Santander US announced that the Company and its businesses have taken proactive steps to assist customers affected by Hurricane Harvey. Santander US has pledged a total of $100,000 to local charitable organizations assisting with disaster relief, including $75,000 to the Greater Houston Community Foundation Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, and $25,000 to the American Red Cross. The Company also increased its level of employee matching contributions to non-profit organizations aiding in the relief efforts and activated assistance programs to help affected customers living in disaster zip codes identified by FEMA.
“Our hearts go out to all those directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey, as well as those who have friends and family affected,” said Scott Powell, President and CEO of Santander US. “The safety and well-being of our customers, employees and their families is our primary concern.”
Santander US’s Dallas-based auto finance company, Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC), has suspended loan collection and automotive repossession activities, and is offering temporary loan assistance to customers in the form of loan modifications and suspended late fees.
The affected areas account for approximately 3.5 percent of SC’s active retail and lease loan balance as of Sept. 4, 2017. SC’s portfolio of repossessed vehicles in the hurricane-affected area has not incurred material damage. SC requires comprehensive insurance coverage for the majority of its customers, but does not force place insurance.
Likewise, Santander Bank is offering immediate assistance to its retail, small business and commercial customers to include temporarily-reduced interest rates, temporarily-suspended late fees, loan modifications and the suspension of collection calls and auto repossessions.
Powell added, “As the recovery process begins, we will work with customers whose lives have been disrupted, as well as those who need alternate payment arrangements. We understand that natural disasters of this magnitude interrupt every aspect of people’s lives and businesses, and we are taking steps to help.”
Affected Santander Bank customers can contact a Customer Assistance Representative at 1.877.768.2265, seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET for details on how Santander can help alleviate some of their financial worries while they begin to recover from Harvey’s devastating impact. Customers with hearing impairments can call 1.800.428.9121 (TTY/TDD), seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
SC customers who have questions about their accounts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey may contact SC by phone at 888-222-4227 Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. CT, Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, or online at www.santanderconsumerusa.com. Customers with Chrysler Capital accounts can reach a service agent at 855-563-5635 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, or online at www.chryslercapital.com.
Santander Holdings USA, Inc. (SHUSA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) (Santander), one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 125 million customers in the U.K., Europe, Latin America and the U.S. As the intermediate holding company for Santander’s U.S. businesses, SHUSA includes six financial companies with more than 17,500 employees, 5.2 million customers and assets of over $135.1 billion. These include Santander Bank, N.A., one of the country’s largest retail and commercial banks by deposits; Santander Consumer USA Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SC), an auto finance and consumer lending company; Banco Santander International of Miami; Banco Santander Puerto Rico; Santander Securities LLC of Boston; and Santander Investment Securities Inc. of New York.
Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC) is a full-service, technology-driven consumer finance company focused on vehicle finance, third-party servicing and delivering superior service to our more than 2.7 million customers across the full credit spectrum. The company, which began originating retail installment contracts in 1997, has a managed asset portfolio of approximately $50 billion (as of June 30, 2017), and is headquartered in Dallas. (www.santanderconsumerusa.com)