Overhaulin'

When buying a car for cash, can you refuse to authorize a credit check?

A car salesman insisted that they had to run a credit check "by law" to sell me a new car, even though I was not applying for financing. I left, and want to confirm whether it's true or not before I visit the next dealership. This is in Washington state.

Public Comments

1. if you are paying cash there is no need to run a credit check, that is only if you are getting a loan.
2. I'm not sure what the laws are in Washington but you may want to research that. Also you can contact other dealers and find out if this is a true statement. If it is a law you may ask them to show it to you so that you can research it and make a decision from there. If i were you I would do some more research myself and find out what the LAW is on that. It seems to me that if your buying a car outright with cash in hand they wouldn't need to run a credit check since your credit score is not an issue. GOOD LUCK
3. May be go check out a different car dealership and see what they say. I don't see why they would need to run a credit check if you are paying with cash. Is the car dealership reputable? or is it one of those sleazy ones that are just trying to rip people off.
4. Makes no sense to credit check a cash customer. They will always try to sell you financing. Salesmen play a 'dominance` game. They try to get and keep control of the process. This is probably a part of that.
5. Now when you say cash are we talking about HARD MONEY cash. In a brown paper bag kind. Or are we talking about you writing a number on a piece of paper. If writing a check they most likely want to see if your credit shows anything out of the ordinary. Making sure your a pillar of society that's all.They don't want to be out of a new car with a bounced check.
6. There's no such Federal Law. I don't know what the Law is in Washington State. I do know that there is no legitimate reason to run a credit check for a cash transaction. The salesman may have wanted to collect a fee for a check he wouldn't run. Or he could be an identity thief. Your credit info contains all kinds of things that can be used to steal your credit or establish a new identity for an illegal alien. Report the matter to the State's Attorney's Office Consumer Fraud Division. They might find it interesting. Most prosecutors take a dim view of people making up laws.
7. NEVER HEARD OF THIS AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SALESPERSON IS JUST NOSY, GO ELSEWHERE AND BUY.
8. Absolutely!!!