Consumer complaint received 2024-12-02 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease — Problem with additional add-on products or services purchased with the loan
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
Event Timeline : On XX/XX/year>, I visited XXXX XXXX to look at a car to help me commute to work. I met XXXX, the salesman involved in this transaction ( who no longer works at the dealership ). XXXX showed me a car priced at {$36000.00}, but the loan agreement was ultimately written for {$40000.00}, with {$4000.00} in features that I explicitly requested not to have. My mother, who accompanied me and recorded the events, can confirm this.

In the reference video you will find that the financing gentleman doesn't accurately explain what I am signing for. He will use suggestive words instead of direct words to hide what I am signing for " we have insurance now which is accurate '' which suggests he is referencing the progressive insurance we spoke about moments prior to walking into the financing room prior to the video I have in my evidence. Which he also said I need car insurance prior to purchasing the car with their cameras in order to cover themselves in case a individual doesn't have their own proof. This is evident and highlighted when another gentleman in a blue shirt, glances over the form that acknowledges the signature of my contract for the features to see if I signed it or not which is not only a deceptive practice but also indicates that the company should be placed under extensive investigation as it is not just one person but the organization as a whole. 

After viewing the car on XX/XX/XXXX, I placed a {$1000.00} deposit on my card at XXXX 's insistence to hold the car. XXXX assured me the vehicle would remain reserved until I secured financing. However, when I returned to purchase the car on XX/XX/year>, XXXX informed me that I could not buy the vehicle without providing a specific amount of money upfront. This required me to obtain an additional {$4200.00} loan, which, combined with {$1500.00} I had on hand, was given to the dealership as a down payment. 

Despite my clear instructions to exclude certain features, the dealership included two unauthorized add-ons in the financing agreement with Santander : Gap Insurance A Vehicle Service Contract for Major Mechanical Issues These features were presented in such a way that they appeared essential for " upkeeping the car, '' regardless of whether the loan was paid off. I later discovered these features were unnecessary and added without my consent.

Compounding the issue, the vehicle began experiencing major mechanical issues within 90 days of purchase, which coincided with the warrantys coverage. This suggests a deliberate setup to inflate the agreement and justify the add-ons.

When I raised concerns with Santander, they informed me that they had no control over what features the dealership added to the financing agreement. They stated their role was solely to disburse the loan based on the dealerships submitted terms.

Interaction with XXXX XXXX XXXX after learning what happened with the financing agreement : I spoke to multiple individuals at the dealership while trying to address my concerns. The financing representative was frequently unavailable, and I had difficulty obtaining answers about my loan agreement. 
I discovered that XXXX XXXX XXXX provides various warranty products, including the vehicle service warranty and gap insurance included in my loan. I contacted their representative, XXXX, at XXXX. 
I also spoke with XXXX, the financing manager. When I asked XXXX about the agreement, he hung up on me during our conversation at XXXXXXXX XXXX  despite my being a concerned consumer with valid questions. 

Attempts to Resolve Through Santander Consumer USA : I called Santander, the lender, multiple times and spoke with several representatives : XXXX XXXX ( reference ID : XXXX ) escalated my concerns to a support team. 
XXXX ( reference ID : XXXX ) reviewed my situation but provided no resolution. 
XXXX ( reference ID : XXXX ) explained that Santander could not assist further with my issue, stating that the matter was outside their scope of involvement.

Escalation with XXXX  XXXX Management : I spoke with the General Manager ( GM ) and owner of XXXX XXXX about the issue. During this conversation, the GM became loud and escalated the situation further. He dismissed my claims, assumed I lacked evidence to support my case, and overtalked me repeatedly, refusing to address the concerns in good faith.

This behavior reinforced the abusive and deceptive practices I have experienced throughout this process. 
Summary of Efforts : I made eleven calls in total in one day to the dealership and lender before receiving any substantive information. Throughout these interactions, I was consistently met with resistance, escalation, and dismissiveness, which has made resolving this issue unnecessarily difficult and stressful. All of my claims can be proven via the images I have provided. One small but important detail is that on the original day of the first of XXXX the money came out of my account but only went into holding as the bank hasn't processed the whole payment which is why it shows the whole amount on the day I driven off with the car, and not the day my card was actually swiped for the XXXX XXXX payment.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation