Consumer complaint received 2017-06-25 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease — Unable to receive car title or other problem after the loan is paid off
Company: Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
I purchased a vehicle in XX/XX/XXXX and financed the vehicle with Chrysler Capital. I was dissatisfied with the service of this company for many reasons and in XX/XX/XXXX I decided payoff the loan in full. I found payoff information online and spoke with Chrysler Capitals Customer Service to verify the information found online. A bank check or certified funds were requested by Chrysler Capital. On XX/XX/XXXX, my financial institution withdrew the funds to pay off my loan. The check, also dated XX/XX/XXXX was mailed to the address provided by Chrysler Capital. My financial institution followed their established procedures for paying off the vehicle with customer funds. On XX/XX/XXXX, the funds mailed by my financial institution were credited to my Chrysler Capital loan and my vehicle was paid in full. This was acknowledged when I viewed my Chrysler Capital online account. Note nothing was sent to me to acknowledge a full payoff of the loan. On XX/XX/XXXX ( 27 days after my vehicle was paid in full ), I had not received anything from Chrysler Capital ( title or refund of excess interest paid ). I phoned Chrysler Capital and was told the title had been released and would probably be mailed the following week. I was also told a refund of excess interest had been ordered and should arrive the following week. On XX/XX/XXXX ( 41 days after my vehicle was paid in full ), I received the refund of excess interest paid. On XX/XX/XXXX ( 48 days after my vehicle was paid in full ), I phoned Chrysler Capital to inquire about my vehicle title. Because my account was paid in full, Chrysler Capitals voice prompt system did not recognize any of the information provided. The voice prompt system kept cycling me through the same prompts and I was unable to easily reach a representative. It was quite some time ( over 5 very frustrating minutes in voice prompt XXXX ) before I finally made a choice that led me to a queue. I waited for a representative to answer for 8-9 minutes and when the call was answered, there was no one there. I could hear what sounded like a television in the background. The call was ended by Chrysler Capital or the phone system without anyone every saying anything on their end of the line. I called back immediately and, not surprisingly, found myself once again in voice prompt XXXX. When my call was finally answered by a representative, I asked to speak with a supervisor. I was advised by the supervisor, XXXX, that my vehicle title was sent to my financial institution because that is who the check came from. I was given an address of my financial institution that I did not recognize in another state ( probably the home office? ). XXXX told that the good news is that there was a work-around. I was then told that I could contact my financial institution and get the title. They were going to do nothing to correct the problem because it was their policy. This, despite the fact that they requested the payoff come to them on a bank check or in certified funds! I asked that the issue be escalated. On XX/XX/XXXX ( 52 days after my vehicle was paid in full ), I received a call from Chrysler Capitals escalation group. I was told that there was nothing they could or would do to help me as it is their policy to issue the title to the source of the check. The person I spoke with confirmed that I would have to contact my financial institution to get my title. I called back later to confirm exactly where my title was sent as I had not recorded the address that was given to me by the supervisor on XX/XX/XXXX. This second person I spoke with did a bit more research and advised me that the title is electronically released to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in  Ohio and that my financial institution did not have the title. In summary - The time between payoff of the loan and knowledge of the location of my title was 52 days. Ridiculous! The time between the payoff of my loan and receipt of a refund of excess interest was 41 days. Ridiculous! The amount of time spent on this issue not only by me but the person who was trying to assist me at my financial institution was excessive. The level of frustration caused by extremely poor customer service was unconscionable - from a very poor voice prompt system that does not recognize paid in full accounts to long wait times and incompetent representatives. I was repeatedly given wrong information or given no information at all. No communication was ever sent to me acknowledging that my loan was paid in full until I asked for this documentation on XX/XX/XXXX. Apparently, a communication was sent to my financial institution advising that Chrysler Capital had released their lien on the vehicle and thanking my financial institution for doing business with Chrysler Capital and being a valued customer! <P/>My time has value. Apparently Chrysler Capital has forgotten the value of their customers and that good Customer Service has value.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation