Consumer complaint received 2026-04-10 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Repossession — Voluntary repossession
Company: Exeter Finance, LLC.
State: CT

Complaint narrative:
This is not a duplicate complaint of any previously resolved complaint. Complaint Against Exeter Finance LLC Violations of the Dodd-Frank Act ( 12 U.S.C. 5531, UDAAP ) I am attempting to volunatrily surrender a vehicle securing an auto loan with Exeter Finance LLC. Exeter Finance LLC is refusing to provide a workable written process to complete the voluntary surrender unless I engage in telephone communication, resulting in ongoing financial harm due to continued accrual of interest, fees, and insurance costs. I am submitting this complaint against Exeter Finance LLC for engaging in what appear to be unfair and abusive acts or practices in violation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, specifically 12 U.S.C. 5531, which prohibits Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices ( UDAAP ). Exeter Finance LLCs conduct meets the statutory definitions of both unfair and abusive practices under federal law. This matter concerns Exeter Finance LLCs refusal to process my voluntary surrender of a vehicle securing my loan, despite multiple documented written requests and my consistent use of the companys own designated secure communication channel. The vehicle securing this loan is a XXXX XXXX XXXX, financed through Exeter Finance LLC since XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX, I submitted my first written request through Exeters XXXX of the XXXX secure messaging portal to initiate a voluntary surrender and to obtain the required instructions and documentation. Rather than responding to the substance of this request, Exeter directed me to contact their customer service department by telephone. I continued to act in good faith and submitted additional written requests on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX through the same secure portal. These requests were not substantively addressed. In a response dated XX/XX/XXXX, provided to both myself and the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Exeter Finance LLC stated that I have the option to voluntarily surrender the vehicle. Despite this acknowledgment, the company failed to provide any written instructions or means to complete the surrender when requested to proceed with voluntary surrender. On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted another written request. In its response to both myself and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Exeter Finance LLC stated that I may have the option to voluntarily surrender, while continuing to require that I engage in telephone communication as a condition of proceeding. At all times, I have used the same secure messaging platform that Exeter Finance LLC itself uses to communicate with me. I have also previously revoked consent for telephone communication. Despite this, Exeter has refused to process the voluntary surrender or provide written instructions unless I agree to communicate by phone. Additionally, I received a Right to Cure notice via Certified Mail from the XXXX. Postal Service from Exeter Finance LLC dated XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX This notice indicated that the account was in default status and provided a deadline to cure the alleged default before further collection or repossession actions may proceed. This escalation occurred while I had already made multiple documented good-faith written requests to voluntarily surrender the vehicle through Exeters secure messaging portal. Despite my ongoing efforts to resolve the matter through voluntary surrender, Exeter Finance LLC did not provide written instructions to complete the surrender process and instead continues to require telephone communication as a condition of proceeding. As a result, the account was simultaneously being escalated toward repossession while I have been actively attempting to voluntarily surrender the collateral in writing. This appears to further demonstrate unfairness, and abusiveness. This sequence of events shows the delay in processing the voluntary surrender request, and that it is not attributable to a lack of intent or cooperation on my part. Rather the absence of a functional written process provided by Exeter Finance LLC to complete the surrender. This conduct constitutes an unfair act or practice under 12 U.S.C. 5531 ( c ). Exeter Finance LLCs actions have caused and continue to cause substantial financial injury, including the ongoing accrual of interest, late fees, and insurance costs on a vehicle I have repeatedly attempted to surrender in good faith. This injury is not reasonably avoidable, as Exeter Finance LLC controls the only mechanism available by which the collateral can be surrendered and has failed to provide any viable written method to complete that process. Furthermore, this injury is not outweighed by any countervailing benefit to consumers or competition. This conduct also constitutes an abusive act or practice under 12 U.S.C. 5531 ( d ). Exeter Finance LLC is taking unreasonable advantage of its position as lienholder by controlling the terms and process of surrender while conditioning resolution on a non-essential requirement ( telephone communication ) that I have declined. This conduct interferes with my ability to understand and act in my own interest in resolving the account. Additionally, Exeters shifting and ambiguous language from stating that I have the option in their statement on XX/XX/XXXX to voluntarily surrender to stating that I may have the option on XX/XX/XXXX demonstrates a lack of clarity regarding a material term of the borrowers rights and further supports a finding of abusiveness under the statute. Exeter Finance LLCs refusal to provide written instructions, combined with its insistence on a specific communication channel and its failure to acknowledge or process repeated written requests, amounts to a constructive refusal to accept the voluntary surrender of its collateral. This delay directly results in continued financial harm and reflects a pattern of conduct that prolongs the life of the loan while charges continue to accrue against its consumer. I am requesting that Exeter Finance LLC immediately provide written instructions to complete the voluntary surrender, accept and process the surrender without requiring telephone communication, cease further delay, and adjust my account to remove any fees, interest, or charges that accrued as a result of this conduct. Exeter Finance LLC has been given multiple opportunities to resolve this matter through reasonable and established communication channels. Its continued refusal to do so, while allowing financial harm to accumulate and maintaining ambiguous and inconsistent representations regarding my rights, appears to constitute a violation of 12 U.S.C. 5531.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation