Consumer complaint received 2026-02-16 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — Denied request to lower payments
Company: Exeter Finance, LLC.
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
I lost my employment on XX/XX/XXXX, resulting in financial hardship. I fell XXXX months behind on my auto loan with Exeter Finance LLC and requested a hardship review, including deferment options, written confirmation of available assistance, waiver of late fees, and reversal or suspension of daily interest charges that have accrued while my hardship request was pending. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I emailed Exeter Finance requesting this information in writing. The company responded XX/XX/XXXX that there are limited capabilities through email and instructed me to call customer service instead. No written review, fee waiver, or confirmation of deferment options has been provided. The failure to provide timely written review and accommodations is a potential violation of Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices ( UDAAP ) under the Dodd-Frank Act ( 12 U.S.C. 5531 ), which prohibits practices that cause substantial consumer injury that is not outweighed by consumer benefits. 

For over XXXX months, I have also experienced repeated issues with Exeter Finances online payment portal. The portal repeatedly blocks debit and credit card payments despite advertising acceptance of all major payment methods, which interferes with my ability to make timely payments. I was told that credit cards are not accepted because you can not pay debt with debt, which is not a legal prohibition but an internal policy, and was not clearly disclosed in the advertising of payment methods. 
Blocking payments while representing acceptance of these methods may constitute misleading or deceptive practices under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ( 15 U.S.C. 45 ) and could also be considered an unfair or abusive servicing practice under CFPB supervisory standards, as it prevents timely payments and generates avoidable late fees and interests. 

When payments are attempted online, they are often rejected or delayed, and the system does not post payments the same day, allowing late fees and daily interest to occur even when I attempted to pay on time. This allows Exeter Finance to accrue daily interest and late fees on payments that were timely attempted. This creates financial injury that is substantial, foreseeable, and avoidable, consistent with prohibited practices under UDAAP.

Additionally, I was informed that principalonly payments can not be processed online or by phone and must be mailed. I requested written instructions for submitting principal payments, including the proper mailing address, but have not received adequate documentation.

These actions collectively create barriers to lawful, timely payment and cause ongoing financial harm. Consumers have reported similar issues with payment processing, online portal failures, and servicing problems, which are consistent with previously reported regulatory and legal violations by Exeter Finance, including deceptive lending practice, unfair fee accrual, and misapplication of payments.

Exeter Finances payment processing practices, lack of written hardship review, and refusal to provide clear written documentation of payment acceptance and application have caused substantial financial injury that could have been avoided with transparent servicing practices.

I am seeking : 1. Written hardship review and accommodation ; 2. Temporary payment deferment ; 3. Waiver of late fees assessed during my hardship period ; 4. Reversal or suspension of interest charges accrued while payment access and hardship review were delayed ; 5. Clear written instructions for payment mailing address and how mailed payments will be applied. 

These requests are made under my rights as a consumer protected by federal consumer protection laws, including UDAAP under the Dodd-Frank Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act. I am requesting fair, transparent and lawful servicing consistent with consumer protection standards.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation