Independent profile — not affiliated with Westlake Financial

Westlake Financial

Westlake Services, LLC, doing business as Westlake Financial Services, is an auto-finance company that buys and services dealer-originated retail installment contracts, from prime to subprime credit, and lists payment, payoff, credit-reporting-dispute, title and servicemember channels on its own site. The CFPB entered a consent order against it and Wilshire Consumer Credit, LLC (which the CFPB described as Westlake's wholly owned subsidiary) in September 2015 (about $44.1 million in redress and a $4.25 million civil penalty, without admitting or denying the findings), Massachusetts issued consent orders in 2016 and 2017, and the Justice Department settled servicemember-repossession claims in 2017, with a 2022 addendum covering interest-rate-benefit allegations. A convenience-fee class settlement of $1.2 million received final approval on June 8, 2026, a separate individual case was dismissed on September 22, 2026 after a notice of settlement, subject to a 45-day reopening period, and in August 2026 the Tenth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Westlake in another individual case. The CFPB database, BBB, Trustpilot and ComplaintsBoard figures are reported separately below, along with 197 older USAComplaints posts dated 2003 to 2013.

COMPLAINTS197
VERIFIED PHONE(888) 739-9192
LAST CHECKED2026-09-30
Write a Review Jump to complaints ↓
CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints

USAComplaints currently maintains 197 historical complaints about Westlake Financial, published between 2003 and 2013. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.

EDITORIAL

Complaint Themes

Repossession threats and repossessionsCalls to references, employers, family or friends

Each tag reflects a complaint's single primary theme (not every angle it raised), and complaints outside any problem theme — a positive report, or one later retracted by its author — aren't tagged. Counts may total less than the full complaint count above.

EXTERNAL SOURCE

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

BBB: 507 reviews, 2085 complaints
CFPB: 14162 complaints
ComplaintsBoard: 6 reviews, 161 reports
Trustpilot: 153 reviews,
VERIFIED

Contacts, Payment & Login

VERIFIED

Locations

TypeAddress
Headquarters4751 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100 Los Angeles CA 90010
Branch office300 South 4th St., Suite 200 Las Vegas NV 89101
Mailing addressP.O. Box 76809 Los Angeles CA 90076-0809
EDITORIAL

Have a Westlake Financial auto loan? Payments, payoff, title, credit reporting and complaints

Westlake Financial is the trade name of Westlake Services, LLC, doing business as Westlake Financial Services. Its About Us page says the company "specializes in the acquisition and servicing of prime to subprime automotive retail installment contracts" through car dealers, so a borrower typically signs a contract at a dealership and that contract is then bought (assigned) to Westlake. On January 13, 2026 Westlake announced "the successful sale of approximately $100 million of subprime auto loans to HFC Acceptance, LLC," in a transaction it said was "structured to allow for efficient asset transfer while maintaining continuity of servicing and borrower experience." Your statements and any transfer notice show which company owns, and which company services, your own loan.

These are the channels Westlake's own pages list (Contact Us and Customer FAQ pages, read on 2026-09-30):

  • Phone for auto loans: (888) 739-9192, Mon–Fri 5:00 AM–9:00 PM PT and Sat & Sun 5:00 AM–2:00 PM PT. The Contact Us page also offers chat after you "Login to MyAccount."
  • Payment methods and fees, per the Customer FAQ: automatic monthly payments from a checking or savings account and online checking/savings payments are listed as "Free of Charge"; debit or ATM card payments online, checking or savings payments through the automated phone system, debit or ATM card payments through the automated phone system, and phone payments with an agent (checking/savings, debit or ATM) are each listed with a "Processing Fee: $5.00"; MoneyGram is listed at $9.95 (company Westlake Financial, city Los Angeles, code 2603); walk-in "Check Free" payments start at $1.50 and vary by state; Pay Near Me is listed at $3.99 (not available in New Mexico, Hawaii and Oklahoma). The FAQ adds that the processing fee "is not assessed in some states" and that, depending on your state, you may be assessed the $5.00 "by a third-party processor or Westlake"; it says to check your next bank statement to find out which applies. Check your own statement to see what was actually charged.
  • Mailing a payment: monthly payments to Westlake Financial, P.O. Box 54807, Los Angeles, CA 90054-0807; loan-payoff payments to P.O. Box 843082, Los Angeles, CA 90084-3082. The FAQ asks you to include your account number.
  • Scheduled payments and posting times: the Terms of Use on westlakefinancial.com say "Any scheduled transactions can be canceled 24 hours prior to the payment date by calling our Customer Service Department at (888)-739-9192," that "Payments made to your account before 5:00 PM Pacific Time will be posted to your account the same day," and that payments made "after 5:00 PM Pacific Time, on weekends, or holidays will be posted to your account the following business day." They add that for certain forms of payment in MyAccount, "we or a third-party vendor used to process a payment may charge a processing fee, which will be specified."
  • Where correspondence goes: the Contact Us page describes the "Westlake Customer Care" mailbox (P.O. Box 76809, Los Angeles, CA 90076-0809) with the words "This includes complaints, credit disputes, title concerns, general customer service mail. Payments should not be mailed to this mailbox."
  • Payoff amount: the FAQ says to call Customer Service or use MyAccount, and the site header has a "Payoff Quote" link. Ask for the payoff in writing with the date it is good through, and keep it.
  • Title and lien release: the Contact Us page says that to "submit a new lien request, check the status of a pending release, or upload supporting documentation" you use MyTitle Support (mytitle.westlakefinancial.com).
  • Credit-reporting disputes: the live Contact Us page presents two routes side by side. Its "Credit Reporting & California Consumers" block says "If you have a dispute with the credit reporting of your account, please submit your direct dispute to the address below" (Westlake Financial, P.O. Box 76814, Los Angeles, CA 90076), while its Customer Service Request form, under the topic "Credit Reporting," says "If you have a dispute with the credit reporting of your account, please fill out the fields below" and offers an "Include Attachments" option; the form's "Regarding" menu also lists "Lost Payment." Under the Bureau's Regulation V (12 CFR 1022.43(d)), a dispute notice to a furnisher must identify the account, state "the specific information that the consumer is disputing and an explanation of the basis for the dispute," and include supporting documentation reasonably required, such as account statements. You can also dispute an entry with the credit bureau that issued the report; the CFPB's guide says to explain in writing what is wrong and why and to include copies of supporting documents.
  • Servicemembers: Westlake's military page lists 1-844-358-0660 (Mon–Fri 6 am–5 pm PST) and [email protected] for Servicemembers Civil Relief Act requests, and says it is "committed to responding and providing you an update of the status of your request within 48 hours (2 business days) upon receipt of your acceptable military documents."
  • If your loan was transferred to Westlake Portfolio Management (WPM): WPM, which Westlake's press releases list among its businesses, runs its own site (wpmservicing.com). Its New Customer page says that if you received a letter that WPM is now the servicer of your loan, "You will no longer make payments to the previous creditor. Instead you will now make your payments to WPM, but nothing else has changed. Rest assured the terms of your loan are the same." It lists (877) 854-5688 for phone payments, P.O. Box 847405, Los Angeles, CA 90084-7405 for mailed payments (payable to Westlake Portfolio Management), and its own payment fees ($5 for debit/ATM card payments and the automated phone line, $9.95 for MoneyGram, $3.99 for Pay Near Me). The letter you received for your own loan controls which company to pay.
  • Complaints: the Contact Us page lists a "Complaints & Feedback" option under "Write to Us." You can also file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by phone at (855) 411-2372; the CFPB page says "Most companies respond within 15 days."

Repossession and redemption. The Contact Us form's "Regarding" menu lists "Repossession," "Impound" and "Registration & Title Issues." A page explaining repossession, redemption or reinstatement terms was not identified on the Westlake pages checked on 2026-09-30 (Contact Us, Customer FAQ, Make a Payment, Benefits for Military Personnel and About Us). The CFPB's consumer guide (page last modified April 5, 2024) says that "In some states, laws grant you the right to pay to get your vehicle back after it’s been repossessed" (curing or reinstating the loan), that "You have the right to be notified before your vehicle is sold or kept as compensation for your debt," and that, for a public or private sale, "you may be entitled to buy back the vehicle by paying the full loan amount, plus the repossession costs, before the sale" (redemption). Cure and reinstatement rights and their deadlines differ by state and by the notice you receive, so the repossession notice and your contract are the documents that state the amounts, deadlines and contacts that apply to you. The Massachusetts orders described below dealt with GAP premiums and repossession "close" fees on Massachusetts accounts only.

GAP, warranty and other add-on refunds. The Contact Us form's "Regarding" menu lists "GAP & Warranty," "Refund," "Insurance" and "Registration & Title Issues," and the site header has a "Submit Insurance Claim" link (MyAccount). One mailing address (Westlake Financial, P.O. Box 847476, Los Angeles, CA 90084-7476; overnight: ATTN: LBX# 847476, 3440 Flair Drive, El Monte, CA 91731) appears twice on the page: under "Insurance Payments" in the customers tab (next to "Monthly Auto Loan Payments" and "Auto Loan Payoff Payments") and in a block headed "Ancillary Product Refunds" in the Dealers tab. The pop-up text in both places reads "Payoffs and Insurance Related Payments via Standard US Mail" and names "Trade-In Payoffs, Refinance Payoffs, Total Loss checks, Recovery payments, Warranty refunds, and DMV/title related refunds"; it is presented as a mailing address for those payments and refunds reaching Westlake, and neither tab says how a borrower requests a refund. Westlake also hosts a GAP addendum form (a truck-finance version naming Premier Dealer Services, Inc. as GAP administrator) that says "To request cancellation of this GAP Addendum, contact the selling dealer" and, if the dealer cannot be reached, "contact the GAP Administrator"; that is one product form, so the dealer or administrator, refund terms and deadlines in your own GAP or service-contract paperwork control. The CFPB says you "may be entitled to a refund if you sell, refinance, or prepay your auto loan" and, if you do not have your paperwork, to "check with your lender, the provider, or the dealer you bought the car from" (guide last reviewed March 2024).

Keep statements, payment confirmation numbers, payoff quotes and notes of calls (date, time, name), and put disputes in writing.

EDITORIAL

CFPB 2015 consent order, Massachusetts orders, and Justice Department servicemember settlements

CFPB, September 30, 2015 (File No. 2015-CFPB-0026). The CFPB issued a consent order against "Westlake Services, LLC, also doing business as Westlake Financial Services, LLC, and Wilshire Consumer Credit, LLC, also doing business as Wilshire Commercial Capital, LLC." The order records that the respondents consented "without admitting or denying any of the findings of fact or conclusions of law, except that Respondents admit the facts necessary to establish the Bureau's jurisdiction." The Bureau's findings, summarized in its press release, were that the companies' debt collectors used a web-based calling service (Skip Tracy) to change caller ID information and pose as other businesses or repossession companies, falsely threatened referral for investigation or criminal prosecution, and disclosed loan information to borrowers' employers, family and friends; that Wilshire advertised title loans without the annual percentage rate; and that some collectors changed due dates or extended loans without consulting borrowers. The CFPB said the service was used on more than 137,000 loan accounts from January 2010, and described the conduct as running from at least January 2010 until at least April 2014.

  • Money: about $44.1 million in redress (about $25.8 million in cash; the order requires $25,777,274 to be reserved for redress) with the remainder as balance reductions, plus a $4,250,000 civil money penalty.
  • Conduct terms: no misleading borrowers about who is calling, no implying repossession or investigation that is not intended, no disclosure of debt information to third parties where unlawful, review of advertisements for Truth in Lending compliance, and no changing due dates or extending loans without explaining the effect and obtaining consent.
  • Duration: the order says it "will terminate 5 years from the Effective Date" (or five years from the most recent date the Bureau starts an action alleging a violation). The CFPB's enforcement page for the case shows the status "Expired/Terminated/Dismissed" (page last modified August 8, 2023).

Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Division of Banks recites that Westlake entered an Assurance of Discontinuance with the Massachusetts Attorney General on March 15, 2016, in which the Attorney General alleged Westlake bought retail installment contracts whose APR exceeded the state's 21 percent cap once GAP premiums were counted as finance charges; Westlake agreed to refund finance charges and related fees on affected loans bought from January 1, 2008. The Division's Consent Order No. 2016-005 (December 20, 2016) followed an examination as of February 18, 2015, was entered "without admitting any allegations," and required Westlake to stop charging repossession "close" fees on Massachusetts accounts where the default was cured before repossession, refund such fees charged since April 30, 2012, and maintain a compliance management system. Consent Order No. 2017-004 (July 25, 2017) addressed Westlake's wholly owned subsidiary Western Funding Incorporated, which the Division alleged bought 157 Massachusetts contracts between January 16, 2015 and December 20, 2016 without a license, 33 of them above the 21 percent APR limit; the order required a $50,000 administrative penalty and refunds on the 33 contracts, again without admitting any allegations.

Justice Department, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). On September 27, 2017 the Justice Department announced that Westlake Services LLC and its subsidiary Wilshire (named "Wilshire Consumer Capital LLC" in the release) "have agreed to pay $760,788 to resolve allegations" that they repossessed 70 vehicles owned by SCRA-protected servicemembers without the required court orders: $10,000 to each of the 70 servicemembers plus any lost equity with interest, credit repair, and a $60,788 civil penalty, along with new repossession and interest-rate-benefit procedures. The department said the matter reached it in 2016 through the CFPB's Office of Servicemember Affairs. The Justice Department's case page states that the settlement agreement was executed on September 27, 2017 and that "On September 27, 2022, the parties entered into an addendum to the settlement agreement" to address allegations that Westlake had also violated Section 3937 of the SCRA by failing to provide qualified servicemembers with interest rate benefits for the entire period required and by improperly delaying approval of requests: an additional $185,460 to 250 servicemembers, a further $40,000 civil penalty, and revised SCRA policies and training. The department's press release on the addendum is dated September 28, 2022.

No fair-lending or discrimination enforcement action against Westlake was identified in the sources checked on 2026-09-30: the CFPB's enforcement-actions list filtered for "westlake" returned only the 2015 action above, and the Justice Department documents reviewed concern the SCRA.

EDITORIAL

Who Westlake Financial is: entity, ownership and locations

Entity. The CFPB and the Justice Department name the company as Westlake Services, LLC, doing business as Westlake Financial Services; the Justice Department's 2017 agreement describes it as a California limited liability company. The website footer reads "All rights reserved to Westlake Services, LLC." The BBB lists the alternate names Westlake Services, LLC., Westlake Financial Group and Westlake Financial, and, in its raw profile data, a business start date of August 29, 1988 and an incorporation date of May 27, 2010.

History and ownership, as the company presents it. The About Us page says "Formed in August of 1988, Westlake is the financial services arm of the Hankey Group of Companies," describes itself as "privately-held," and says it works with "a network of over 50,000 new and used car dealerships" (the homepage says "over 30,000 dealerships"). Its History timeline dates the company to 1978 as the Buy-Here-Pay-Here division of the Hankey Automotive Group, and says that in 2011 "Marubeni Corporation invested $250 million dollars taking a 20 percent ownership stake in Westlake"; a 2023 court filing in the Klare case lists Marubeni Corporation among the interested parties. The timeline also mentions a title-loan subsidiary, 1(800) Car-Title (2001), the acquisition of Western Funding Incorporated (2014) and Westlake Portfolio Management, "a third-party servicing company," established in 2018. The 2015 CFPB order and the 2017 Justice Department agreement describe Wilshire as a wholly owned subsidiary of Westlake, and the Massachusetts Division of Banks describes Western Funding as wholly owned since January 6, 2014; whether Wilshire operates today was not verified, while Westlake's September 29, 2026 press release calls Western Funding Inc., "a Nevada based auto lender," "Westlake's wholly-owned subsidiary." The BBB lists Ian Anderson as President; the January 2026 press release calls him "Group President of Hankey Group" and Don Hankey "Founder and Chairman of the Hankey Group."

Recent company announcements (Westlake news page, read 2026-09-30). Besides the January 13, 2026 loan sale described above, the news page lists two Westlake Portfolio Management (WPM) releases, posted May 13 and September 29, 2026. The May 13 post (its text carries an April 6, 2026 dateline) says WPM began servicing a $300 million portfolio of auto loans "on behalf of a leading institutional asset owner." The September 29 post says WPM completed the transfer and onboarding of a $235 million FinBe portfolio that closed on August 1, 2026, "including $90 million active and $145 million charged off," in about 45 days. These are servicing transfers announced by WPM, not a sale or merger of Westlake Services, LLC. Both releases end with an "About Westlake Technology Holdings" paragraph that calls it "an auto and finance technology company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with over $27 billion in assets under management" (the company's figure) and lists Westlake Financial, Westlake Capital Finance, WPM, Westlake Flooring Services, Western Funding Inc., Credit Union Leasing of America, Westlake Direct and LoanCenter; the releases do not say how Westlake Technology Holdings relates to Westlake Services, LLC. The news page lists no other item dated after January 13, 2026.

Locations. The website footer gives a "Corporate Address" of 300 South 4th St., Suite 200, Las Vegas, NV 89101, while the About Us page says the company is "Headquartered in Southern California" with "1,000 located at the Los Angeles corporate headquarters," and the BBB profile lists 4751 Wilshire Blvd #100, Los Angeles (the same address the Justice Department agreement and Massachusetts orders gave for Westlake in 2017). Customer correspondence goes to P.O. Box 76809, Los Angeles, CA 90076-0809. Besides auto loans, the Contact Us page lists a Westlake Visa Credit Card and a Westlake Black Visa Credit Card with separate phone and payment addresses.

EDITORIAL

Complaint record: USAComplaints, CFPB, BBB, Trustpilot and ComplaintsBoard, reported separately

USAComplaints. This page links 197 approved posts about Westlake Financial Services, dated between 2003 and 2013 (name variants and misspellings included). They are consumers' own accounts, are 13 or more years old, and are not restated here as established facts. Another 22 posts about Wilshire Consumer Credit, which the CFPB described in 2015 as Westlake's wholly owned subsidiary, are linked as affiliate posts and are not counted in the 197. Complaint themes below are tallies of what those posts describe.

CFPB Consumer Complaint Database (company name "Westlake Services, LLC," as displayed on 2026-09-30): 14,162 complaints received between January 8, 2013 and September 29, 2026, and 4,415 in the last 12 months. By product (CFPB's labels), the all-time counts are Vehicle loan or lease 5,542; Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports 3,662 (plus 1,426 under the label "Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports"); Debt collection 2,557; Consumer Loan 411; and Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan 260 (plus 173 under "Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan"). The most frequent issues are Incorrect information on your report 2,560; Managing the loan or lease 2,130; Improper use of your report 2,011; Repossession 1,290; and Attempts to collect debt not owed 986. In the last 12 months the leading products are Vehicle loan or lease 1,850, Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports 1,475 and Debt collection 933, and the leading issues are Incorrect information on your report 852, Repossession 643 and Managing the loan or lease 562. Company responses over all time: Closed with explanation 14,127; Closed with monetary relief 23; Closed with non-monetary relief 8; Closed 4; the CFPB marks 14,118 as timely and 44 as not timely. CFPB complaints are consumer submissions and are not adjusted for the size of the company's portfolio.

BBB (BBB profile for Westlake Financial Services, Los Angeles, as displayed on 2026-09-30): not BBB accredited; BBB rating shown as "Not Rated," with the reason "The business is in the process of responding to previously closed complaints"; "2,085 total complaints in the last 3 years. 575 complaints closed in the last 12 months"; customer reviews "1.07 /5 stars Average of 507 Customer Reviews."

Trustpilot (westlakefinancial.com, as displayed on 2026-09-30): 153 reviews, score 1.2, 42 reviews in the last 12 months, star split shown as 5-star 5 percent and 1-star 93 percent; the profile is unclaimed, and Trustpilot notes the company "hasn't invited their customers, so reviews may not be representative."

ComplaintsBoard (as displayed on 2026-09-30, page updated September 26, 2026): 1.5 shown from 6 reviews and 161 complaints; the business page offers "Claim Your Business."

These figures come from different platforms with different collection rules and are not added together or averaged.

EDITORIAL

Class settlements, the Justice Department SCRA case and recent individual cases

Klare v. Westlake Services, LLC (C.D. Cal. No. 2:23-cv-06386). A putative class action removed from Los Angeles Superior Court on August 4, 2023. According to the official settlement website, it alleged that Westlake violated California debt collection laws by charging borrowers fees for using certain payment methods through ACI Payments, Inc.; the site says "Westlake denies any and all wrongdoing" and that "The Court has not decided who is right." The settlement fund is $1,200,000. The court granted preliminary approval on November 3, 2025, and on June 8, 2026 it entered an order granting final approval and a judgment, awarding a $5,000 service award to the plaintiff and class counsel $300,000 in fees and $37,907.14 in costs. The class covers natural persons with a retail installment contract assigned to Westlake who paid a convenience fee to ACI Payments, Inc. between June 20, 2022 and August 18, 2025, on a payment made on or after its due date (or with an unknown due date), and payments were to go to class members who filed a claim. The settlement website says the claims deadline was extended from May 18, 2026 to July 8, 2026, so the deadline has passed; the administrator lists P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958, (833) 417-4970 and [email protected]. Whether payments have gone out was not verified.

Duchene v. Westlake Services, LLC (W.D. Pa. No. 2:13-cv-01577). A putative class action under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act alleging unauthorized prerecorded-voice calls. On October 13, 2015 the court stayed the case pending two U.S. Supreme Court decisions. On July 14, 2016 the court granted the motion to certify the class for final approval of the class action settlement, and on January 5, 2018 it approved a second pro rata disbursement of remaining settlement funds to class members who had cashed their first distribution. The docket entries reviewed do not state the fund amount.

United States v. Westlake Services, LLC, et al. (C.D. Cal. No. 2:17-cv-07125). The Justice Department's SCRA suit, resolved by a settlement agreement executed on September 27, 2017, with a 2022 addendum described in the regulator section. The CourtListener docket, read newest entry first on 2026-09-30, shows an order dated October 24, 2017 (entry 7) that the action "be dismissed pursuant to the terms of the parties' settlement agreement," each party bearing its own fees and costs; it lists no later entries, including none about the 2022 addendum. The agreement calls for five years of monthly reporting to the Justice Department on servicemember compensation and credit repair.

Hatala v. Westlake Services LLC (C.D. Cal. No. 2:26-cv-08138). An individual case filed July 23, 2026. Justia's docket header lists the nature of suit as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the cause of action as 47 U.S.C. § 227; the complaint itself was not reviewed, and its claims are allegations. On September 22, 2026 the court issued an order of dismissal stating that "Plaintiff filed a notice of settlement on September 22, 2026," dismissing the action in its entirety without prejudice, retaining jurisdiction for 45 days from the date of the order to vacate it and reopen the case, and providing that the dismissal of the plaintiff's individual claims converts to a dismissal with prejudice on the 46th day absent a timely motion to reopen. The settlement terms are not stated on the docket, and the order does not make the dismissal final while the 45-day period runs.

Westlake Services LLC v. Williams (Ill. App. Ct. 1st Dist. No. 1-24-1383; Cook County No. 22 M 6009428). According to the July 25, 2025 published opinion (2025 IL App (1st) 241383), Westlake sued Erica Williams in Cook County on November 16, 2022 to collect $10,651.08 and court costs remaining after a January 2018 repossession and sale of a vehicle financed under a November 2016 retail installment contract that was assigned to Westlake in April 2017. Williams filed five counterclaims for herself and a putative class under the Illinois Motor Vehicle Retail Installment Sales Act, the Uniform Commercial Code, the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and the Sales Finance Agency Act, alleging among other things that Westlake improperly allocated payments to "pay to pay" fees and did not send notices of the allocation. On June 7, 2024 the circuit court denied Westlake's motion to dismiss the counterclaims in favor of arbitration, finding that Westlake had waived the right to arbitration by its litigation conduct and that the class waiver in the arbitration agreement was limited to arbitration. On interlocutory appeal the appellate court held that the circuit court did not err in denying the motion and affirmed. The opinion decides where the counterclaims are heard, not whether the allegations are true, and later proceedings were not checked.

Thigpen v. Westlake Services, LLC (10th Cir. No. 25-2081, on appeal from D.N.M. No. 1:24-cv-00214). The Tenth Circuit's Order and Judgment of August 5, 2026 says the plaintiff bought a truck under an installment contract that the seller assigned to Westlake, stopped paying, and sued Westlake "for nondisclosure and misconduct in collecting what he owed." The district court had granted summary judgment to Westlake, and the panel affirmed: it held the Truth in Lending Act claim time-barred and invalid on the merits; concluded that "Westlake wasn't a debt collector" for purposes of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, noting that Westlake acquired the assignment right after the truck was bought; held that the contract language gave express consent to prerecorded and automatically dialed calls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; and affirmed the rulings on the breach-of-contract, unjust-enrichment and New Mexico Unfair Practices Act claims. The order states that it is not precedential except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata and collateral estoppel.

CourtListener also lists individual consumer lawsuits and bankruptcy proceedings that name Westlake; their claims were not reviewed for this page, and a filing is an allegation, not a finding.

EDITORIAL

Is Westlake Financial Legitimate?

Westlake Services, LLC, doing business as Westlake Financial Services, is a Southern California-based auto-finance company (its site also gives a Las Vegas corporate address) that says it was formed in August 1988 and buys and services prime to subprime dealer-originated retail installment contracts; the BBB's raw data lists a business start date of August 29, 1988. It has been the subject of a 2015 CFPB consent order (about $44.1 million in redress and a $4.25 million civil penalty, entered without admitting or denying the findings), Massachusetts Division of Banks consent orders in 2016 and 2017 (also without admitting allegations), and a Justice Department SCRA settlement in 2017 with a 2022 addendum. Two consumer class actions ended in court-approved settlements (a 2016 order in a Telephone Consumer Protection Act case and a June 8, 2026 order in a payment-fee case); in an individual case the Tenth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Westlake on August 5, 2026, and in another an Illinois appellate court upheld the denial of Westlake's motion to compel arbitration on July 25, 2025. The CFPB database, BBB, Trustpilot and ComplaintsBoard figures above show sustained complaint volume, and USAComplaints has 197 linked posts from 2003 to 2013. This page assigns Westlake no rating, score or verdict of its own — the regulatory, court and complaint record is reported so readers can judge for themselves, alongside the company's own contact and payment channels.

PUBLIC RECORD

Court & Public Records

CaseAuthorityDatesTypeOutcomeSource
Klare v. Westlake Services, LLC
Docket No. 2:23-cv-06386		U.S. District Court, C.D. Cal.
SettledSettled

Class action (removed from Los Angeles Superior Court, 23STCV14272) alleging Westlake violated California debt collection laws by charging borrowers fees for certain payment methods made through ACI Payments, Inc.; per the official settlement website, Westlake denies any wrongdoing and the court has not decided who is right. $1,200,000 settlement fund. Preliminary approval was granted on November 3, 2025; on June 8, 2026 the court granted final approval and entered judgment, including a $5,000 service award and class counsel fees of $300,000 and costs of $37,907.14. The settlement website says the claims deadline was extended to July 8, 2026 (passed).

Source
Duchene v. Westlake Services, LLC
Docket No. 2:13-cv-01577		U.S. District Court, W.D. Pa.
SettledSettled

Putative class action under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act alleging unauthorized prerecorded-voice calls. The court stayed the case on October 13, 2015 pending two Supreme Court decisions. On July 14, 2016 it granted the motion to certify the class for final approval of the class action settlement; on January 5, 2018 it approved a second pro rata disbursement of remaining funds to class members who had negotiated their first distribution. The docket entries reviewed do not state the fund amount.

Source
United States v. Westlake Services, LLC, et al.
Docket No. 2:17-cv-07125		U.S. District Court, C.D. Cal.
SettledSettled

Justice Department suit under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act against Westlake Services, LLC and its subsidiary Wilshire Commercial Capital, LLC over repossessions of vehicles owned by protected servicemembers. Resolved by a settlement agreement executed September 27, 2017 ($760,788 in total: $10,000 to each of 70 servicemembers plus lost equity with interest, credit repair, and a $60,788 civil penalty); the court dismissed the action on October 24, 2017 "pursuant to the terms of the parties' settlement agreement" (docket entry 7, the newest entry shown on 2026-09-30). On September 27, 2022 the parties entered into an addendum to the settlement agreement (an additional $185,460 to 250 servicemembers and a $40,000 civil penalty), per the Justice Department's case page; the docket lists no entries about the addendum.

Source
Hatala v. Westlake Services LLC
Docket No. 2:26-cv-08138		U.S. District Court, C.D. Cal.FiledFiled — no final outcome recorded

Individual case filed July 23, 2026; Justia's docket header lists the nature of suit as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (cause of action 47 U.S.C. § 227); the complaint was not reviewed and its claims are allegations. The plaintiff filed a notice of settlement on September 22, 2026, and the court issued an order of dismissal that day dismissing the action without prejudice, with the court retaining jurisdiction for 45 days to vacate the order and reopen the case; the dismissal of the plaintiff's individual claims converts to a dismissal with prejudice on the 46th day absent a timely motion. Settlement terms are not stated on the docket.

Source
Westlake Services LLC v. Williams
Docket No. 1-24-1383 (Cook County No. 22 M 6009428)		Illinois Appellate Court, First District (appeal from Circuit Court of Cook County)
Appeal decidedAppeal decided — see outcome

Westlake sued Erica Williams on November 16, 2022 to collect a balance remaining after a 2018 repossession; Williams filed putative class counterclaims under Illinois consumer-finance statutes, alleging among other things improper allocation of payments to "pay to pay" fees. On June 7, 2024 the circuit court denied Westlake's motion to dismiss the counterclaims in favor of arbitration, finding that Westlake had waived arbitration by its litigation conduct. In a published opinion dated July 25, 2025 (2025 IL App (1st) 241383), the appellate court held that the circuit court did not err in denying the motion and affirmed, holding that the class waiver applied only within the arbitration agreement. The ruling concerns the forum for the counterclaims, not the truth of the allegations; later proceedings were not checked.

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Thigpen v. Westlake Services, LLC
Docket No. 25-2081 (D.N.M. No. 1:24-cv-00214)		U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit (appeal from D.N.M.)
Appeal decidedAppeal decided — see outcome

Individual borrower's suit over a truck installment contract assigned to Westlake, asserting Truth in Lending Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, breach-of-contract, unjust-enrichment and New Mexico Unfair Practices Act claims. The district court granted summary judgment to Westlake; in a nonprecedential Order and Judgment dated August 5, 2026 the Tenth Circuit affirmed, including holding that Westlake was not a debt collector under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act on that record and that the contract supplied express consent under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The appeal was docketed July 18, 2025.

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CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Related Complaints

Names this company in a role other than the primary subject — not necessarily current or complete.

VERIFIED

Company Relationships

  • Affiliated with: Hankey Group of Companies
  • Affiliated with: Marubeni Corporation (20 percent ownership stake taken in 2011, per Westlake's history timeline; present holding not verified)
  • Affiliated with: Wilshire Consumer Credit, LLC (described as a wholly owned subsidiary of Westlake in the CFPB's 2015 order; current status not verified)
  • Affiliated with: Western Funding Incorporated (wholly owned subsidiary since January 6, 2014 per a 2017 Massachusetts order; "Westlake's wholly-owned subsidiary" in Westlake's September 29, 2026 press release)
  • Affiliated with: Westlake Portfolio Management, LLC (WPM; listed in Westlake's press releases among its businesses, providing portfolio servicing)
  • Affiliated with: Westlake Technology Holdings (named in the 'About' paragraph of Westlake's 2026 press releases; relationship to Westlake Services, LLC not stated)
EDITORIAL

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a payment to Westlake Financial, and what do the payment methods cost?

Westlake's Customer FAQ lists online payments and automatic monthly payments from a checking or savings account as "Free of Charge"; debit or ATM card payments online, checking or savings and debit or ATM payments through the automated phone line, and phone payments with an agent at "Processing Fee: $5.00" (the FAQ says the fee "is not assessed in some states" and may be assessed "by a third-party processor or Westlake"); MoneyGram at $9.95; walk-in "Check Free" payments starting at $1.50; and Pay Near Me at $3.99, excluded in New Mexico, Hawaii and Oklahoma. Payments by mail go to Westlake Financial, P.O. Box 54807, Los Angeles, CA 90054-0807 (payoff payments: P.O. Box 843082, Los Angeles, CA 90084-3082) with the account number on the check. The FAQ and Contact Us page give (888) 739-9192 for phone payments; one "Got More Questions?" box on the FAQ page shows 888.893.7937 instead, so use the number on your statement or MyAccount if in doubt. Westlake's Terms of Use say a scheduled transaction "can be canceled 24 hours prior to the payment date" by calling (888)-739-9192 and that payments made before 5:00 PM Pacific Time post the same day, while payments made after that time, on weekends or on holidays post the following business day. If your loan was transferred to Westlake Portfolio Management, pay the servicer named in the transfer letter; WPM's own page lists (877) 854-5688 and P.O. Box 847405, Los Angeles, CA 90084-7405.

How do I get a payoff amount from Westlake Financial?

Westlake's Customer FAQ answers "How do I get a payoff amount for my loan?" with: "Please call Customer Service and speak with a Customer Service representative (888-739-9192) or access WESTLAKE: MY ACCOUNT," and the site header has a "Payoff Quote" link. Payoff payments have their own mailing address (P.O. Box 843082, Los Angeles, CA 90084-3082). Ask for the figure in writing with its good-through date, and after the balance is paid use MyTitle Support (mytitle.westlakefinancial.com) to check the lien release status.

How do I dispute how Westlake Financial reports my account to the credit bureaus?

Westlake's live Contact Us page gives two routes. A block on the page says "please submit your direct dispute to the address below" (Westlake Financial, P.O. Box 76814, Los Angeles, CA 90076), and the page's Credit Reporting form says "please fill out the fields below" and offers attachments. Under the Bureau's Regulation V (12 CFR 1022.43(d)) a direct dispute notice should identify the account, state the specific information disputed and the basis for the dispute, and include supporting documentation such as account statements; if a payment is missing from your account, the form also has a "Lost Payment" topic. You can also dispute the entry with the credit bureau that issued the report, and file a complaint with the CFPB (consumerfinance.gov/complaint, (855) 411-2372). In the CFPB's public database, incorrect information on a credit report is the most frequent issue tagged on complaints about Westlake Services, LLC; see the complaint record above for the counts.

What did the 2015 CFPB consent order say about Westlake's collection calls, and is it still in effect?

The CFPB's September 30, 2015 order (File No. 2015-CFPB-0026), which Westlake Services, LLC and Wilshire Consumer Credit, LLC consented to "without admitting or denying" the findings, described collection calls made through a service that altered caller ID, threats of investigation or prosecution, calls to employers, family and friends that disclosed loan information, and incomplete APR disclosures in title-loan ads. It required about $44.1 million in redress and a $4,250,000 civil penalty. The order states it terminates five years after its effective date, and the CFPB's page for the case lists the status "Expired/Terminated/Dismissed." Complaints about calls since then are allegations and are not findings of the CFPB.

What is the Klare v. Westlake convenience-fee settlement, and can I still claim?

Klare v. Westlake Services, LLC (C.D. Cal. No. 2:23-cv-06386) settled for a $1,200,000 fund covering people with a Westlake-assigned retail installment contract who paid a convenience fee to ACI Payments, Inc. from June 20, 2022 through August 18, 2025; the court granted final approval on June 8, 2026 and Westlake denies wrongdoing. The official settlement website says the claims deadline was extended from May 18, 2026 to July 8, 2026, so as of September 30, 2026 the deadline has passed. Questions go to the administrator: (833) 417-4970, [email protected], or Westlake Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958.

What were the Justice Department's SCRA settlements with Westlake, and how do servicemembers contact Westlake?

On September 27, 2017 the Justice Department announced that Westlake Services LLC and its Wilshire subsidiary agreed to pay $760,788 to resolve allegations they repossessed 70 vehicles owned by protected servicemembers without court orders ($10,000 to each servicemember plus lost equity, credit repair and a $60,788 civil penalty). On September 27, 2022 the parties entered into an addendum to the settlement agreement (announced by press release dated September 28, 2022) that added $185,460 for 250 servicemembers and a $40,000 civil penalty over interest-rate benefits that were applied late or not back to the date of orders. Westlake's military page lists 1-844-358-0660 and [email protected] for SCRA requests and, for people who received a letter about the Justice Department settlement, a mailing address at P.O. Box 76813, Los Angeles, CA 90076.

Who owns Westlake Financial, and what is Wilshire Consumer Credit?

Westlake's About Us page calls it "the financial services arm of the Hankey Group of Companies" and "privately-held," and its History timeline says Marubeni Corporation took a 20 percent ownership stake in 2011. Wilshire Consumer Credit, LLC (also called Wilshire Commercial Capital, LLC in the Justice Department agreement) is described in the CFPB's 2015 order and the Justice Department's 2017 agreement as a wholly owned subsidiary of Westlake that made auto title loans; whether it still operates was not verified. Westlake's September 29, 2026 press release describes Western Funding Inc. as "Westlake's wholly-owned subsidiary" and lists Westlake Portfolio Management (WPM) among the businesses of its group; if you received a letter that WPM now services your loan, WPM's site says you pay WPM and that "nothing else has changed." Separately, Westlake announced on January 13, 2026 that it sold about $100 million of subprime auto loans to HFC Acceptance, LLC, and said the sale was structured to maintain continuity of servicing.

How can I file a complaint about Westlake Financial?

The routes are: Westlake's own Contact Us page ("Write to Us," including a "Complaints & Feedback" option) and phone line (888) 739-9192; the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or (855) 411-2372, which says most companies respond within 15 days; the BBB complaint form on Westlake's BBB profile; and your state attorney general or state financial regulator. Complaints on these sites are consumers' allegations. The CFPB says it publishes complaint data without information that directly identifies the consumer, and its public database reports the company-response category; it does not necessarily publish the company's full response.

What does Westlake's website say about repossession, redemption and GAP refunds?

Westlake's Contact Us form lists "Repossession," "GAP & Warranty" and "Refund" among its topics, and the page lists one mailing address for "Total Loss checks, Recovery payments, Warranty refunds, and DMV/title related refunds" twice, under "Insurance Payments" in the customers tab and in an "Ancillary Product Refunds" block in the Dealers tab (neither explains how a borrower requests a refund). A page explaining repossession, redemption or reinstatement terms was not identified on the Westlake pages checked on 2026-09-30 (Contact Us, Customer FAQ, Make a Payment, Benefits for Military Personnel, About Us). The CFPB says you have "the right to be notified before your vehicle is sold or kept as compensation for your debt" and may be able to buy the vehicle back by paying "the full loan amount, plus the repossession costs, before the sale"; cure and reinstatement rights vary by state. For a GAP product, a Westlake-hosted GAP addendum form says to "contact the selling dealer" and, if unavailable, "the GAP Administrator" to request cancellation; your own paperwork controls. Regulators have addressed these topics in specific cases: Massachusetts orders from 2016 and 2017 covered GAP premiums counted toward the state APR cap and repossession "close" fees on Massachusetts accounts, and the Justice Department's SCRA settlement covered repossessions of protected servicemembers' vehicles without court orders. Repossession was the fourth most frequent issue among all CFPB complaints about Westlake Services, LLC and the second among those received in the last 12 months.