Consumer complaint received 2026-03-04 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services — Problem with product or service terms changing
Company: Westlake Services, LLC
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding the origination of an auto loan issued by Western Funding ( Westlake Financial ). I believe this loan was originated using documentation that I did not sign and without the required Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ) disclosures being provided prior to the alleged consummation of the credit transaction. On or about XX/XX/XXXX, my spouse and I contacted a vehicle seller regarding a XXXX XXXX XXXX that had been advertised for {$9900.00}. We informed the seller that we intended to place a {$4000.00} down payment and finance the remaining balance. The seller represented that approximately {$6000.00} would be financed through Western Funding and that there would be no early payoff penalty. The seller collected my personal information and submitted it to Western Funding in order to obtain financing approval. My spouse and I spoke with a representative from Western Funding once by telephone for basic identity verification questions. During that call, no loan documents, contract terms, or Truth in Lending disclosures were presented to me, and I was not asked to sign or electronically authorize any financing agreement. The dealership represented that documents would be sent electronically for signature. However, I never received any financing documents, buyers orders, or disclosures for review or signature. On XX/XX/XXXX, I traveled to the dealership in XXXX XXXX, Virginia to pick up the vehicle. The only document I signed was a temporary vehicle registration form required by the Virginia Department XXXXf Motor Vehicles. I did not sign any buyers order, retail installment sales contract, or loan agreement. Approximately XXXX month later, when I accessed my Western Funding account to make a payment, I discovered that a loan had been originated with a payoff balance of approximately {$13000.00}. Combined with the {$4000.00} down payment that had already been paid to the seller, the total transaction value exceeded {$17000.00} for a vehicle that had been advertised and represented as costing {$9900.00}. After requesting documentation, Western Funding provided a buyers order containing an electronic signature and initials attributed to me. I did not sign this document and did not authorize anyone to sign on my behalf. Western Funding has also indicated that they do not currently have a signed retail installment sales contract associated with this loan. At no point did I receive or review the Truth in Lending Act disclosures required prior to the consummation of a credit transaction, including the APR, finance charge, amount financed, total of payments, and payment schedule. The APR later associated with the loan appears to be approximately XX/XX/XXXX, which was never disclosed to me prior to the transaction. Additionally, the buyers order submitted to Western Funding contains a GEICO insurance policy number that I never provided to the dealership. I contacted GEICO directly and was informed that the policy number listed on the document does not exist. Based on these facts, Western Funding appears to have originated a loan without verifying that the borrower had executed the loan documentation or received the legally required disclosures under the Truth in Lending Act. The lender appears to have relied solely on documentation submitted by the dealership without confirming that the borrower had authorized the agreement. A detective with the XXXX XXXX Sheriffs Office has now been assigned to investigate the suspected forgery of my signature and related fraudulent activity. I am also pursuing civil legal action against NextGen Auto , Inc., XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX related to the alleged forgery and fraudulent submission of documentation used to originate this loan. This complaint is being submitted to request regulatory review of Western Fundings loan origination practices in this matter, including whether the lender complied with its obligations under the Truth in Lending Act and applicable consumer lending regulations when originating this loan.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation