“Bad” really doesn’t cover the things Westlake Financial Services and its affilliate, Wilshire Consumer Credit, were doing to their customers.
Westlake/Wilshire is in the business of high risk auto loans. Being in the high risk loan business doesn’t give a company the right to lie and cheat when collecting its bills.
According to the results of a CFPB investigation written about in this time.com article, Westlake/Wilshire collectors used a program called “Skip Tracy” to falsify caller ID information. They used the fake caller ID data to pose as pizza and flower delivery services, and in those calls asked for extra information such as where the customer’s car was located. Presumably this helped them repo the car. On the other hand, they used “REPO” on the caller ID to harass customers when they actually weren’t trying to repo the car.
Once again, the CFPB proves that it is much more on the ball than the Federal Trade Commission ever was when it comes to policing a wide variety of marketplace misconduct.
If you think you are the victim of a collection company falsifying caller ID information, file a complaint with the cfpb at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. If they get your car, get your money or engage in especially outrageous conduct, contact a consumer attorney through NACA at www.naca.net.