inquiry after being assured otherwise, recourse?

[creditn00bAt40]

I was checking out at Walgreens and the cashier asked if I wanted to get $75 store credit by opening a Walgreens card. I said no, I don't want another new account or hard inquiry on my credit file. He adamantly told me what he was referring to was an in house Walgreens rewards card and nothing would be reported to bureaus. I gave him my dl, and when the keypad asked me to input my SSN I said, "are you sure this isn't a credit card?" He said no, it's a store card. He told me the $75 credit paid for the item I was buying, handed me my receipt and I left. Then my phone starts blowing up with notifications about a hard inquiry. I'd just opened synchrony's Walgreens card. I called Walgreens and the manager told me they were advised by the Synchrony rep that the pull would be soft. He apologized but let me know it was my problem, not his. I called synchrony. I explained what happened and asked if they could close the account and remove the inquiry. The agent told me I needed to talk to the fraud department. I said I wasn't sure it was technically fraud. She transferred me anyway. The fraud agent told me I could close the account. I asked if they could delete it all together as I didn't want a new account or inquiry in the first place. She said no you opened it, you can close it or keep it open. We won't remove the inquiry. 

Is there anything I can do? I know it's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things and I need to take the lesson on listening to my gut and standing firm . But this sucks

[GZG]

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@creditn00bAt40 wrote:

I was checking out at Walgreens and the cashier asked if I wanted to get $75 store credit by opening a Walgreens card. I said no, I don't want another new account or hard inquiry on my credit file. He adamantly told me what he was referring to was an in house Walgreens rewards card and nothing would be reported to bureaus. I gave him my dl, and when the keypad asked me to input my SSN I said, "are you sure this isn't a credit card?" He said no, it's a store card. He told me the $75 credit paid for the item I was buying, handed me my receipt and I left. Then my phone starts blowing up with notifications about a hard inquiry. I'd just opened synchrony's Walgreens card. I called Walgreens and the manager told me they were advised by the Synchrony rep that the pull would be soft. He apologized but let me know it was my problem, not his. I called synchrony. I explained what happened and asked if they could close the account and remove the inquiry. The agent told me I needed to talk to the fraud department. I said I wasn't sure it was technically fraud. She transferred me anyway. The fraud agent told me I could close the account. I asked if they could delete it all together as I didn't want a new account or inquiry in the first place. She said no you opened it, you can close it or keep it open. We won't remove the inquiry. 

Is there anything I can do? I know it's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things and I need to take the lesson on listening to my gut and standing firm . But this sucks

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this will likely take a CFPB complaint in order to get the account/inquiry removed from your report

your argument is that you were misled and told you weren't applying for a credit product and that you were informed that you were just applying for a store rewards program 

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ 

make your complaint concise and emotionless and ask for the removal of the account and the inquiry from your credit reports

and do check the card to make sure there's not any remaining balance that needs to be paid off for the account as well. 

[NoMoreE46]

No disrespect to that cashier but they typically don't know what they're talking about with regards to hard pull, soft pulls, credit report agencies & etc.  They are being pushed by management to push a card product be it a store only card or Visa/MC.   Either way, the issuer will pull credit.

Your intuition was right but you did give up your SSN.  

You should've listened to your Spidey senses.

Keep your reports frozen.

good luck 

[ptatohed]

You can try to dispute it with the bureaus but you may not be successful.  You may just have to suck it up.  Not a huge deal.  You did get $75 store credit, yes?  

[coldfusion]

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CRAs typically won't consider removing a hard pull on their own unless there is an allegation of fraud supported with a police report having been filed and the CFPB by default refers complaints to the FDIC/NCUA (they may refer themselves or tell you to file the complaint yourself) to get a financial institution to withdraw a hard pull.

I suppose one could try filing a police report claiming fraud against that specific Walgreens (ostensibly the clerk got brownie points for getting you to apply) and then disputing with the CRA or filing a CFPB complaint against corporate Walgreens, or instead filing a FDIC complaint against Synchrony to have the inquiry withdrawn due to misrepresentation by Walgreens, as long as one understands that likelihood of getting a positive outcome is a YMMV. As mentioned above it may be best to just consider this as a lesson learned and move on as under most circumstances a single inquiry isn't anything near being a dealbreaker.

[NoMoreE46]

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@coldfusion wrote:

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CRAs typically won't consider removing a hard pull on their own unless there is an allegation of fraud supported with a police report having been filed and the CFPB by default refers complaints to the FDIC/NCUA (they may refer themselves or tell you to file the complaint yourself) to get a financial institution to withdraw a hard pull.

I suppose one could try filing a police report claiming fraud against that specific Walgreens (ostensibly the clerk got brownie points for getting you to apply) and then disputing with the CRA or filing a CFPB complaint against corporate Walgreens, or instead filing a FDIC complaint against Synchrony to have the inquiry withdrawn due to misrepresentation by Walgreens, as long as one understands that likelihood of getting a positive outcome is a YMMV. As mentioned above it may be best to just consider this as a lesson learned and move on as under most circumstances a single inquiry isn't anything near being a dealbreaker.

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Slightly off-topic, but clerks do get the brownie points for getting a customer to just Apply.   The results of the app, be it an approval, denial or unable to proceed (CRA frozen)  has no bearing towards these incentivized goals. 

Given that, I have permitted clerks to submit an application (to help them make their numbers.)   

Some give me the response that I have to thaw, while some have been perplexed and instruct you call the 800 number on the paper receipt.  In the end, no HP for me and they get an application they have been pushed to do. 

[IcyCool7227]

On the other hand if you can't get the inquiry removed why not just keep the account as it offers 5-10% value in My Walgreens rewards points whenever you shop there? Would be a waste of a HP if you just closed the account. In the future speak to either the card issuer or a store manager before signing up for anything if you're ever faced with that situation again to be sure you're getting the correct info.

[hdporter]

To be frank, a 2 or 3 point score impairment isn't worth jumping through the hoops necessary to "potentially" remove a hard inquiry.

I favor the advice offered that as a Walgreens shopper, the card has value.  Keep it and move on.

[Pppoolboy]

Slightly off-topic, but clerks do get the brownie points for getting a customer to just Apply.   The results of the app, be it an approval, denial or unable to proceed (CRA frozen)  has no bearing towards these incentivized goals. 

Given that, I have permitted clerks to submit an application (to help them make their numbers.)   

Some give me the response that I have to thaw, while some have been perplexed and instruct you call the 800 number on the paper receipt.  In the end, no HP for me and they get an application they have been pushed to do. 

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Feeling sorry for whomever is in line behind you when all those shenanigans happen.

Anyway, to the OP, the only thing to do is live and learn.  You got suckered by a salesman.  A cheap lesson.