX, settled the loans principal balance with Exeter Finance. As part of the original loan agreement, I specifically requested and paid for GAP insurance in the amount of {$2700.00}, which was included in the financed total and increased the loan from {$19000.00} to {$22000.00}. The explicit purpose of this GAP policy was to cover any deficiency between the insurance payout and the remaining loan balance. 

Despite this, Exeter Finance is : Claiming that a balance of {$8600.00} remains, Asserting that the {$2700.00} I paid was not for GAP insurance but instead for an extended warranty, for which I have received no documentation or policy contract whatsoever. 

This directly contradicts both my request at the time of financing and the finance agreement terms. To compound matters, I received official documentation from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration ( MVA ) confirming that the lien has been satisfied and released : We have been notified by your lienholder, that your vehicle with VIN XXXX and Title, has been paid in full and there is no longer a lien associated with this vehicle. No further action with the MVA is required. ( Dated XX/XX/XXXX ) Despite this lien release and the title being transferred from Exeter Finance to XXXX, Exeter has continued to : Issue notices of intent to repossess the vehicle ( which is no longer in my possession and whose title is no longer under Exeters control ), Refuse to provide legal contact information or escalate the matter to a supervisor or resolution department, And persist in reporting inaccurate and harmful derogatory information to the credit bureaus. 

This conduct demonstrates what appears to be a systemic administrative failure, potential contractual misrepresentation, and deceptive debt collection practices. If Exeter Finance believes a deficiency remains after the insurance settlement, it was their obligation to either invoke the GAP policy they financed or clearly document that such coverage was not in place. Instead, they accepted payment for GAP, released the lien, transferred the title, and are now attempting to retroactively reclassify the charge and pursue an unsupported collection effort. 

This situation raises substantial legal concerns under : The Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) for inaccurate reporting of a delinquency, The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) for attempting to collect a disputed and potentially non-existent debt, The Maryland Consumer Protection Act, and Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices ( UDAP ) laws under both state and federal jurisdiction. 
I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau : Investigate this matter in full, Require Exeter Finance to cease all collection efforts related to this disputed balance, Direct Exeter to issue a correction to all credit reporting agencies, and Compel Exeter to provide a full and accurate accounting of the insurance payout, GAP funds received, and their application of both. 

My objective is for the alleged balance to be cleared, my credit record corrected, and this matter closed properly under the law.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation