Dollar Rent-a-Car Ran a Hard Inq.

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by kickman, Jan 15, 2004.

  1. kickman

    kickman Well-Known Member

    While having my vehicle serviced, the dealer had no loaners available so they got me a rental at a local Dollar Rent-a-Car. No problems.

    Well today I get a notification from Credit Watch showing a hard inquiry! I've <u>never</u> had an inquiry by a car rental company. And I don't believe this is a PP.

    Anyone else ever experience this?
     
  2. gottago

    gottago Well-Known Member

    because you paid with a debit card, you gave them permission to pull your credit report. Read your contract.

    Dollar pulls credit reports for all customers who present a debit card at the time of rental..
     
  3. kickman

    kickman Well-Known Member

    That's a tenuous premise, if you ask me. First, the auto dealer arranged for the rental. Second, upon arrival I'm asked for a DL and a CC. I tender a DC. When the clerk is finished with his typing, he hands me the paperwork to initial here waiving insurance; initial there for the full tank of gas; and sign here.

    That constitutes PP to run a hard inquiry? I'm gonna check with my bank to see if that's part of the Visa DC agreement. It may be buried somewhere in Dollar's contract, but it's clear that it was meant to be buried. If using a DC gives someone the PP to run a hard inq., then every grocery store, gas station and restaurant can do the same thing!
     
  4. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    BILL THEM $1,000 FOR NO PP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  5. kickman

    kickman Well-Known Member

    From Dollar's Website re Policies:

    There was no point in that transaction where I was provided the opportunity to use my CC. Not one. That's a free peep at my CR and I think it's crooked.
     
  6. aikidokap

    aikidokap Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Dollar Rent-a-Car Ran a Hard Inq.

    What do you mean? Did the auto dealer somehow have your Debit Card number and forward it to Dollar? I thought your original post said that they "arranged" it, but then you went over and signed up. At THAT point, why didn't you give them a normal credit card.

    While this is frustrating, surely you can see WHY they would do this, can't you? There was an incredible wave of anxiety among businesses when debit cards became popular because of the hijinx that are possible with them...i.e. you use it to "secure" something, only to leave with the item and drive to your bank and pull all the money and close the account.

    Most rental agencies used to NOT rent at ALL if you had a debit card.

    Your analogy to using a DC at a restaurant, groceries, etc is faulty. At those places, payment for the goods is tendered immediately. In the car rental case, they are using the CC as a form of security to make sure you don't damage or abscond with the vehicle. This is even MORE necessary when a third party is actually paying for the rental, like insurance cos, auto repair shops, etc.

    Why on earth didn't you READ your contract at Dollar before you "initial here and here?" What if the friggin contract had said that you owe them $1000 if you return the car unwashed?

    aiki
     
  7. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Dollar Rent-a-Car Ran a Hard Inq.

    1.9 Debit Card usage: It is Dollar Rent A Car's policy to perform a credit inquiry on customers who present a debit card as payment at the time of rental. Dollar has contracted with Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc. to perform a CARcredit99Score. This type of inquiry is a credit evaluation service for the automobile financing and leasing industries. The credit inquiry is posted on the customer's credit report and may have an effect on the customer's credit evaluation. In the event that a customer's credit score does not meet the minimum required by Dollar Rent A Car, the customer will not be allowed to rent or provide another form of payment. Dollar's debit card policy complies with all applicable federal and state laws.

    OK...I RENT CARS 20 TIMES IN 6 MONTHS...AT 7 POINTS EACH...THAT IS A LOSS OF 140 F.I.C.O. POINTS AND I AM NOW AT 560...NOT ABLE TO GET EVEN A PROVIDIAN CARD OR ORCHARD...INSURANCE RATES SKY-ROCKET!!!

    I AM DENIED 100% OF THE TIME FOR ALL CREDIT CARDS EITHER FOR THE 560 F.I.C.O. OR THE 20 HARD INQUIRES OR BOTH!!!

    ALL MY PRIME CARDS JACK ME TO 19.99% +++ DEFAULT RATES!!!

    ALL SO I CAN RENT A CAR???????
     
  8. kickman

    kickman Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Dollar Rent-a-Car Ran a Hard Inq.

    No typo. The dealer arranged for the rental. They're paying for it. That I'm asked for a CC is fine. I understand the purpose. At the same time, Dollar knew or at least should have known that I had not read the terms of the agreement ahead of time. I don't really care what their rationale is. They have some kind of duty to inform consumers that they will run a hard inquiry, NOT AFTER THE FACT. Since the transaction was prearranged, signing the contract as the driver of the car was merely a formality. I know it, you know it and they know it.

    Had I been given the contract to review PRIOR to giving them a DC, I could have given them a CC (and why I used a DC vs. a CC is my business) and avoided the negative impact of a hard inquiry. I know that and they know that--at least they should have.
     
  9. kickman

    kickman Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Re: Dollar Rent-a-Car Ran a Hard Inq.

    Exactly my point!
     
  10. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Re: Dollar Rent-a-Car Ran a Hard Inq.

    THE TOP 10% OF THE FIRST PAGE SHOULD BE A DISCLOSURE IN NO LESS THAN 24 PT SIZE IN RED THAT A "HARD" INQUIRY WILL BE PULLED WITH A DEBIT CARD TRANSACTION
     
  11. hoapres

    hoapres Well-Known Member

    PP ??

    The $64K question is : Did Dollar provide you with a written contract clearly stating the policy for debit card use BEFORE they pulled the credit report ???

    1. If the answer is yes then they had prior permission.

    2. If the answer is no then they don't have prior permission.
     
  12. kickman

    kickman Well-Known Member

    PP ??

    The answer is No. They did not.
     
  13. 420greg

    420greg Well-Known Member

    PP ??

    They don't pull every time you rent. There system holds the approval for 1 year.

    It is still a sh!tty policy, the least they could do is make the contract an 'account' so it counts only as a soft AR.

    I tried to rent a car with my debit card, and the csr asked if I had a "real" credit card. She explained to me about the credit pull if I still wanted to use my DC.

    I gave her the Ole' Orchard card. That way the most they could get from me is $2500.
     
  14. kickman

    kickman Well-Known Member

    Re: PP ??

    Unfortunately, they pulled a hard. Got the notification from Credit Watch this morning.
     
  15. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: PP ??

    I DID NOT APPLY FOR A LOAN OR CREDIT CARD...PLEASE REMOVE
     
  16. hoapres

    hoapres Well-Known Member

    No PP then demand removal

    If no prior permission then demand removal and/or file a lawsuit for damages. My understanding with debit cards is that the car rental company would take the money IMMEDIATELY out of your account, so I am not sure what the extra risk of the use of a debit card vs. a credit card.
     
  17. sam

    sam Well-Known Member

    No PP then demand removal

    They are LOAN'ing you a car. Kinda like RENT'ing an Apartment.

    There is risk involved.

    Just use a mastercard and then you have more rights. debit card use is scarey these days.

    Too many hooligans. I think my local BP ripped me off on phone sexor ($7) so i lost my debit card for 3 weeks while the CU reprocessed another one.

    That taught me never to use debit cards, ever again, except at well lit ATM's :), that look real ;)
     
  18. kickman

    kickman Well-Known Member

    Re: No PP then demand removal

    Then by that logic, they could run a hard inquiry even if I used my mastercard. Chances are that if I'm some kind of credit risk (which is irrelevant when renting a car) then I'm not likely to have a $40,000 credit limit--just in case I don't feel like returning the car.

    If they're concerned that I won't have the cash in the bank, then they should also be concerned that I don't have the available credit on my mastercard.
     
  19. faztcobra

    faztcobra Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Re: Dollar Rent-a-Car Ran a Hard Inq.

    Or not. There are 500 available points (possible FICO score of 350-850). Only 10% goes towards inquires, so you have a MAX loss of 50 points...assuming you didn't have ANY other HARDS on there to begin with.
     
  20. bev3180

    bev3180 Active Member

    Re: Re: No PP then demand removal


    Unfortunately I think that is true. The definition of PP is VERY broad and includes just about every financial transaction. I did a search but cannot find the reference, but I remember reading an article about a dentist. He pulled hards on every new patient. He got sued for non-PP......... but won.

    I rent frequently from Enterprise and use a debit card when I'm maxed out on the CC. They immediately debit my checking account for about double what they estimate the bill to be, then refund the balance due when checking back in. (no credit check) They are at far less risk than if I used a CC that was maxed out after the rental charge. Since I'm a regular I have argued with the manager about this policy but he just refers me to corporate policy.

    It just makes no sense.
     

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