When a car dealership pulls your credit report, it can result in a decrease in your credit score. While that decrease can be more than made up for if you finance a car and make timely payments, it is in your best interest to limit credit inquiries. Especially when you are comparison shopping at several dealerships. If a dealership pulls your credit information without permission, you may have a claim under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Contact us for a free case evaluation. We represent consumer clients on a contingency basis. That means you don’t pay anything until we recover compensation on your behalf.
Why It Matters
Decreases in your credit score can have a large impact on your ability to finance other purchases for your family, such as a credit card or mortgage. To protect your credit score, make it clear to the dealership staff that you have not yet determined whether you intend to purchase a vehicle and that they do not have permission to pull your credit until you are ready to make an offer on a vehicle.
How We Can Help
Our firm recently resolved a case for a North Carolina resident whose credit was pulled by a car dealership while she was merely test-driving. The car dealership fixed her credit, and we recovered a confidential five-figure settlement for our client. The dealership was not authorized to access her report, in violation of her Fair Credit Reporting Act rights. If you have recently visited a car dealership to comparison shop or to take a test drive, it is recommended that you obtain a free copy of your credit report at annualcreditreport.com to determine whether a dealership impermissibly pulled your credit report and damaged your credit score. In some cases, credit inquiries initiated during your comparison shopping can result in subsequent credit denials or higher interest rates.
Contact Us
Unauthorized credit pulls are a violation of your privacy and harm your ability to obtain credit, employment, housing, and insurance. Federal law provides strong protection of consumer credit reports, including the recovery of actual damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees. If you suspect that a car dealership pulled your credit report while you were simply comparison shopping or taking a test drive, the Fair Credit Reporting Act attorneys at Maginnis Howard offer free case evaluations and accept suitable cases on a contingency fee basis – at no upfront cost to you.
