Consumer complaint received 2025-01-01 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Auto debt
Issue: Written notification about debt — Didn't receive enough information to verify debt
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC.
State: LA

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Formal Complaint Against Santander for Violations of Federal Debt Collection Laws To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against Santander Consumer USA for multiple violations of federal consumer protection laws. Despite my numerous attempts to resolve the issues directly with Santander, I have been met with noncompliance, lack of transparency, and repeated disregard for my rights as a consumer. Below, I detail the issues and specific violations of the law : Failure to Notify of Negative Credit Reporting Santander reported a negative entry on my credit report without providing me prior notice as required under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 7 ). This law mandates that a creditor must notify a consumer within 30 days before furnishing negative information to a credit reporting agency. I was blindsided by this report and was never given an opportunity to dispute or address the alleged debt. Improper Handling of Debt Discharge Santander has marked the alleged
debt on one of my credit reports as a " charge-off '' or " loss. '' However, I have not received a 1099-C form, as required under Internal Revenue Code 6050P, which applies when a creditor cancels or discharges a debt of {$600.00} or more. This raises serious concerns about whether the debt has been properly discharged and reported, further compounding my inability to reconcile or verify the alleged debt.

Refusal to Provide Debt Verification I have repeatedly requested verification of the debt under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), 15 U.S.C. 1692g ( b ). Specifically, I asked Santander to provide the purchase agreement or original account details to substantiate the validity of the debt and confirm that it is indeed mine. Santander has failed to comply with this request and has instead stated that the debt has been sold to another company. This refusal to verify the debt violates my right to obtain validation and raises concerns about their record-keeping practices.

Failure to Provide Adequate Notice of Sale or Transfer Santanders indication that the debt has been sold to another company was given without proper notice or details about the new creditor. This violates my rights under the FDCPA, 15 U.S.C. 1692e ( 10 ), which prohibits deceptive practices, and the Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ), 15 U.S.C. 1641 ( g ), which requires creditors to notify consumers of the transfer of their debt within 30 days.

Hindering My Ability to Resolve or Dispute the Debt Santanders actions have prevented me from resolving this issue in good faith. By failing to provide necessary documentation and notices, they have obstructed my ability to verify the debt or dispute its validity. This is a clear violation of consumer protection principles enshrined in both the FDCPA and FCRA. 

Steps Taken to Resolve the Issue : I requested validation of the debt from Santander, but they failed to provide the necessary documentation. 
I asked for a copy of the purchase agreement to determine if the debt truly belongs to me, and this request was ignored. 
I attempted to address the reporting discrepancies on my credit report, but Santander has been uncooperative in correcting or clarifying the information.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief