My plant manager is looking for a newer car lately. Having worked hard for me for years, I planned to reward him with the down payment. Shopping together, I was often asked who I was and would hand over a business card.

Bad move.

Yesterday, I was checking my credit scores and found out something I couldn't believe. Since I was helping with the deal, two of the dealers took it upon themselves to check my credit.

As if this point bump (about 5) wasn't enough, one of them spelled my company name wrong by one letter. (He had the card in his hand) This triggered and automatic "New Employer" bump on my scores. About 10 more points. On all three credit companies.

I own the darn company. Somehow, it's not funny.

I didn't give them my social Security # only my address, name and company name. I wasn't even the prospective buyer.

If you are looking for a car, don't give them your name and address. Apparently, that's all they need to check and every time somebody checks it can cost you five to fifteen points. And if they spell your employer wrong, you just got a new job.

I guess since so many are losing thier job, getting hired could be considered a good thing. Somehow, I'm not amused.

roadster with a stick

 

Interesting. I bought a Kia Amanti a year and a half ago and the salesman now is assigned to the dealer's Saturn store in our local mall. My wife and I walk laps there several times a week and I often wave to or stop and say hi to the salesman. One night he asked what kind of work I was in and I told him I was an HR Director for an electronics manufacturer, he asked if we were hiring. Selling cars is tough these days and he wasn't making much money and was looking for options. I gave him my business card and he said he'd email me his resume and if nothing else I could critique it. Maybe I should check out my credit rating now.

 

I wouldn't be either.

Nice.

 

Without your authorization to pull your crediit file I think they broke the law when they pulled it. Also, at some point they would need to have your SS# in order to get it. If you did not sign an authorization, than I suppose you could report them to the Attorney General of the state you were in.
There has not been much enforcement of these laws in the past and some car dealers are constant abusers.

 

You are quite right. However the mechanisms for a consumer to use to deal with this are few and difficult. My wife spent an hour last night just trying to file corrections and objections to the bureaus involved. With no garantees that it would have any effect.

It is my belief that the credit bureaus would prefer to go along with this practice to some degree as it raises the interest rates on loans for their customers. Keep in mind, Experion gets it's fees from banks and lenders, not you and me.

There are ways to lock your credit reports so no one can get in unless you specificaly release it. I'm looking into that.

But I have to ask this question. Why is it more and more difficult to protect oneself from the systemized theft of my rights and my property?

BTW, It is incredibly easy to get someone's SS# with just their name and address. In the one case, I mentioned I had a loan with Chrysler Financial. It appears the saleman took it from there.


roadster with a stick


roadster with a stick

 

Franc, you just went up a few notches in my book because that is a very nice gesture to do for an employee/friend. Today business has changed so much that no longer does a superior recognized the toil and commitment of his directs any more. Your actions are not only impressive but a true gesture of human spirit!

THanks for the note and yes indeed ID theft has now moved to Credit Rating Theft!

 

One other way that you can lock down your IDentity is to put a fraud alert in with the credit reporting agencies. Now this may make it a little more challenging for you to open a store card etc. But it will keep the ID theives at bay.

 

Hey Franc, what about your other employees? Need an HR Manager? I'll settle for a nice used XF SRT.

 

Credit scores are the biggest crock of BS. Why do the deadbeats of the world make the rest of us jump through hoops and play stupid games because they can't pay for stuff they buy?

 

Best trick is: "we need to make a copy of your license."

They don't need to.
If they press too hard, walk quickly to the nearest exit. They always ask me and always say no. I also give them a phony name and a gmail address that matches the phony name. I also use my Magic Jack phone number so when they call they get the computer...I never answer it, just make calls.

I've not been turned down for a test ride. But, I could be and in that case I'm leaving. They will run a credit check at worst and inundate you with phone calls and email at best. If I like the car, we'll negotiate the price. If I like the price we'll sign papers. I also don't use dealer financing as they use too many loopholes (i.e. interest up front is one). I go to a credit union and get a check and bring it back.

Just remember, it's your personal information. When you give it out, it becomes everybody's personal information.

 

[quote=Veloce]Best trick is: "we need to make a copy of your license."

They don't need to.
If they press too hard, walk quickly to the nearest exit. They always ask me and always say no. I also give them a phony name and a gmail address that matches the phony name. I also use my Magic Jack phone number so when they call they get the computer...I never answer it, just make calls.

I've not been turned down for a test ride. But, I could be and in that case I'm leaving. They will run a credit check at worst and inundate you with phone calls and email at best. If I like the car, we'll negotiate the price. If I like the price we'll sign papers. I also don't use dealer financing as they use too many loopholes (i.e. interest up front is one). I go to a credit union and get a check and bring it back.




You are spot on VELOCE.

We agreed on a car deal today. Dealer kept insisting they could do better on finding my friend financing. I asked if they would prepare a package based on a copy of his and my credit report and not go to Experion until we agreed on a deal. He said the dealer promised not to check it until then.
When I pressed the owner of the dealership he admitted, they wouldn't, but perhaps one of the lending sources they sent it to would.


Uh HUH....

I promised him a check from my lending source would be in his hands by Monday.


roadster with a stick

 

This isn't any kind of "trick"! Having worked in a dealership for almost 10 years I can tell you that we take forms of ID for 2 reasons. The first is employee safety - before this became standard in dealerships, salespeople were getting carjacked all the time on test drives (sadly this was best case - many were shot, leading to car salesman being the 5th most dangerous job in America in the 80's). The second is that the government requires that every person buying a car in the US (no matter how you are paying for it) passes an OFAC check. Add to that the amount of identity theft going around and I would think that everyone would want to prove that they were honest and who they say they are. I can tell you that my father was carjacked selling cars back in the day (never caught the guy because they didn't get his ID) and I had the General Manager of the dealership next to mine get killed opening his store one morning. We have a saying in the car business - it isn't will someone freak out & try to kill you it is when will it happen. Still amazes me that people can get that worked up over a CAR that they would kill or harm someone. I for one will always get ID on the people I am dealing with and if you can't trust the dealership where you are going - why would you do 5 figure business with them???

 

Good points Kim.

My problem wasn't that they wanted my ID. It is what they did with it.
I believe they wanted to vette my ability to be a real buyer not some "wish I could have that dream car" guy who would be wasting their time.

I'm fine with that but it costs me money when they ding my credit instead of asking me for, or checking out, my credentials.

roadster with a stick

 

Franc - you are 100% right to be pissed!

If one of my salespeople had pulled a stunt like that I would have fired them. I'm not risking my dealer's license for any one car deal. It's that kind of unethical & illegal crap that gives us all a bad name. I would recommend going in there on a Saturday afternoon if you want to get something done. The really crappy thing is that other than making their lives miserable for a few hours & reporting them to the State's Attorney (who won't really do anything) there isn't a lot you can do.