Consumer complaint received 2015-07-28
Company: BANKERS MORTGAGE LENDING, INC.
State: FL
Product: Consumer Loan
Sub-product: Installment loan
Issue: Shopping for a loan or lease

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX, I signed an authorization form for credit inquiry with XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX Bank ) for pre-approval of a new home construction loan. XXXX is the builder 's lender, and thus they offer incentives if you select them as your lender at close. I am under no obligation whatsoever to use them, but simply will lose the incentives if I do n't. I also obtained pre-approval from XXXX XXXX, so I have XXXX pre-approval letters. 

A few months later, XXXX ( and the builder ) changed lender 's and we were simply informed of such in an e-mail. A couple months after that, on XX/XX/XXXX, after simply asking XXXX about the current state of interest rates, she replied, but unbeknownst to me, had taken the opportunity to run a hard inquiry on my credit with Bankers Mortgage WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT. She never mentioned she was going to do this, and she certainly never received my authorization to do so. Remember, I am not under any obligation to go with the builder 's lender ( now Bankers Mortgage ). I had already received pre-approval with XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. It is my place to decide if I want her to run a hard inquiry into my credit with another bank. The authorization form I signed XX/XX/XXXX was for XXXX XXXX XXXX for the preapproval, not " any bank XXXX chooses to when she wants to ''. 

Essentially what she has done is taken my personal information that I provided to her while she worked with XXXX and that I authorized her to use ONLY with XXXX, and used it to run an unauthorized hard inquiry into my credit without my knowledge or consent. For lack of a better analogy, she has taken " client information '' obtained and given while working for one " company '' and used that confidential, personal information without authorization at her new " company ''. At least this is the way I see it, and, if not illegal, is AT LEAST unethical and unprofessional. 

When I incidentally found out she had done this by checking my credit report, I asked her to remove the inquiry as it was unauthorized. Please read the e-mails for her responses, but at first she says she ca n't, then she says she ca n't if I am going to go with them as my lender ( trying to get off the hook, so to speak ), and then says she will if I am not going to use them ( trying to get me to commit one way or the other on the spot ). Later, she tries to use the " incentives '' as a way to get me to commit to them as my lender ( and so they have a reason not to remove the inquiry ). 

I think it 's very telling how in her most recent communications she says that I can just request a copy of my credit report and have the inquiry removed myself, obligating myself the burden of correcting their " mistake ''. This is, of course, ridiculous. I have contacted the credit companies ( all XXXX ) and each one says she/Bankers Mortgage has to request the removal, which they are refusing to do. 

The bottom line is XXXX XXXX/Bankers Mortgage has ran an unauthorized inquiry into my credit. I am under no obligation to use their services, and they have no right to inquire into my credit without my knowledge or consent. XXXX says she needed to " get my information into their ( Bankers Mortgage ) system '' and this is why she ran my credit without my permission. That is very wrong as I am not obligated to them ( and they are not obligated to me ) in any way, shape, or form. I can use any lender I choose ... .it 's MY choice, not theirs. 

I believe my personal, confidential information has been used unethically, unprofessionally, and selfishly, if not illegally.???? By having my information, they do not " own '' it and can not do with it what they please. 

Please read each e-mail in the order attached ( A, B, C ... a, b, c ... .Aa, Bb, Cc, etc ) from the bottom of each page to the top. This will hopefully be easier to read and understand.

Company public response: Company believes the complaint is the result of a misunderstanding
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief