Car salesman applied MANY times for credit on my behalf... what can I do?

kmc1

Hi All,

First post here after reading loads! In financial terms I am quite young - after starting a job with a nice salary I decided it was time to buy my first nice car. I went to Audi and put a deposit down on an A3. The salesman told me to come back 2 days later to finalise finance. A day later they called me and told me they were having trouble securing finance but to bear with them as they were appealing. Turns out, it didnt go through - apparently because of my lack of credit, which was annoying but understandable.

Problem is - a week before I checked my credit profile to make sure I was in with a chance - I had a fairly decent score on Experian of 700. Two days later, I check again to find out Audi had put in a total of TEN separate credit applications in my name, plummeting my score down to 262! Obviously I see this as kind of reckless - you would think after two applications they would have asked me to try my bank - now I would think my own bank wouldnt touch me with that score! Is there anything I can do as I clearly did not authorise this?

Kind Regards,

K

KingElvis

Wow, 10 searches?

If you wait 12 months they vanish off your credit report I think.

somethingcorporate

I don't have anything contructive to post but that is really awful behaviour. I'd put a complaint in writing to the head office.

Even if they do disappear it has had an immediate and negative impact on your credit score.

zppp

I would suggest that you write to the company with a copy of your credit report and ask them to remove the surplus searches - they should do this immediately if you haven't consented to this.

PROLIANT

Report it as fraud - you did not authorise multiple searches, you agreed to 'a credit search' ergo 1 credit search.

I had this problem and after contacting the CRA and the Lenders most bar 4 got removed.

Was it Car Craft by any chance?

woody01

zppp wrote: »

I would suggest that you write to the company with a copy of your credit report and ask them to remove the surplus searches - they should do this immediately if you haven't consented to this.

The OP gave the salesman permission to search for finance.
Unless the salesman stipulated that he would stop after a certain amount of attempts, i cannot see where the redress is expected to come from.

standupguy

Before they can do any searches they should have asked you to sign a finance proposal application part of which is to authorise them to carry out a search.

If you have not got a copy ask to see one and look at the terms that you were agreeing to- re searches - on the application.

For example, if it was one Finance companies application form then that would probably only authorise one search from that Finance company.

zppp

woody01 wrote: »

The OP gave the salesman permission to search for finance.
Unless the salesman stipulated that he would stop after a certain amount of attempts, i cannot see where the redress is expected to come from.

It sounds to me like a mistake, the number of searches is excessive. As I have suggested if they write in with a copy of their credit file, they may get some kind of explanation as to what happened.

Working for a financial organisation, I know that credit searches can be removed, so if there is an error, this should be corrected.

Freddie_Snowbits

Did OP want the Car? Did OP want finance for the Car?

Then that is why the so called salesman tried to get them finance.

NEXT

paulmcerlean

Firstly check your file and see if any of the searches are duplicated, i.e. Santander or Blackhorse twice or three times. If so, they will most definitely remove the duplicates however not the original.

Did you sign a finance proposal directly with Audi or was it a form from a broker, i.e. Mann Island who a lot of dealers use to search the best deal on their behalf.

In terms of your rejection - how is your file? Any active credit accounts? Missed payments etc...?