Bright Financial Funding - Unauthorized Hard Inquiry After Written Promise of Soft Pull Norwalk Iowa

Bright Financial Funding misrepresented how my credit information would be handled, which resulted in an unauthorized hard inquiry and lasting damage to my credit report.

I received multiple written statements from Andrea Shelton stating that only soft credit pulls would be performed. She also claimed that they did not work with lenders who use hard inquiries. Based on these assurances, I moved forward with a financing inquiry.

Later, I discovered that my information had been sent to Leaf Financial, a company I had never heard of or authorized. On July 7, 2025, Leaf performed a hard inquiry on my credit report without my consent or any prior notice. This was completely inconsistent with what Bright Financial Funding had promised.

When I questioned the inquiry, Andrea claimed the terms of the financing had changed. The interest rate increased, and a large down payment was suddenly required. She said this information came from Leaf, but she never provided an actual offer. Instead, she sent me copied text without any formal documentation. I never received a complete or official proposal from Leaf through her.

The hard inquiry is still on my credit report, and it has affected my ability to secure other financing. I have now referred the matter to legal counsel to pursue resolution. The entire process felt misleading, and I believe other consumers should be aware of how this company handles sensitive financial data.