I will let you know Thursday how it goes. Thanks again for the responses.

cobey

Hey there everybody, I'm new here (been lurking for awhile).

I happen to work for a dealership (sales) and haven't seen anybody mention it so here it goes....

Our dealership is a patriot dealer and as part of the US Patriot act our dealership has a policy to run an OFAC search on everyone buying a car. The search cross references your name birthdate and social against a list of known money launderers (sp?) and suspected terrorists, and any other generally bad people. The easiest way of searching for us is via a credit app, however there are other ways, generally though we insist on an app. Thank your congressmen and women, ladies and gentelmen.


Just a thought, or they could be screwing you.

-Nate

That is basically what they said. We settled on a credit app without the social security number. I may have been able to push it ... but i wanted that 4runner.

cobey

Using a "Cashiers Check" is no gurantee to the dealer.

Yes, 'even though it came from my...(Bank, credit union, mother,'!

If you give someone a cashiers check for a purchase;
up to and until they cash it, all you have to do is call the bank and say you dropped your check in the street and it went down a storm drain or some other excuse and show them your copy of the check and they will stop payment on that check before you can say Bob's your uncle.

If you think that your SS number is secure just do a public record search on yourself some day.

Remember the pimpley faced kid that made you fill out a credit app for that cell phone in your pocket. He has your number and one of the reasons that cell phone stores get robbed is to get the totally unsecure information that is literally hanging out of the files in the back of the store. ps they also have your credit card information on that app remember.

Oh, by the way. When you got the credit thing last christmas at Kohl's so you could get 20% off, they have your SS#. So do all the other credit card companies that recently were hacked for that information.

You are not secure.

(By the by. Your ISP also has a record of EVERY website you ever went clicking to.)

There ia no requirement as part of the Patriot Act or any other act that requires you or the dealer to fill out a credit app.

Also, by filling out the credit app and leaving your SSN off makes no difference. You just gave the dealership the right to snoop anyway. They do not need your SSN, they can still pull it with your name and addy.

If a dealer jerks you around, walk away!

KMX is correct.

When I purchased my wife's MDX I paid cash, which ended up being a cashier's check. The only options were to fill out a credit app and take home the MDX that day or delay delivery for 48 hours for the check to clear. I told the salesman I'd walk and he put us in a loaner (TSX) for two days. Needless to say we waited the 48 hrs.

YMMV

I'm the Systems Administrator (IT guy) for a relatively large mortgage company in SoCal & NorCal and I can tell you right now that no applicant's SSN is safe. I'm not talking about someone hacking into our server/network (our firewall is pretty beefy). I'm talking about all the hard copy stuff like mail, faxes, etc. I would think twice before dealing with any company in the future.

I paid cash for my new truck. I wrote a personal check, and drove the truck home when the PDI was completed about 30 mins. later. No delays and no problems... and no social security number was required by or given to the dealer.