Car Dealer pulling credit.. Legal

[Pants]

A few years ago, I walked into a car dealer. I was immediately pushed in front of a box to sign up for a contest. It was to register to win a new car. The form asked for name, address, and social security number. Once I filled out the form the sales person told me he would get right back with me. Would you know it. The salesperson ran a credit check on me to see what I was pre approved for before he would talk to me. Is this sort of thing legal? I believe when I checked my credit it did show up as a hard pull. At that time this forum never was thought of. So I didn't know much about credit when I was younger.

[Anonymous]

Yeah that was kinda sneaky of them...but you did give them your SS# and I would bet on that form was permission to run your credit. Bummer but now we know better...

[Anonymous]

What a flim-flam way to run someone's credit. Any honest dealership wouldn't have done a promotion like that.

[Anonymous]

Anytime anyone asks you for your SSN, inquire as to why and for what purpose. Read the fine print carefully.

If they press you for it, and they are short on details, ask them point blank whether they intend to pull your credit. If they in any way evasive, assume the worst. Be persistent in asking whether they intend to pull your credit.

If you wanna be obstinate, and I would, I would tell them I don't see anything obvious in this form that they intend to pull my credit. I would go on to say that if they do pull my credit without my express permission and without expressly telling me when I expressly ask whether they intend to pull my credit, then they are violating the permissible purpose provisions of the FCRA, and they are subject to a fine plus my legal fees, and my attorney ain't cheap.