Consumer complaint received 2025-08-12 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease — Problem with signing the paperwork
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: AL

Complaint narrative:
This complaint is regarding XXXX ( dealership sales manager ), XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX, in connection with a recent auto loan application I submitted. As a compliance professional with regulatory experience in securities, banking, lending, and insurance, I am acutely aware of proper documentation practices. I provided my signature as consent to access my credit profile in order to fund, whether by loan or lease, a new automobile through this dealership on XX/XX/year>. After nearly a month, there was no response and I visited the dealership to receive an offer of denial, after which I requested copies of the application and related documents that had been signed. I also expressed concerns about being required a down payment in order to gain approval, which the sales rep, XXXX XXXX affirmed on recording, is illegal but 'we know they all do it '. Upon review of the documents provided, I discovered that a special indorsement I had handwritten and signed on the original electronic application was materially altered. Specifically, language I included to clarify or condition the nature of my consent was removed without my knowledge or authorization. I immediately contacted the dealership to request the unaltered version. Bear in mind, the only application which was completed was online and there was no in-person application signed. This distinction is important because it demonstrates that the removal of the special indorsement was intentional, as the modified version of the document shows the special indorsement is covered up with another piece of paper, indicating the application was intentionally printed in order for the special indorsement to be covered with a piece of paper. Following my direct request, XXXX XXXX provided the original documentvalidating that the initial version did reflect the special indorsement. This conduct appears to violate multiple statutes, including but not limited to : Relevant Indiana Statutes and Federal Laws : Indiana Code 35-43-5-2 ( Forgery ) : Altering a written instrument with intent to defraud constitutes forgery, a Level 6 felony in Indiana . Indiana Code 24-5-0.5 ( Deceptive Consumer Sales Act ) : Misrepresenting the terms or content of a consumer transactionincluding altering documents after signingconstitutes an unfair or deceptive act under Indiana law. Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ), 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq. : Requires that credit terms be fully and accurately disclosed to consumers. Altering the content of a signed loan application may distort credit terms and constitute a TILA violation. Equal Credit Opportunity Act ( ECOA ), 15 U.S.C. 1691 et seq. : Prohibits discriminatory or unfair lending practices. Any manipulation of an application may obscure the basis for credit denial and undermine protections under this statute. UCC Article 3 ( Negotiable Instruments ) : Altering a signed document that could be considered a negotiable instrumentor materially affecting its legal effectcan constitute fraudulent indorsement or instrument fraud. Additionally, the gravity of this concern is heightened, as the dealer was informed of an existing fraud case against XXXX XXXX XXXX and was specifically informed not to submit the finance application to any of their affiliates or companies. In addition to altering my signature, the dealer also submitted the application to a documented affiliate of XXXX XXXX XXXX, who denied the application. XXXX XXXX in sales, was recorded stating a minimum down payment of {$5000.00} would likely be needed for approval. Despite being informed that down payments are illegal, XXXX remarked that 'we know they all do it anyway '. When addressing both of the former via email, XXXX denied his statements, not knowing they had been recorded and the dealership failed to address either the statements, or the altered signature. The altered signature may have been provided to several institutions, including Ally Financial.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation