Consumer complaint received 2025-11-17 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Repossession — Damage caused or loss of personal items in vehicle during the actual repossession
Company: OneMain Finance Corporation
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I financed my vehicle through OneMain Financial. From the date of purchase to the present, I had continuous full-coverage auto insurance with no lapses. The only issue was an administrative error, OneMain was not listed as the lienholder on my first 6-month policy term. This was never a lapse in required insurance, and I never missed a loan payment. Despite this, OneMain added over {$800.00} in insurance charges and reported me as past due based entirely on those improper charges.

For several months leading up to the repossession, I contacted OneMain repeatedly to understand why my account reflected a delinquent balance. Every call resulted in transfers between departments, long hold times, and conflicting explanations. No one could clearly identify the issue. I made every effort to resolve the problem, but I was repeatedly given inaccurate or incomplete information. It was not until much later that someone finally told me the problem was related to insurance verification. Even after being told that, I still received misinformation about what documents were needed. About a week before the repossession, I finally succeeded in getting one of my two 6-month insurance terms verified. The second term was still pending verification when OneMain repossessed my car. TThe day after my vehicle was taken, OneMain finished verifying the remaining insurance period and removed all late charges and force-placed insurance fees. In other words, they corrected the mistake after repossessing my car even though the documentation I provided proved I had continuous coverage all along. 

On XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX, OneMain wrongfully repossessed my vehicle while I was visiting my partner in XXXX XXXX which is more than 40 miles away from my home in XXXX XXXX My house keys, work phone, XXXX XXXX, reading glasses, and other personal belongings were in the vehicle when it was taken. Because my house keys were inside the car, I could not return home that night and was forced into XXXX unplanned overnight stays at my partners home. Being stranded far from home without keys, medication, or transportation created both safety and financial concerns. 

The repossession also caused a serious health risk. I have XXXX, and my XXXX  was locked inside the vehicle. Because the repo yard delayed access until the following day, I went more than XXXX hours without my medication and experienced difficulty XXXX  and XXXX-related symptoms. This was entirely preventable and directly caused by the wrongful repossession and the mishandling of the situation. 

On XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX, OneMain instructed me to retrieve my vehicle and belongings from XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX CA XXXX but the yard refused to answer calls from me, OneMain, or XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX When I showed up they delayed access by stating they only operated by appointment, and they to pushed my retrieval to the next day, despite the fact that I needed my XXXX, phone, and keys. This delay prolonged the unsafe and stressful situation caused by the wrongful repossession. 

When I arrived at the repo yard to pick up my car on XX/XX/XXXX, staff members forced me to sign paperwork stating that all of my belongings were present and that the vehicle was in good condition before they would allow me to see either the car or its contents. I specifically asked to inspect the vehicle first, and they told me I was not allowed to do that. Under pressure, I signed the form, but I wrote under my signature that I had been forced to sign without seeing the vehicle or belongings first. This is an improper and coercive practice. 

Once I was finally given access to my belongings, it was clear that my property had been mishandled. Items were thrown into bags with no care. My XXXX XXXX, valued at more than {$400.00}, were scratched. My prescription reading glasses, valued at more than {$200.00}, were bent and scratched. Several hats had their brims bent out of shape. Personal photos were crumpled and damaged. Shoes were shoved on top of clothes ruining them, Gifts that had been adhered to my car were torn off and tossed into bags. I spent hours sorting through damaged, dirty, disorganized items to locate my XXXX, work phone, glasses, and other necessary belongings. 

When I finally received my vehicle, multiple tire pressure warning lights were illuminated, even though these lights were not on before the repossession. This raises concerns that the vehicle may have been damaged during towing or storage. I now need diagnostic work to determine whether any mechanical or safety issues were caused by the repossession.

The wrongful repossession and the delays caused significant financial harm. I earn {$27.00} per hour and work 10-hour days, and I missed a full day of work dealing with this situation. My partner had to miss an 8-hour shift to transport me because I had no access to transportation, and she earns {$30.00} per hour. We also incurred gas and transportation costs from multiple XXXX trips between XXXX, the OneMain branch, and the repo yard. My work phone was inside the vehicle, which prevented me from performing my job duties and worsened the disruption to my employment. Because my house keys were inside the repossessed vehicle, the security of my home was compromised, and I now may need to rekey my locks. Additionally, I lost hours of time dealing with OneMains misinformation, long hold times, repeated transfers, the repo yards lack of communication, and the process of retrieving and sorting through damaged property.

Overall, this situation resulted from months of incorrect information from OneMain, improper servicing of my account, incorrect insurance charges, and a wrongful repossession. The conduct of both OneMain and the repossession agent created financial loss, safety risks, health risks, property damage, home-security problems, work disruptions, and significant hardship. OneMain has acknowledged the repossession was an error by removing the charges, but the harm caused by their actions has been substantial and requires resolution.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation