Dealership ran credit without permission

[Save-n-Invest]

Dealers love that financing. I bought a car two years ago. It was a cash sale. Salesman told me to "just sign the credit applicaiton. we'll fill in everything else". I declined. He went on to try to persuade me that their financing was better for me because I would still have my cash. 

These guys are comical at times. 

[calyx]

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@MakingProgress wrote:

Similar to you DW and I bought a car 3 weeks ago and when we walked into the dealership we had already secured the financing.   I told them up front that we had the financing already.   We never talked about monthly payments at all, once we agreed on the price I called my lender told him how much I needed and then went and picked it up.   I left a $4K personal check at dealership while I picked up the check.   Went back to the dealership and drive off with a new car.   No issues then or since with any shenanigans on my CR. 

If I was you I would stay away form that dealer in the future. 

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That is nearly identical to how I did it last week.
Secured financing at my CU.  Went to the dealership, negotiated a price.   When they wanted to talk financing I told them I already had secured it.  I left them my trade in (my partner met me at the dealership for anyone who is confused on my leaving the trade in, haha) and a 4k check, went to the CU, signed paperwork, grabbed the check, came back, gave it to the dealership and drove away in the new car.   Nothing on my CR.

[CreditInspired]

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@DaveInAZ wrote:

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@FlaDude wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Anyway, so I get to the dealership with my check from the bank and all. The sales guy tells me they need some info for the paperwork and records and hands me a credit app but says my credit wont be ran. Fair enough. I fill in the name, address, social and thats all.

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For anybody who comes across this thread later, there is no reason to give the dealer your SSN if you are not applying for financing from them.

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True, I wouldn't have filled out a single thing on the credit app, I would handed it back to them and said: "No. I'm not applying for credit from you". Most dealers will try that, the dealer for my car in 2017 tried that when I came in with a pre-approved loan. They want to run your credit so they can try to push a "better" loan on you, "better" for them because they get a commission for the loan. 

But also keep all three credit bureaus locked, if they're lock no one can hard pull your credit.

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+1

And my motto is — DON’T GIVE OUT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER! Period. Then, you are absolutely, unequivocally, 100% sure your credit won’t be pulled!

[Anonymous]

I'm no genious by any means, but even I would not have filled out their credit app for a cash only sale. Not for any reason they gave.

Granted, it sounds like the dealer was a bit shady. But ultimately it's your own responsiblity to cover your backside. Dealerships at their core haven't changed much from their predatory ways of years gone by. So I wouldn't trust them to do what's in my best interest, they're always in it for them. There must be some type of kickback for every credit check they do, otherwise why the need on a cash sale?