Consumer complaint received 2020-07-05
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize

Complaint:
I was pre-approved by XXXX XXXX for an automobile loan. I spoke to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and made it clear that I only wanted the credit to be accessed by them. Unfortunately, the way XXXX XXXX does its auto financing is unlike banks and credit unions in that even with a pre-approval, XXXX XXXX, requires the person to go to the dealership and filled out a credit app and inform the dealer to only submit it to XXXX XXXX. I knew that dealerships were notorious for essentially 'shotgunning ' the application to multiple lenders, even when customers had notified them this was not their desire or intent. Even when car shoppers had pre-approved financing. So when I went to the dealership, I wrote on top of the credit application the dealer had me fill out that my consent was only valid for XXXX  XXXX to access the credit and only valid for the date of XX/XX/XXXX, XXXXThe dealership I visited was XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX   XXXX, located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, GA XXXX. I was assisted by three people. XXXX, XXXX, and their manager. The deal ultimately fell through with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and their manager came over to me and sat down and tried to convince me that he could get me much lower interest if I allowed him to run my credit through his lenders. By this time I had no patience for continuing with the car buying process and I told him no. I did not want him to run my credit through his lenders. I had also spoken with XXXX and XXXX ( who were sitting together ) and told them that under no circumstance did I want them to run my credit through any of their lenders or any other lender than XXXX XXXX. 

When the deal fell through I left the dealership. I visited the dealership on XX/XX/2020. On XX/XX/2020 I received alerts from my credit monitoring that I had multiple inquiries hitting my report. I checked and saw that XXXX XXXX XXXX was had run my credit. This credit pull was WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. They had nO RIGHT TO DO THIS. 

On XX/XX/2020, I continued to recieve alerts from my credit monitoring notifying me of additional credit inquiries. These were hard inquries that I did not consent to. These inquiries were from XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

I am filing this complaint because I already know it will be some XXXX  to try and get these FRAUDULENT credit inquiries REMOVED. I wrote on the top of the XXXX credit application that my consent was ONLY FOR XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

The Credit Bureaus can not be trusted. Customers pretty much have to SUE THEM to get them to accurately investigate these issues and take action. I demand these fraudulent inquiries be removed. They were made without my consent. 

I will not beg the lender for any paperwork. I will only deal with the credit bureaus because they are the credit reporting agency. We are vulnerable to FRAUD when we try to purchase vehicles and these folks at the credit bureaus are not crazy. They know dealers do this and the industry is ripe with Fraud. But they put the onus on the borrower and not on the business to get this matter straight. I have no faith in the credit bureau to correct this issue without outside intervention. 

I am TIRED of being made to feel vulnerable when a business has committed a fraudulent act against me. I DEMAND THESE INQUIRIES MADE FROM XXXX XXXX XXXX BE REMOVED. 

In addition to the inquiries from XXXX XXXX  XXXX, inexplicably, I have multiple inquiries from not just XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX, but from XXXX  XXXX itself. Two inquiries from different companies. They are showing up with different addresses and different dates. Nothing makes sense. I only gave consent to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Not the other company. 

I demand the Credit Bureau remove these fraudulent or unjustified inquiries on my report without making me fight.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation