Consumer complaint received 2018-11-21
Company: Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.
State: GA
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease
Sub-issue: Fraudulent loan

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I went to look at a XXXX XXXX XXXX used XXXX on the lot at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. When I got there I informed the 1st person that talked to me his name was XXXX that I had emailed with XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX and that I had my own financing of up to {$14000.00} he joking said {$15000.00}. He got XXXX out to talk to me and I informed him of the financing and he opened the vehicle for us to look at. XXXX comes out and I tell him about my financing and then XXXX comes back and says you do not want this vehicle it takes synthetic oil and premium gas. Ok I was getting ready to leave as I only came in to test drive the XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX says come in and let me see if XXXX has better interest rates than XXXX. He said it would be maybe a half point on the credit score as he was doing soft inquiry. I also explained to him that I was still shopping and had an appointment to see a vehicle in XXXX XXXX at a dealer I also explained this to XXXX when I saw him, I was only doing preliminary shopping for a used XXXX. I also told him if he had a used manual transmission on the lot he needed to get rid of to let me know. He gets my information and disappears for about 30 minutes. When he comes back I specifically asked him are you checking with BANKS on my behalf and he said NO and left again and went back into another office. Another 30 minutes passes and I was getting ready to leave as I did not think it took that long to find out what XXXX interest rates were. He then takes me over to XXXX XXXX desk and XXXX writes on a scrap piece of paper that he can get me a XXXX new XXXX XXXX manual transmission for {$480.00}. a month. I started laughing and was getting up to leave and he said what can I do to get you to buy this vehicle today. I laughed even more I thought this was all rather funny as I had told him now on several occasions that I had my own financing even showing both XXXX and XXXX the email from XXXX and that I was still shopping and had plans to see more used XXXX 's in the next several days. He said we can get you the new XXXX XXXX  manual transmission for {$11000.00}. and it will be {$480.00} a month. I said no thanks and left. My XXXX year old son was with me and will attest to these facts also. The next day XXXX calls up and says good new we can get you in the XXXX for {$390.00} a month I was like what ... I told him that I had already told him on several occasions I was not ready to buy nor was I shopping for a new vehicle. Then I get notification from my bank that several hard inquiries had been run on my credit. I contacted the 3 lending institutions that I saw and inquired if any were XXXX financing none were. I contacted the manager of the dealership to give him a chance to correct this wrong. He said he was not there that day and he would check for me. He called back and said that XXXX had not informed the assistant manager that was there that day that I had my own financing nor did he tell him that I was shopping for a used vehicle. That XXXX had informed him that I desperately needed a vehicle. I did not give any one permission to try to get me financing nor did anyone ever ascertain from me the terms I would want to obtain a loan or even how much down payment I had as this information was already in my loan application with my bank XXXX and I had been approved for a loan through them for up to {$14000.00}. on a used vehicle of my choice. The manager said he would not contest when I sent my letters to the credit bureau that they ran unauthorized loan applications without permission using my information. But I find this practice very unethical and they lied to me and I am sure running someone's credit information without permission is wrong and should be prosecuted. I have further received a letter from XXXX that says they declined to give me a loan. I called them and told them I did not apply for a loan with them. They were not interested in finding out that XXXX of XXXX XXXX ran this without my permission. It would seem that every bank that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX pulled into this scheme of illegal behavior would also be culpable. I am not sure of the number of times they applied for credit for me without my permission or knowing how much I had to put down or any terms that I would want to complete a loan. The manager said XXXX never checked XXXX XXXX and that would only take a phone call and he did not need my information to ascertain the interest rates from XXXX. This seems to have been deceptive from the beginning nor has anyone informed me the interest rate or any other relevant information that I would need to make a determination. This was deceit from the beginning and these actions have been detrimental to me. These actions have harmed me as now the interest rate of my approved loan will be adversely affected by the deceitful actions of XXXX of XXXX XXXX. I will be happy to provide any and all information that you will need along with the contact information for my witness. I have now received a letter from XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX none of these places have I ever applied for a vehicle loan nor did anyone have permission to apply on my behalf. Further, the loan I had from XXXX was a joint loan with my husband and I informed XXXX of this and at not time would I apply for a vehicle loan without my husbands income and his name on everything. The attached letters are coming to me only and this further proves that at no time did anyone at XXXX of XXXX have permission to run my credit as I would not apply for a vehicle loan without my husband being included. I would not do business with any of the banks that have sent me a letter as I have been with XXXX for XXXX years and had an approved joint loan from then when I went car shopping. I would never buy a new car either.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation