Auto Dealer Settles with FTC Over Credit Reporting Practices

​On September 16, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had entered a stipulated order with the financing arm of a Texas auto dealer to settle allegations regarding the auto dealer’s credit reporting practices.  In its simultaneously filed complaint, the FTC alleged that the auto dealer violated the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the FCRA’s “Furnisher Rule” by failing to establish and implement any policies and procedures to ensure the information it provided to credit reporting agencies was accurate.  The complaint further alleged that the auto dealer failed to reasonably investigate consumer disputes or respond to consumers who disputed the information provided to a credit reporting agency.  The settlement permanently enjoins the auto dealer from failing to comply with the Furnisher Rule, requires the auto dealer to pay a civil money penalty of $82,777, and obligates the auto dealer to monitor compliance with the Rule and adopt certain recordkeeping policies.