Diasappointed Customer

Review of Walser Automotive Group

I am leaving this review with the expectation that...

I am leaving this review with the expectation that
(1) my dispute will be resolved as soon as possible, (2) no other buyer will go through this experience, and (3) training will be enforced regarding protected data moving forward.

TLDR: Walser Burnsville Mazda is in violation of the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) for pulling my credit without my consent until they properly submit the required Inquiry Deletion Request to Equifax. Additionally, there is a lack of expediency to ensure closure of their wrongdoing.

The Full Story: I visited Walser Burnsville Mazda on Saturday October 12th with the intention to test drive and pay cash for a specific vehicle. The test drive went as expected, so I gave the green light and was ready to complete the purchase (my last vehicle was purchased from this dealership, so I felt comfortable giving them my business). The sale close-out procedure is where my confidence and trust in this dealership was damaged.

Paying cash (check, specifically), I expected the process to be quick and painless - no financing, and thus, no credit or rate checking required! This is where I was WRONG.

I was provided a FINANCING Application, with the assurance that Walser requires a credit check to verify the identity of their purchasers. As someone who works in Corporate compliance and interprets contracts for a living, this was a red flag for me. I politely read the FINANCING Contract verbiage, expressed my concerns on why I would need to sign a FINANCING Application when I was paying cash, and was told the contract was simply to cover general verbiage.

I quickly inquired on alternative options, EXPRESSLY stating that I did NOT want my credit pulled and would NOT sign that contract if that was the intended outcome. Walser confirmed that a certified check would be a suitable alternative in place of a credit pull, so I obliged and was willing to continue with the sale. I just purchased a home and started a small business, so I am in after-care treating my precious score with kit-gloves.

This is where the entire experience went south. As I was waiting for the final numbers to cut the check, I received a notification on my phone that a new hard inquiry had come in from Walser Burnsville . Imagine my surprise in that moment when I had signed NO paperwork for them to run my credit! Naturally, I brought the inquiry to my Sales Representative s attention, to which he replied that they had NOT pulled my credit. I showed him the new inquiry so there was no confusion in reviewing the hard (pun intended) facts.

Though apologetic, the line that really affirmed the situation for me was when I was told, and I quote, The good news is you have EXCELLENT credit and we won t need that certified check! A. I know I have excellent credit, which is why I use credit sparingly and monitor my score. And B. If running my credit was the only option to purchase the vehicle, I would have immediately taken my business elsewhere. I felt taken advantage of, mistreated, and overlooked until they could see with their own eyes that, wow, this person can actually afford to pay cash. Congrats!

I was quickly assured that this would be handled ASAP - which, hey, mistakes happen so let s get this resolved! It was a Saturday, so I patiently waited for normal M-Fri business hours to kick in for Walser to do their part with Equifax to put this behind us. Over a week has passed, and calling Equifax (DAILY), the Inquiry Deletion Request has yet to be properly submitted.

Equifax has confirmed that the same system Walser used to pull my credit is the same system they need to leverage to submit the inquiry deletion request. Though the Walser GM s correspondence has been friendly, the delayed responses and actions exhibit this is not being handled with the expediency that is required to right the illegal action done.

I need to be contacted with confirmation that this has been resolved by end of business Monday, or I will have to proceed with legal action.