Car Buying Advice: Be Careful Giving the Dealership your Drivers License

Dealerships often begin running your credit once they get their hands on your license. This not only affects your credit score, but it allows them to find all your financial background info and to begin to use the “monthly payment” tactical scam, which confuses and hides what you are paying for the car and other items.
If you want to take a test drive and they ask for your license, be SURE to explicitly tell them they do NOT have permission to run your credit.
It is illegal for them to run your credit without your permission, UNLESS you are applying for credit.
Make sure to tell them you are NOT applying for credit at this point.
It is NOT true that a Social Security Number is required to get a credit report, although it does allow for more accuracy.
Protect your information and protect your rights.  Information is power, so keep it to yourself.  Negotiate the cash price of the car, and nothing else. Once that is settled, you can talk to them about financing.  Hopefully, you would have researched that on your own first, so you know if they are getting you a better deal, or, as is more the usual, getting you a worse deal and making a profit from a cut of the inflated finance costs!