Consumer complaint received 2024-03-11
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease — Loan opened without my consent or knowledge
Company: Mercedes Benz Financial Services (CT)

On XX/XX/XXXX I went to Mercedes-Benz to purchase a vehicle. I arrived at the dealership with my own financing from my bank. Before this day I informed the salesperson XXXX XXXX that I would have already secured my own financing, and coming to the dealership was to complete the paperwork and leave with the car. 
I was made to wait for the finance person because supposedly there was only one finance person available to complete the paperwork. I was there XXXX left me alone to wait by myself on many occasions only to return with no progress and a myriad of excuses as to why this sale was taking so long. Ultimately a finance person named XXXX XXXX appeared to inform me that I needed more funding for my purchase and that I should complete a credit application with XXXX to get more funding. I said that if the amount of financing I had wasnt enough then I would shop for another brand. I also let them know that I am an educated buyer and I try to avoid the usual dealership tactics. There were more delays, and I was bombarded with requests to fill out a credit application. I refused and never filled one out. 
While attempting to get a copy of my registration from the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on the salesperson XXXX XXXX computer, I had to enter my SSN, after which I witnessed XXXX XXXX write my Social Security number on a business card and then go into an office in the toward the back of the dealership. Not long after, I received an alert that my credit was run by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for credit with my bank, XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. I was again left alone for at least XXXX minutes I walked around the showroom trying to find a manager who could help me understand what just happened. Once XXXX returned, I asked him who pulled my credit, and how this occurred considering I hadnt provided any authorization to do so, nor had I filled out a credit application. XXXX said he didnt know who pulled my credit, and that he had no idea what was happening. XXXX appeared sweatier and more nervous at this time. 
After another extended period of time, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX appeared and said the XXXX ran my credit and they didnt know why. I called XXXX and asked why my credit was pulled and they told me that the finance person at the dealership ran my credit and that they thought that it was an authorized pull because that is the only way my credit history could be obtained. I asked each person of authority at the dealership who made the hard pull on my credit and each person said it was XXXX. The finance manager and salesperson kept pushing me to fill out a credit application and remained steadfast in my opposition to filling one out. 
A short time later, XXXX XXXX appeared and said that my approval was not enough money to purchase the car that I had negotiated, before arriving to the dealership. For the record, the dealership had my current vehicle pay off and the price of the car, as well as how much I was approved for by XXXX. 
More time elapsed and XXXX XXXX reappeared and said they were able to work out an approval with XXXX  to cover the additional charges and they would extend me the additional funds at 8.04 % instead of the 6.89 % that I had already been approved for by XXXX. I told XXXX that I was not interested in this approval but that I wanted a copy if the XXXX approval that this decision was based upon. XXXX then provided me with a copy of the XXXX approval for the higher APR. This was proof that the dealership pulled my credit without my permission. I told him that I was not interested in this financing and that I was prepared to leave, XXXX and XXXX again asked me to fill out a credit application, that maybe XXXX XXXX or Mercedes Benz financing could offer me financing somewhere in the XXXX or something. I said no, and that I was leaving. I called my Bank representative again at XXXX to ask how I was suddenly qualified to purchase at a higher amount while I was at the dealership but not when I inquired on my own, The rep told me that if I wanted a higher loan amount, I would have to provide my last few pay stubs and a copy of my most recent tax return none of which I had at the time, but this further proved that the dealership was using the usual tactics to inflate the interest rate using a third party XXXX to negotiate with XXXX to get a higher APR and increase the debt I would incur all to make more money for the dealership. I did not agree to these terms and informed XXXX that I no longer was interested in the car. XXXX then came to me as I was leaving and said Mercedes knows that you are an XXXX credit person and told me that Mercedes Benz would match the credit offer I arrived at the dealership with from XXXX and that I did not have to fill out a credit application, because I came with such a great approval, and Mercedes Benz was aware of how excellent my credit was. I asked XXXX, Mercedes Benz will extend credit to me without my having to fill out a credit application? XXXX and XXXX said yes, and I agreed to purchase the vehicle with no credit run or credit check. I was informed that the system is down and we dont have any way of generating a sales contract by XXXX XXXX he told me that XXXX XXXX bring the paperwork to me the following day and the car would be delivered later that day. I drove home with copies of the XXXX approval containing the inflated interest rate and a version of the sales contract that I did not sign. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX XXXX to inquire where the purchase contract was, what time was the car going to be delivered, etc. He informed me that the paperwork was still in progress, and he would let me know when it was ready. I asked if I could do the paperwork by fax to save time ( as I did with the previous car I purchased ) he said no, that they needed wet signatures. I offered to meet him at the local XXXX the following morning on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX. He agreed. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX arrived at XXXX with paperwork for me to sign. He appeared very nervous and edgy. He presented me with the odometer statement, the trade and pay-off paperwork for my trade, and the adjusted sales contract which I checked the numbers on and I signed those documents. XXXX took the documents and left me with no copies of anything, so I took pictures of the documents that I signed and we arranged to have the new car delivered to the same location at XXXX XXXX. I requested that all the accompanying paperwork and anything containing my signature be sent with the new vehicle for my records. He said not to worry that all the paperwork would be sent with the new car. 
At XXXX I was informed by XXXX XXXX that he was picking up the new registration and that the car was on time to be delivered at XXXX XXXX  The car was delivered at XXXX and I checked the car to make sure it was in good condition with no scratches etc, I also checked for the paperwork that was promised to be sent. There was only a paper registration, there were no insurance cards and there were no sales documents in the vehicle at all. I immediately called XXXX to ask where the paperwork was I received a text message stating that he was with a customer and that he would call me afterward. I waited for approximately XXXX minutes because I wanted the Valet to confirm that the paperwork was en route or would be sent before I let him take my trade-in. XXXX texted back that he would email it all to me. I reminded him that he promised to send all the paperwork, I told the valet that he could take the trade and that was the last text message I received from XXXX XXXX. Later that day at XXXX I received an email with a blank XXXX attachment and a copy of the purchase and sale document. There were no additional documents sent, no copies of the privacy statement, the trade info, the odometer statement, or anything else. I emailed XXXX and asked him to forward all of the paperwork associated with the sale and I received no additional documents from him. 
Between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX I had several phone calls with XXXX and XXXX to get to the bottom of who made the hard inquiry on my credit, and who initiated it because I had not filled out a credit application. On XX/XX/XXXX I emailed the General Manager XXXX XXXX along with the finance managers and the owners of the dealership XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. During this time, I went over some of my dissatisfaction with the transaction and also asked them to clarify why my personal information was used without my permission to obtain my credit history. I also asked for copies of all the paperwork associated with this purchase. Later that day I was sent an email from XXXX XXXX that contained various documents. Hidden in the middle of the documents was a Mercedes Benz Financial XXXX XXXX containing my information this was the first time I saw this application, It contained a simile of my signature which was rather obviously copied and pasted onto the document, and my name misspelled in several places as well and the wrong phone number listed for me. I immediately contacted XXXX XXXX to let him know that this was a faked document, that I never applied for credit with Mercedes Benz, and that the signature on the document was copied and pasted along with the misspellings and wrong phone number. I asked for a resolution and subsequently tried to mediate this matter privately. Eventually XXXX XXXX admitted that Mercedes Benz DID make a hard inquiry on my credit on XX/XX/XXXX, with the explanation that they were instructed to do so by XXXX I have subsequently confirmed with XXXX that this is false, and that this was another lie told to me by the staff of Mercedes Benz of XXXX. I asked for an explanation as to how there was a credit application with Mercedes Benz that I never filled out nor signed and XXXX XXXX has negated to address that. There are cameras located all over the dealership. If I were there to commit fraud, I am sure it would be supported on camera, this should be the same situation when the dealership commits fraud to sell a car. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter from Mercedes Benz Financial stating that they could not honor the original terms that were agreed to on XX/XX/XXXX when I made the credit request but that they would extend credit on different terms again, I never filled out a credit application with Mercedes Benz Financial, I was told by XXXX XXXX that Mercedes Benz didnt need a credit application from me because they were aware of how excellent my credit was. This letter stated that my credit score at the time of the hard pull by Mercedes Benz Financial was XXXX have yet to find out what those terms are. I have called Mercedes Benz customer care and various Mercedes entities to resolve this fraud. My attempt to buy a car on honest terms resulted in XXXX hard pull inquiries by XXXX XXXX Mercedes Benz, They fraudulently obtained my social security number and used it without my permission to try to cover up the fraud, and the dealership created a fake document that was submitted to Mercedes Benz Finance on my behalf without my permission. 
This is the narrative that I have, this all occurred and again, I want to pursue this to the fullest extent of the law, I did not agree to have my credit pulled twice and I have been impersonated on paper with Mercedes Benz Finance by this dealership.