Consumer complaint received 2023-10-10
Company: Avant Holding Company, Inc.
State: MO
Product: Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan
Sub-product: Installment loan
Issue: Getting the loan

Complaint:
I checked my credit report with XXXX. A day or so later I got a denial of credit email from a company called Avant. I replied to their email, saying that I had not applied for credit with them, and to please remove my information. ( BTW, their interest rate was something around 750 %. How is that legal? ) Below is the email conversation. 
***************** Avant replied XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX Hello XXXX XXXX Thank you for inquiring about a data request. In order to complete your request, please respond to this email ( XXXX ) by indicating which of the following describes your relationship with Avant : You are a current or former customer of Avant. 
You have submitted an application for credit through Avant but have not received a credit product. 
You are a current or former employee of Avant. 
You have applied for a job at Avant. 
You are a current or former employee of an Avant business partner. 
None of the above. You have visited the Avant website ONLY. 

After you provide this information, we will respond concerning your request within 45 days or sooner. We look forward to assisting with your request. 

Sincerely, Avant Avant XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, IL XXXX Email : XXXX http : //www.avant.com/ For more information regarding our privacy practices, please click here. 

XXXX XXXX replied XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX I didnt even visit your website. XXXX forwarded my info to you after I checked my credit report. Please delete anything you have on me. Im so tired of XXXX taking liberties with my information. 

Thank you. 

Avant Data Requests XXXX To : XXXX XXXX Thu, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  XXXX replied XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX Hello XXXX XXXX XXXX Thank you for submitting a data request. Avant is dedicated to the principles of transparency and fair processing of personal information. Due to XXXX current information collection practices, we are unable to honor your request. As an applicant for a credit product through the Avant platform, the information we have collected about you is subject to the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act. We are not required to disclose, delete, or limit such information and Avant is permitted to use such information for our legitimate business purposes, such as fulfilling our legal and compliance obligations. 

For more information about how we interact with the data of our current and former customers, including the categories of information we may have collected about you, please see our Customer Privacy Notice. For general privacy practices in relation to our website, please see the General Privacy Policy at avant.com. 

Additionally per the request received we will cease further communication following this response. 

Sincerely, Avant XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, IL XXXX Email : XXXX http : //www.avant.com/ For more information regarding our privacy practices, please click here. 

How is this not fraud? They mention the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act. It shouldnt apply to my situation because *I didnt apply* for a loan. I think the companies XXXX promotes are shady at best, and XXXX should not be selling credit while they hold the lives of so many in their hands with their poor credit reporting practices. Conflict of interest at its worst, and the government sits back and watches it happen.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation