to test drive a new car the salsperson ask for your drivers license and s/s # yet the salesperson goes with you on the test drive.Is this legal in all states? I understand license# s/s# in case you steal the car but is it legal for them to ask and get this info?
2007-01-15 01:55:21 · 13 answers · asked by starrbuck10 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Insurance & Registration
High pressure sales tacticts. They need your drivers license which should be odvious why, they take your SSN# so that their finance department can run checks on you while you're out test driving the car. Then when you get back they have your financing and their whole sales speel ready to go to the point where you just have to sign on the dotted line to take the car home.
Don't let them pressure you into buying a car you might not be able to afford or want, don't give them your SSN.
And no, i don't think it's illegal because they do financing they are a financial institution so they are legally able to obtain social security numbers from their customers.
2007-01-22 08:45:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A legitimate dealership would get your permission in writing before they run a credit check. Letting them make a copy of your driver's license is so that if you take off with the car, they can attempt to track you down somehow. If a dealership does do a credit check without your permission, do not buy the car from them. You can find out if they have done a credit check by obtaining a credit report yourself, as all inquiries are listed.
2016-05-24 05:24:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A social security card or number is not legal identification,. You may refuse to give it. The business person who is selling a property does, however, reserve the right to require any type of identification he deems appropriate. Catch 22.
I just noticed someone replied that the social security number can be used as id in a theft. This is incorrect. Social Security will not verify or identify from social security number. Also, in this day with identity theft so prevalent what's to say that "Honest John" salesman is not racketeering your id. After all, he has your license, phone number, age, address, social security, etc. I don't give mine out to anyone except to bank and law enforcement or for legal reasons to attorney.
2007-01-20 16:04:35 · answer #3 · answered by Donald W 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, they usually ask for the driver's license which makes sense- if they let you drive a car then have to make sure you have the license. I am not sure though why they would need a SS# and I would not provide that info unless aready filling out paperwork for financing...
2007-01-15 02:04:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Driver's license, yes. You obviously can't drive their car without one. Social Security number no.
However, then can ask to see your social security card, which would be proof you were not an illegal alien, but they couldn't write down the number.
Some agencies, the IRS for example, can ask for social security numbers, but they have to disclose the intended use of the information in a statement attached to the form.
2007-01-21 07:28:04 · answer #5 · answered by oklatom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is nothing illegal about it but it also not required. SS# is used to access personal info about you and should never be given out without knowing exactly why they need it. A license should be sufficient, in fact is neccessary, to test drive a vehicle. But not a SS#. Chances are they used it to pull a credit report on you in advance, which needs to be done only with your consent. Credit inquiries damage your score.
2007-01-15 02:23:55 · answer #6 · answered by douglas l 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure if it is legal or not, but I would not give them either. Let them see that you have a valid driver's license but don't give them your SS#. It sounds to me like they are trying to get info to pull your credit. Some dealers are shady like that. I wouldn't trust them with that info unless I was going to buy the car for sure. If I were you I would go elsewhere.
2007-01-15 02:09:23 · answer #7 · answered by bigredwrx 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think the ss# is reasonable, but the driver's licence definitely is. We have photo radar here. Any dealer plate caught in violation on camera automatically is billed to the dealer, and he can only protect himself with a log of every test drive, including name, address, and driver licence number. A friend of mine learned the hard way when he discovered his dealer plate had several hundred dollars in photo fines racked up and he had no log.
2007-01-15 14:35:23 · answer #8 · answered by Fred C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is not illegal but it is not required. i test drove a new mitsubishi eclipse and they asked me for a drivers lisc. and SS. i showed them my liscence but refused to give it to them. they didnt care. i also asked to go on the test drive alone. so i went home got a cup of coffee decided i liked the car and bought it!
2007-01-15 02:44:41 · answer #9 · answered by deadly_donkey 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is illegal in all states. You should never give your social security number unless you are going to buy the car.
2007-01-21 09:03:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋