Q&A: Driving up your credit score

Q. I have heard that taking a new car for a test drive at a dealership, even if you don’t buy the car or apply for credit, can impact your credit rating. Is this true?

A. There is only a kernel of truth in what you’re hearing, says Craig Watts, public affairs manager for Fair Isaac, the inventor of the FICO credit score. While test driving a car should have no impact at all on your credit score, it is possible that an unscrupulous dealer could use the information on your driver’s license (some old licenses still show Social Security numbers) to order your credit score—without your permission—from one of the national credit-reporting agencies, Watts says. This kind of inquiry, if it happens, has a very small effect on your score and is not likely to affect your credit.

For more information on the types of things that can affect your credit score, click here.

Comments

[Serious Credit Guru]

Actually, the SS# isn't relevant. You can order a credit report with just full name and current address. The SS# is just an additional search key. So, this can happen to anyone regardless of the age of their license.

It's called shotgunning and it's not technically illegal, but quite unprofessional.