I have tried everything I could with equifax...

[LovelyDianna]

To get two inquiries removed. To make a longgggg story short I went into a SHADY Toyota dealership that pulled my credit without my authorization. It was fraudulently pulled. When I confronted everyone I was told that they want to get an incentive, blah blah blah. I stormed out of there and called the manager the next day. I was issued retraction letters staring my credit was pulled in error. They sent these to all 3 report agencies and sent me on my way.



6 month later and equifax is refusing to remove them even with the retraction letters. They keep telling me that a credit inquiry is factual and it will stay unless they are given a "notification" from Toyota. Toyota has no idea **bleep** a "notification" even is. I've been going around in circles and now I'm not sure what to do.

When I call Toyota CORPORATE, they claim they can't help. They claim each dealership is independent and I need to take it up with them. I've done this but the controller has already mailed and sent everything over.
What now? I'm getting frustrated.

[RobertEG]

Letter of complaint to the CFPB.

[LovelyDianna]

So I tried that, still havent gotten the item removed.

Im at wits end. Is it worth getting a lawyer involved? My credit was pulled fraudulently .

[Anonymous]

What was the outcome with the CFPB complaint?

[LovelyDianna]

Shocklngly, Nothing. Only thing they did was issue fraud alerts on all 3 of my accounts.

[RobertEG]

Then I would send notification to both your state AG and to the FTC, who still has power to bring legal action for violation of the FCRA for possible prosecution.

Obtaining a consumer report under false pretenses, such as when they have no permissible purpose, can be prosecuted under FCRA 619.

Additionally, you can bring your own civil action against them.  I would consult an attorney.

"FCRA 619  Obtaining information under false pretenses

Any person who knowingly and willfully obtains information on a consumer from a consumer reporting agency under false pretenses shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both."

[Anonymous]

---

@RobertEG wrote:

Then I would send notification to both your state AG and to the FTC, who still has power to bring legal action for violation of the FCRA for possible prosecution.

Obtaining a consumer report under false pretenses, such as when they have no permissible purpose, can be prosecuted under FCRA 619.

Additionally, you can bring your own civil action against them.  I would consult an attorney.

"FCRA 619  Obtaining information under false pretenses

Any person who knowingly and willfully obtains information on a consumer from a consumer reporting agency under false pretenses shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both."

---

In the real world, that never happens.

When I worked selling cars, it was a common practice. You get a tough customer that wants to talk price without having credit pulled. You discreetly write down their license plate and hand it to the sales manager. He looks up their name & address from registration records. He then calls a "guy" who can use that info to pull a social. Not sure how that step works, but they did it. Once they have that, they pull the customer's credit to get an idea of what kind of financing they can offer and thus a price, or if the customer isn't worth their time due to bad credit.

They did it every day.

[RobertEG]

If the consumer initiated civil action and those facts were before a judge, you can bet that something would happen.

The fact that it may be common practice to obtain a credit report without permissible purpose makes it more, not less, egregious.

Advisement to a state AG or to the FTC for potential criminal action would be secondary to the consumer, who is more concerned with the party having obtained their private credit information.