Notice to Users of Consumer Reports: Obligations of Users Under the FCRA

Notice to Furnishers of Information: Obligations of Furnishers Under the FCRA

Vermont FCRA – Notice of Requirement for Consumer Consent

California FCRA – California Consumer Credit Reporting Legislation Data User / Furnisher Obligations

California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act Addendum

Terms and Conditions

The undersigned End User, desiring to purchase products and services offered by Application Research Inc. (“ARI”), agrees to the following minimal requirements in order to obtain the products and services offered by ARI. ARI shall be responsible only for the content of information supplied to End User and not for the usage of that information. Further, End User agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold ARI harmless from and against any and all legal actions, including allegations that ARI violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq. (“FCRA”) or similar state statute(s), losses, claims, demands, liabilities, causes of action, costs or expenses of whatever kind or nature that may arise from or related to End User’s utilization of information supplied by ARI.

Services Provided by ARI:

Upon request and relying upon End User’s representation that it has a legitimate purpose for information, ARI agrees to provide information requested by the End User for tenant, employment screening purposes and other permissible purposes outlined in 15 U.S.C. § 1681b. ARI will only furnish information for permissible purpose under the FCRA and no other purpose.

End User acknowledges that ARI cannot ensure the accuracy of the rental history, credit reports, criminal background, sex offender and/or other information provided that is based on third party sources and/or court records that it provides to the End User. End User acknowledges that ARI relies totally on the information furnished by third parties and records of various governmental agencies. Accordingly, End User acknowledges, understands and agrees that (a) the accuracy of any information provided by ARI, including whether such information relates to the subject for which the information is requested, is not and cannot be guaranteed by ARI, (b) End User cannot solely rely on any information provided by ARI for tenant screening, employment screening, or any other permissible purpose outlined in 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, and (c) End User will independently investigate any information it receives from ARI and assumes sole responsibility for final confirmation of the accuracy of such information prior to making any rental, employment or other decisions based upon same. End User agrees to assert no claim and waives liability against ARI for any inaccurate or false information provided by ARI.

Further, End User releases ARI, its officers, employees, and all its agents from any and all liability in connection with the preparation of such information and from any loss or expense suffered by End User directly from ARI’s products, services or information.

End User Requirements and Responsibilities:

End User agrees to adhere to the requirements of the FCRA and other statute or regulations, federal state, local or otherwise, pertaining to using, accessing or retrieving consumer information. Furthermore, End User agrees to comply with all laws and regulations and will not use consumer information in violation of any state or federal law.

End User agrees to furnish information concerning its employees, tenants, prospective tenants or employees, or applicants through ARI’s secure server.

End User agrees to promptly execute and return to ARI any and all documentation requested now, or in the future, by any government agency or by ARI and to permit the release of information to ARI to ensure compliance with applicable laws or regulations. Failure to provide such documentation may result in all services being terminated without additional notice.

End User further agrees to permit ARI to audit records of the End User, with notice to the End User, to determine the appropriateness of any present or past request(s) for information by the End User.

End User shall implement and maintain a comprehensive information security program written in one or more readily accessible parts and that contains administrative, technical, and physical safeguards that are appropriate to the client’s size and complexity, the nature and scope of its activities, and the sensitivity of the information provided to the client by Reseller; and that such safeguards shall include the elements set forth in 16 C.F.R. § 314.4 and shall be reasonably designed to ( i ) insure the security and confidentiality of the information provided by Reseller, (ii) protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of such information, and (iii) protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any consumer. End user warrants they have read, reviewed, and will comply with Access Security Requirements for FCRA and GLB 5A Data Requirements.

Representation of End User When Ordering Information For Employment Purposes:

End User represents that it is an existing business with a legitimate need for information offered by ARI. End User specifically represents that reports will only be obtained for its own use and it will not further distribute, sell, give or trade such information with any third party. End User will request information for the following permissible purpose only: employment by hire or contract.

End User further represents that it will:

Prior to the request, provide a clear and conspicuous disclosure, in writing, to the individual who is the subject of the report that a consumer report or, as applicable, an investigative consumer report may be obtained for employment documents and such disclosure is in a document that consists solely of the disclosure;

Obtain written consent of the individual allowing the obtaining of a consumer report or, as applicable, an investigative consumer report;

Provide the individual with a summary of the individual’s rights required under the FCRA and any applicable state law;

Not utilize any information in violation of any federal or state equal employment opportunity law and regulation;

Within a reasonable amount of time prior to taking adverse employment action against the individual, when such action will be based in whole or in part upon the information contained in the information and/or report furnished by ARI, the End User will, except as otherwise provided by law, advise the individual of the intent to take adverse action and provide a copy of the report to the individual and a description, in writing, of the individual’s rights under the FCRA.

After taking adverse employment action based in whole or in part upon information and/or a report provided by ARI, the End User shall, except as otherwise provided by law:

Provide notice of such action to the individual;
Provide the name, address and telephone of ARI; and
Inform the individual that he/she is entitled to a free copy of the any consumer or investigate consumer report ARI provided to the End User and that ARI is unable to provide the individual the specific reasons why the adverse action was taken by End User;

Certify that the End User will comply with the FCRA and similar state law, in regard to all information and/or consumer reports and it will follow the requirements of the Driver Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. 2721 et seq. (“DPPA”) and the various state law implementing the DPPA in regard to motor vehicle reports; and

Certify that End User’s employees or agents shall not request information from ARI for any employee, applicant or prospective employee who did not sign an authorization form permitting End User to request information from ARI. In addition, only End-User’s designated representatives may request information from ARI and End-User’s employees are forbidden to attempt to obtain information from ARI on themselves, associates or any other persons except in the exercise of their official duties.

Representation of End User When Ordering Information For Tenant Screening Purposes:

End User represents that it is an existing business with a legitimate need for information offered by ARI. End User specifically represents that reports will only be obtained for its own use and it will not further distribute, sell, give or trade such information with or to any third party. End User will request information for the following permissible purpose only: residential screening for a transaction initiated by the subject of the information.

End User further represents that it will:

Disclose to the individual who is the subject of the report that a consumer report or, as applicable, an investigative consumer report may be obtained;
Provide the individual with a summary of the individual’s rights required under the FCRA and any applicable state law;
Not utilize any information in violation of any federal or state equal housing law or regulation;

After taking any adverse action, including but not limited to rejecting or increasing rental rates, based in whole or in part upon information provided by ARI, the End User shall:

Provide notice of such action to the individual;
Provide the name, address and telephone of ARI;
Inform the individual that he/she is entitled to a free copy of the any consumer or investigate consumer report ARI provided to the End User and that ARI is unable to provide the individual the specific reasons why the adverse action was taken by End User; and
Provide a copy of the individual’s rights under the FCRA.

Certify that the End User will comply with the FCRA and similar state law, in regard to all information and/or consumer reports and it will follow the requirements of DPPA and the various state law implementing the DPPA in regard to motor vehicle reports.

Certify that End User’s employees or agents shall not request information from ARI for any tenant, applicant or prospective tenant who did not sign an authorization form permitting End User to request information from ARI. In addition, only End-User’s designated representatives may request information from ARI and End-User’s employees are forbidden to attempt to obtain information from ARI on themselves, associates or any other persons except in the exercise of their official duties.

Representation of End User When Ordering Information For Permissible Purpose:

End User represents that it is an existing business with a legitimate need for information offered by ARI. End User acknowledges that consumer reporting agencies are only permitted to provide consumer credit reports to those with a permissible purpose to obtain one from a list of permissible purposes contained in the FCRA. End User specifically acknowledges that it any request for information or consumer credit reports from ARI are done with a permissible purpose. End User also represents that reports will only be obtained for its own use and it will not further distribute, sell, give or trade such information with any third party.

End User further represents that it will:

Not utilize any information in violation of any federal or state law or regulation;

After taking any adverse action based in whole or in part upon information provided by ARI, the End User shall:

Provide notice of such action to the individual;
Provide the name, address and telephone of ARI;
Inform the individual that he/she is entitled to a free copy of the any consumer or investigate consumer report ARI provided to the End User and that ARI is unable to provide the individual the specific reasons why the adverse action was taken by End User; and
Provide a copy of the individual’s rights under the FCRA.

Certify that the End User’s employees or agents shall not request information from ARI for any tenant, applicant or prospective tenant who did not sign an authorization form permitting End User to request information from ARI. In addition, only End-User’s designated representatives may request information from ARI and End-User’s employees are forbidden to attempt to obtain information from ARI on themselves, associates or any other persons except in the exercise of their official duties.

Notice Acknowledgements:

End User acknowledges that the laws relating to requesting and using information provided by ARI are subject to change. It is the responsibility of the End User to become knowledgeable in such laws and to comply with them. The failure to comply with the then current applicable law may result in a breach of the agreement, termination of service, civil and criminal liability. ARI does not have or take any obligation to advise End User of its legal obligations.

End User acknowledges it has received and reviewed a copy of the “Notice To Users of Consumer Reports: Obligations of Users under the FCRA” and certifies that consumer reports and/or information provided by ARI will only be obtained for a permissible purpose. End User certifies that information will only be obtained by said End User or their authorized agents for the express purpose of aiding in the decision making process for the rental of real property, employment purposes or purposes set forth in 15 U.S.C. § 1681b. End User warrants that reports will never be ordered or requested for any other purpose.

Audit:

Client agrees that ARI will have the right (but not the obligation) to conduct audits for the purpose of assessing Client’s compliance with the terms of this Agreement, upon reasonable notice. Client agrees to fully cooperate with ARI in connection therewith. Client agrees that any findings of noncompliance resulting from such audit may result in the immediate suspension of Services, and may be deemed cause for termination of this Agreement.

Warranties and Waivers:

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN THIS AGREEMENT, OR ANY AMENDMENT OR ADDENDUM, NEITHER ARI, EXPERIAN INFORMATION SERVICES, INC. (“EXPERIAN”), TRANS UNION, LLC (“TRANS UNION”), EQUIFAX INFORMATION SERVICES, LLC (“EQUIFAX”) OR ANY OTHER PROVIDER OF INFORMATION GUARANTEES OR WARRANTS THE CORRECTIONS, COMPLETENESS, CURRENTNESS, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF THE INFORMATION, OR INFORMATION SERVICES PROVIDED. NEITHER ARI, EXPERIAN, EQUIFAX, TRANS UNION NOR ANY OF ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS LICENSORS, AFFILIATED COMPANIES OR AFFILIATED CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES WILL BE LIABLE TO END USER, AND END USER FULLY AND COMPLETELY RELEASES, ARI, EXPERIAN, EQUIFAX, TRANSUNION AND THE OTHERS, FOR ANY LOSS OR INJURY ARISING OUT OF, OR CAUSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY, ACTS OR OMISSIONS, EVEN IF DUE TO NEGLIGENCE, IN PROCURING, COMPILING, COLLECTING, INTERPRETING, PROCESSING, REPORTING OR TRANSMITTING ANY INFORMATION OR THE INFORMATION SERVICES. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY IN THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING ANY AND ALL FUTURE AMENDMENTS AND ADDENDA, NEITHER PARTY, NOR ANY OF ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, LICENSORS, AFFILIATED COMPANIES, AFFILIATED CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, OR AGENTS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS. END USER WILL INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS ARI, EXPERIAN, EQUIFAX, TRANSUNION AND THEIR AFFILIATED ENTITIES FROM AND AGAINST ANY DIRECT AND ACTUAL LOSS, COST, LIABILITY AND EXPENSES, INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEY’S FEES.

End User warrants that it will establish internal procedures prohibiting employees of the End User from attempting to obtain reports on themselves, associates, or any other person that is not an employee, tenant, prospective tenant, protective employee or applicant. End User acknowledges it is responsible for the actions of its employees, staff and agents and is hereby put on notice that federal and state law prohibit any person from knowingly or willingly obtaining information on a consumer from a consumer reporting agency under false pretenses and violators may be fined and/or imprisoned.

Termination:

Written notice by ARI or End User will terminate this Agreement, but the obligations and agreements of the End User in effect at the time of termination will remain in full force and effect, including the obligation to defend, indemnify and hold ARI harmless and keep confidential the information the End User receives.

Payment:

End User agrees to pay for services as invoiced and if an account goes into collection, End User agrees to pay all expenses, including reasonable legal fees, including attorneys’ fees, incurred in the collection for such services.

Misuse of Information:

The FCRA prohibits the obtaining of information for an impermissible purpose. Further, those involved in such improper requests may be subject to criminal penalties of imprisonment up to one year and/or fine of $5,000 for each offense. If an End User or one of its employees misrepresents to ARI the reason for a request or requests a report for an impermissible purpose, ARI may terminate service without notice. Further End User understands that misuse of or an improper request for information may have a direct impact upon ARI and may cause it to be unable to obtain information for any of its clients resulting in substantial damages for which End User would be and agrees to be liable.

Complete Agreement:

End User acknowledges, understands and agrees that this Agreement constitutes all agreements and conditions of providing information, present and future, and supersedes all previous agreements and understandings with ARI.

No changes in agreement may be made except by consent in writing of an officer of ARI.

Choice of Venue and Attorneys’ Fees:

This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, excluding California’s choice-of- law principles, and all claims relating to or arising out of this contract, or the breach thereof, whether sounding in contract, tort or otherwise, shall likewise be governed by the laws of the State of California, excluding its choice-of-law principles.

Further End User acknowledges and agrees that any claim, legal proceeding or litigation arising out of or in connection with the Agreement will be brought solely in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and End User consents to the jurisdiction of such courts.

In the event any action or proceeding involving any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement is brought, the prevailing party shall be entitled to its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

SAFESCAN:

This portion of the agreement applies to information furnished by End User/subscriber for inclusion in the Equifax owned SAFESCAN system and to information obtained from Equifax’s SAFESCAN System.

End User/subscriber agrees to furnish data which is believed to have been used for fraudulent purposes to Equifax’s SAFESCAN system for as long as it continues to receive information from that system. Such data shall include but not limited to consumer reports names, aliases, social security numbers and addresses (current and former), telephone numbers (business and residential). The End User/subscriber may also include the addresses of known mail receiving services and prisons.

End User/subscriber agrees that an application alert message from Equifax’s SAFESCAN System will not be part of the decision making process for granting credit, and that such a message is merely an indication that the application should be totally verified prior to a business decision, unless it is clear that the information supplied by Equifax’s SAFESCAN System may or may not apply to the consumer who has made the application to the End User/subscriber for credit.

HAWK FILE:

This portion of the agreement applies to information furnished by End User/subscriber for inclusion in the Trans Union owned HAWK File system and to information obtained from Trans Union’s HAWK File.

End User/subscriber agrees to furnish data which is believed to have been used for fraudulent purposes to Transunion’s HAWK File system for as long as it continues to receive information from that system. Such data shall include but not be limited to consumer reports names, aliases, social security numbers and addresses (current and former), telephone numbers (business and residential). The End User/subscriber may also include the addresses of known mail receiving services and prisons.

End User/subscriber agrees that an application alert message from Trans Union’s HAWK File System will not be part of the decision making process for granting credit, and that such a message is merely an indication that the application should be totally verified prior to a business decision, unless it is clear that the information supplied by Trans Union’s HAWK File System may or may not apply to the consumer who has made the application to the End User/subscriber for credit.

DETECT:

This portion of the agreement applies to information furnished by End User/subscriber for inclusion in the Experian owned DETECT system and to information obtained from Experian’s DETECT system.

End User/subscriber agrees to furnish data which is believed to have been used for fraudulent purposes to Experian’s DETECT system for as long as it continues to receive information from that system. Such data shall include but not be limited to consumer reports names, aliases, social security numbers and addresses (current and former), telephone numbers (business and residential). The End User/subscriber may also include the addresses of known mail receiving services and prisons.

End User/subscriber agrees that an application alert message from Experian’s DETECT system will not be part of the decision making process for granting credit, and that such a message is merely an indication that the application should be totally verified prior to a business decision, unless it is clear that the information supplied by Experian’s DETECT system may or may not apply to the consumer who has made the application to the End User/subscriber for credit.

VANTAGE SCORE:

ARI utilizes the VantageScore® credit score. The VantageScore credit score may or may not be used by Report Subject’s lenders, and is not an endorsement or guarantee of Report Subject’s credit worthiness as seen by lenders.

Please be aware that there are many scoring models used in the marketplace. Each scoring model may have its own set of factors and scale. The information and credit scoring may be different than that used by a lender. The VantageScore credit score may not be identical in every respect to any other credit score produced by another company or used by Report Subject’s lender.

Report Subject’s VantageScore credit score is calculated using Report Subject’s actual data from Report Subject’s credit file at the time of ARI’s request. Keep in mind, however, that other factors, such as length of employment and annual salary, are often taken into consideration by lenders when making decisions about Report Subject. How each lender weighs its chosen factors may vary, but the exact formula used to calculate Report Subject’s score is proprietary.

Also note that each consumer reporting agency has its own set of data, resulting in a separate VantageScore credit score for each of Report Subject’s credit files.

You agree to request VantageScore credit scores only for your use alone for the purposes certified to ARI and for no other purpose or use. All VantageScore credit scores provided hereunder will be held in strict confidence and may never be sold, licensed, copied, reused, disclosed, reproduced, revealed or made accessible, in whole or in part, to any person except as required by law or as otherwise set forth in your agreement with ARI.

VantageScore® is owned by VantageScore Solutions, LLC.

TURSS Service Agreement

Service Agreement:

This is the service agreement to use TransUnion® SmartMove® (“Service Agreement”). Your acknowledgement and agreement to these terms, as well as the Terms and Conditions of the internet site you are accessing (“Site”), are required to access and/or use TransUnion SmartMove. You agree to be legally bound by these terms. This Service Agreement is made and entered into as by and between TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions, Inc. (“TURSS”) and you/your company (“Subscriber”, “You” or “Property Owner”). In consideration of the promises and mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, TURSS and Subscriber hereto agree as follows:

Scope of Agreement. This Agreement applies to any of those information services which Subscriber may desire to receive from TURSS and which TURSS offers to Subscriber via this Site. Such information services shall herein be collectively referred to as “Services” and all information derived therefrom shall be collectively referred to as “Services Information.” Subscriber enters in this Agreement on behalf of itself and its affiliates under common ownership and control, all of which are referred to collectively as Subscriber.

Subscriber’s business. Subscriber certifies that it is utilizing the Services solely for assisting with making a residential or storage leasing decision.

1. Consumer Reporting Services:

1.1 Consumer Report Information. TURSS makes certain consumer report information services from consumer reporting databases, including but not limited to consumer credit reports and criminal record reports (“Consumer Report Information”) available to its customers who have a permissible purpose for receiving such information in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.) including, without limitation, all amendments thereto (“FCRA”). For the purposes of this Agreement, the term “adverse action” shall have the same meaning as that term is defined in the FCRA.

1.2 FCRA Penalties. THE FCRA PROVIDES THAT ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY AND WILLFULLY OBTAINS INFORMATION ON A CONSUMER FROM A CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY UNDER FALSE PRETENSES SHALL BE FINED UNDER TITLE 18, OR IMPRISONED NOT MORE THAN TWO YEARS, OR BOTH.

1.3 Subscriber Certifications. Subscriber certifies that it shall request Consumer Report Information pursuant to the written authorization of the consumer who is the subject of the Consumer Report Information. Subscriber certifies that each such written authorization will expressly authorize Subscriber to obtain the Consumer Report Information, and will contain at a minimum the subject’s name, address, social security number (where available) and signature. Subscriber shall use such Consumer Report Information solely for Subscriber’s exclusive one-time use and pursuant to the consumer’s written authorization use such information solely for assisting with making a residential or storage leasing decision, and for no other purpose, subject however, to the additional restrictions set forth herein. Moreover, if requested by TURSS, Subscriber agrees to, and shall, individually certify the permissible purpose for each Consumer Report Information it requests. Such individual certification shall be made by Subscriber pursuant to instructions provided from time to time to Subscriber by TURSS. Nothing in this certification, or elsewhere in this Agreement, is intended to allow Subscriber to purchase Consumer Report Information for the purpose of selling or giving the report, or information contained in or derived from it, to the subject of the report, or to any other third party, and Subscriber expressly agrees to refrain from such conduct.

1.4 Recommendations. Using Applicant and/or Tenant information provided to TURSS by Subscriber (“Applicant/Tenant Information”), TURSS will obtain consumer reports relating to each Applicant and/or Tenant and TURSS will evaluate the consumer reports (“Applicant/Tenant Reviews”). Based on the results of the Applicant/Tenant Reviews, TURSS will provide to Subscriber a Recommendation with respect to the Applicant and/or Tenant, based on the initial thresholds established by TURSS. Such thresholds, delivery specifications and decision criteria, and any changes thereto, shall be supplied or confirmed by Subscriber in writing. As part of the Recommendation service, TURSS shall also provide to Subscriber a sample letter containing information as to why the Applicant and/or Tenant was or was not approved. It is Subscriber’s obligation, however, to ensure compliance with any legal obligations when providing any information to an Applicant and/or Tenant.

1.4.2 All Rental Decisions to be made by Subscriber. Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that TURSS provides only Recommendations as to actions concerning an Applicant or a Tenant, and further acknowledges and agrees that all decisions of whether or not to rent property to a particular Applicant or Tenant, as well as the length of and terms of any such rental, will be made by Subscriber. TURSS shall have no liability to Subscriber or to any Applicant, Tenant or other person or entity for any rental, or the failure to rent, to any Applicant or Tenant, or the terms of any such rental, regardless of whether or not Subscriber’s decision was based on Recommendations, Consumer Report Information, public records, or other information provided to Subscriber by TURSS.

1.6 Compliance with Laws. Subscriber shall be responsible for compliance with all applicable federal (including, but not limited to the FCRA) and state laws, rules, regulations and judicial actions, as now or as may become effective, to which it is subject.

1.6.1 Subscriber certifies it shall comply with all requirements related to the public record information (“Public Record Information”) and other applicable data use restrictions (“Data Source Requirements”) described at rentalscreening.transunion.com/datasourcerequirements, which may be altered by TURSS from time to time, and certifies that any distribution of the Public Record Information or a Consumer Report shall comply with and contain the state-specific requirements.

2. Ancillary Services:

2.1 Fraud Prevention Services. TURSS offers several fraud prevention services that evaluate inquiry input elements against other input elements and/or against proprietary databases, to identify potential discrepancies and/or inaccuracies. Fraud prevention service messages may be delivered with Consumer Report Information as a convenience, but are not part of a consumer’s file nor are they intended to be consumer reports. In the event Subscriber obtains any fraud prevention services from TURSS in conjunction with Consumer Report Information or as a standalone service, Subscriber shall not use the fraud prevention services, in whole or in part, as a factor in establishing an individual’s creditworthiness or eligibility for credit or insurance, or employment, nor for any other purposes under the FCRA. Moreover, Subscriber shall not take any adverse action, which is based in whole or in part on the fraud prevention services, against any consumer. As a result of information obtained from the fraud prevention services, it is understood that Subscriber may choose to obtain additional information from one or more additional independent sources. Any action or decision as to any individual which is taken or made by Subscriber based solely on such additional information obtained from such additional independent source(s) shall not be deemed prohibited by this paragraph.

2.2 Scores. Subscriber may request, in writing, that TURSS provide Subscriber certain scores (e.g. scores received from credit reporting agencies (“Bureau Score”), SmartMove, Score, CreditRetrieverSM Score), in connection with the delivery of a consumer report obtained hereunder, collectively referred to herein as “Scores” for Subscriber’s exclusive use. TURSS agrees to perform such processing as reasonably practicable. Subscriber shall use Scores only in accordance with its permissible purpose under the FCRA and may store Scores solely for Subscriber’s own use in furtherance of Subscriber’s original purpose for obtaining the Scores. Subscriber shall not use the Scores for model development or model calibration and shall not reverse engineer the Scores.

2.2.1 Adverse Action Factors. Subscriber recognizes that factors other than the Scores may be considered in making a decision as to a consumer. Such other factors include, but are not limited to, the credit report, the individual account history, application information, and economic factors. TURSS may provide score reason codes to Subscriber, which are designed to indicate the principal factors that contributed to the Bureau Score, and may be disclosed to consumers as the reasons for taking adverse action, as required by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”) and its implementing Regulation (“Reg. B”). The Bureau Score itself, when accompanied by the corresponding reason codes, may also be disclosed to the consumer who is the subject of the Bureau Score. However, the Bureau Score itself may not be used as the reason for adverse action under Reg. B.

2.2.2 Confidentiality of Scores. The CreditRetrieverSM Score and the SmartMove Score are proprietary to TURSS and the BureauScore is proprietary to the credit reporting agency supplying the Bureau Score and, accordingly, without appropriate prior written consent, neither the CreditRetrieverSM Score, the SmartMove Score, or the Bureau Score may be sold, licensed, copied, reused, disclosed, reproduced, revealed or made accessible, in whole or in part, to any Person except: (a) as expressly permitted herein; (b) to those employees of Subscriber with a need to know and in the course of their employment; (c) to those third party processing agents of Subscriber who have executed an agreement that limits the use of the Scores by the third party only to the use permitted to Subscriber and contains the prohibitions set forth herein regarding model development, model calibration and reverse engineering; (d) when accompanied by the corresponding reason codes, to the consumer who is the subject of the Score; or (e) as required by law. Subscriber shall not, nor permit any third party to, publicly disseminate any results of the validations or other reports derived from the Scores without prior written consent.

2.2.3 Score Performance. Certain Scores are implemented with standard minimum exclusion criteria. TURSS shall not be liable to Subscriber for any claim, injury or damage suffered directly or indirectly by Subscriber as a result of any Subscriber requested changes to the exclusion criteria which result in normally excluded records being scored by such Scores. TURSS warrants that the scoring algorithms used in the computation of the scoring services, provided under this Agreement, (“Models”) are empirically derived from credit data and are a demonstrably and statistically sound method of rank-ordering candidate records with respect to the purpose of the Scores when applied to the population for which they were developed, and that no scoring algorithm used by a Score uses a “prohibited basis” as that term is defined in ECOA and Reg. B promulgated thereunder. The Bureau Score may appear on a credit report for convenience only, but is not a part of the credit report nor does it add to the information in the report on which it is based.

2.3 Third Party Scores and Other Third Party Services. TURSS has the capability to offer scores derived from models built jointly with third parties, and other services provided by third parties, which are subject to additional warranties offered or terms imposed by such third parties. If desired by Subscriber, such third party scores and services shall be made available pursuant to separate agreement, which shall be appended as a schedule to this Agreement.

2.4 Subscriber Forms. TURSS may offer the ability to electronically maintain and make available to Subscriber, at Subscriber’s request and direction, Subscriber’s forms including, but not limited to, lease forms, lease addenda and consumer correspondence. Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that it is Subscriber’s obligation to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the forms and to ensure its compliance with all applicable laws related to the use of such forms. TURSS makes no representations or warranties as to the content or use of such forms.

2.5 Subscriber Access. Subscriber agrees that TURSS may store data provided to Subscriber hereunder on behalf of Subscriber to be used by Subscriber solely for audit purposes and for no other purpose. All data stored on behalf of Subscriber by TURSS shall be owned by Subscriber and may not be modified in any manner.

3. Additional Terms and Conditions:

3.1 Confidentiality. Subscriber shall hold all Services Information in confidence and shall not disclose the Services to any third party, except as required by law (i.e., an order of a court or data request from an administrative or governmental agency with competent jurisdiction) to be disclosed; provided however, that Subscriber shall provide TURSS ten (10) days prior written notice before the disclosure of such information pursuant to this Paragraph 5.1. However, this restriction shall not prohibit Subscriber from disclosing to the subject of the Consumer Report Information, who is the subject of an adverse action, the content of the Consumer Report Information as it relates to any such adverse action.

3.2 Web Site Access. TURSS will provide Subscriber with access to TURSS’s web site (the “TURSS Site”) so that Subscriber may, by accessing the TURSS Site, (i) initiate Applicant Reviews and Tenant Reviews and (ii) obtain or review TURSS’s Recommendations to Subscriber. TURSS will assign one or more passwords and identification numbers (“Program Codes”) to Subscriber for use in accessing the TURSS Site. Subscriber represents and warrants that it will use its best reasonable efforts to ensure that: (1) only authorized Subscriber employees have access to the TURSS Site through Workstations; (2) TURSS Services obtained by Subscriber via the TURSS Site are not accessible by unauthorized parties via Subscriber’s connection to the Internet or otherwise; (3) all Passwords are kept confidential and secure by such authorized Subscriber employees (e.g., Subscriber shall ensure that Passwords are not stored on any Workstation nor other storage and retrieval system and/or media and that Internet browser caching functionality is not used to store Passwords; (4) each User ID and Password is used solely by the authorized Subscriber employee to whom such User ID and Password was issued; and (5) all documentation and other materials provided by TURSS to Subscriber under this Agreement are held in confidence by Subscriber (and accessible only to those Subscriber employees who Subscriber has authorized to use the TURSS Site). Subscriber shall immediately notify TURSS if a Subscriber user with access to Program Codes no longer works for Subscriber and shall be fully responsible for any use of the TURSS site by users accessing the site through the Program Codes assigned to the Subscriber. In the event of any compromise of security involving User Ids or Passwords, Subscriber shall immediately notify TURSS.

3.3 Safeguards. Each party shall implement, and shall take measures to maintain, reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical security safeguards (“Safeguards”) to (a) insure the security and confidentiality of non-public personal information; (b) protect against anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of non-public personal information; and (c) protect against unauthorized access or use of non-public personal information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any consumer. When a consumer’s first name or first initial and last name in combination with a social security number, driver’s license or Identification Card Number, or account number, credit or debit card number, in combination with any required security code, access code, or password that would permit access to an individual’s financial account (“Personal Information”), is delivered to Subscriber unencrypted, Subscriber shall implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices appropriate to the nature of the information and to protect the Personal Information from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure. Subscriber shall notify TURSS in writing as soon as practicable but in no event later than forty-eight hours after which Subscriber becomes aware of any potential and/or actual misappropriation of, and/or any unauthorized disclosures of, any information provided to Subscriber by TURSS, including, but not limited to theft, loss or interception of Consumer Report Information, unauthorized use of TURSS subscriber codes and passwords, unauthorized entry to the facilities where TURSS data may have been accessible, or unauthorized release of or access to TURSS data by an employee or Agent of Subscriber. Subscriber shall fully cooperate with TURSS in any communications to consumers regarding the data incident and mitigating, to the extent practicable, any damages due to such misappropriation and/or unauthorized disclosure. Such cooperation shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, allowing TURSS to participate in the investigation of the cause and extent of such misappropriation and/or unauthorized disclosure. Such cooperation shall not relieve Subscriber of any liability it may have as a result of such a misappropriation and/or unauthorized disclosure. Moreover, without TURSS’s prior consent, Subscriber shall make no public notification, including but not limited to press releases or consumer notifications, of the potential or actual occurrence of such misappropriation and/or unauthorized disclosure of any such information provided to Subscriber.

3.4 Authorized Requests. Subscriber shall use the Services: (a) for its certified permissible purpose above to assist in making a residential or storage leasing decision; (b) solely for Subscriber’s exclusive one-time use; and (c) subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Subscriber shall not request, obtain or use Services for any other purpose including, but not limited to, for the purpose of selling, leasing, renting or otherwise providing information obtained under this Agreement to any other party, whether alone, in conjunction with Subscriber’s own data, or otherwise in any service which is derived from the Services. Services shall be requested by, and disclosed by Subscriber to only Subscriber’s designated and authorized employees having a need to know and only to the extent necessary to enable Subscriber to use the Services in accordance with this Agreement. Subscriber shall ensure that such Subscriber designated and authorized employees shall not attempt to obtain any Services on themselves, associates, or any other person except in the exercise of their official duties.

3.5 Third Party Intermediaries. In the event Subscriber will utilize a third party intermediary (e.g., Internet service provider or other network provider) for the purpose of receiving Services, Subscriber shall first enter into an agreement with such third party under which such third party acts solely as a network conduit for the delivery of the Services to Subscriber and which prohibits such third party from using, or otherwise accessing, the Services for any other purpose. Subscriber shall be solely liable for any actions or omissions of such third parties which result in a breach of this Agreement.

3.6 Rights to Services. Subscriber shall not attempt, directly or indirectly, to reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble Services or any confidential or proprietary criteria developed or used by TURSS relating to the Services provided under this Agreement. Except as explicitly set forth in this Agreement, the entire right, title and interest in and to the Services shall at all times vest exclusively in TURSS. TURSS reserves all rights not explicitly granted to Subscriber under this Agreement.

3.6.1 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement, TURSS hereby grants a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to the Public Record Information, and the Services derived from the Public Record Information, from TURSS and that the material content of the Public Record Information and the Consumer Reports delivered by TURSS may not be altered, edited, or otherwise changed without the prior written consent from TURSS.

3.7 Fees and Payments. Though Subscriber has the option to request that the applicant/prospective tenant pay for the Services, the Subscriber is ultimately responsible to TURSS for the full payment of the Services. The fees associated with the Services are as stated on this website and are incorporated by reference. Upon delivery of the Services, Subscriber will be responsible for immediate payment, and outstanding amounts will be subject to a late charge of one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month (18% per year) or the maximum allowed by law, whichever is less. If collection efforts are required, Subscriber shall pay all costs of collection, including reasonable attorney’s fees. Any periodic and/or minimum Subscriber fees under this Agreement are non-refundable, in whole or in part, in the event of a termination of this Agreement. TURSS reserves the right to change the fees and charges from time to time, with such changes referenced on this website.

3.7.1 In addition, in the event that TURSS’s cost of rendering Services increases as a result of federal, state or local laws, ordinances or other regulatory, administrative or governmental acts, then TURSS may implement a surcharge subject to the following: (a) any surcharge will be applicable generally to TURSS’s customers; and (b) any surcharge will be applied only to services pertaining to consumers in the geographic area so affected. A legislative surcharge is imposed on certain types of reports pertaining to consumers residing in the United States, and an additional surcharge is imposed on certain reports pertaining to only Colorado residents.

3.8 Term, Termination and Survival. The term of this Agreement shall commence upon the agreeing to the terms of this Agreement and shall remain in effect until terminated by any party hereto for any reason whatsoever.

3.8.1 With the exception of TURSS’s obligation to provide Services under this Agreement, all provisions of this Agreement shall survive any such termination of this Agreement including, but not limited to, all restrictions on Subscriber’s use of Services Information. Moreover, any such termination shall not relieve Subscriber of any fees or other payments due to TURSS through the date of any such termination nor affect any rights, duties or obligations of either party that accrue prior to the effective date of any such termination.

3.9 Limited Warranty. TURSS represents and warrants that the Services will be provided in a professional and workmanlike manner consistent with industry standards. TURSS DOES NOT WARRANT THE SERVICES TO BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OR THAT THE SERVICES WILL MEET SUBSCRIBER’S REQUIREMENTS. THE WARRANTY SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION 5.10 IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER STATUTORY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES THAT MIGHT BE IMPLIED FROM A COURSE OF PERFORMANCE OR DEALING OR TRADE USAGE OR WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

3.10 Limitation of Liability. TURSS’S SOLE LIABILITY, AND SUBSCRIBER’S SOLE REMEDY, FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT BY TURSS OR FOR BREACH OF TURSS’S OBLIGATIONS SHALL BE THE CORRECTION OF ANY DEFECTIVE SERVICE OR THE REFUND OF FEES PAID FOR SAME.

3.10.1 IN NO EVENT SHALL TURSS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF GOOD WILL AND LOST PROFITS OR REVENUE, WHETHER OR NOT SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGE IS BASED IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, INDEMNITY, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF TURSS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THESE LIMITATIONS SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY.

3.10.2 ADDITIONALLY, TURSS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO SUBSCRIBER FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT BROUGHT MORE THAN TWO (2) YEARS AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION HAS ACCRUED.

3.10.3 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement, use of Public Record Information, and the Services derived from the Public Record Information, from TURSS shall be subject to the following: THE PUBLIC RECORD INFORMATION IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. TURSS AND ITS DATA PROVIDERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE PUBLIC RECORD INFORMATION AND DISCLAIM ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, TURSS AND ITS DATA PROVIDERS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR WARRANT THE ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, CURRENTNESS, MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC RECORD INFORMATION AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR INJURY ARISING OUT OF OR CAUSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY USE OF THE PUBLIC RECORD INFORMATION. Subscriber shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless TURSS and its data providers, from and against any and all liabilities, damages, losses, claims, costs, fees, and expenses (including but not limited to reasonable attorney and expert witness fees and expenses) arising out of or related to Subscriber’s use of the Public Record Information obtained from TURSS. Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that TURSS’s data providers are a third party beneficiary of the provisions of this section, with right of enforcement.

3.11 Assignment and Subcontracting. Neither party may assign or otherwise transfer this Agreement, in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the other. Notwithstanding the foregoing, TURSS may assign or transfer this Agreement to a wholly-owned subsidiary or in the event of a purchase of substantially all of TURSS’s assets or in the event of a corporate form reorganization (e.g., LLC to C-Corporation). Moreover, TURSS shall have the unrestricted right to subcontract the Services to be provided to Subscriber by TURSS under this Agreement; provided however, that such subcontracting shall not relieve TURSS of its obligations under this Agreement. The limited warranty and limitation of liability provisions set forth in this Agreement shall also apply for the benefit of TURSS’s licensors, subcontractors and agents.

3.12 No Waiver. No failure on the part of either party to enforce any covenant, agreement, or condition of this Agreement shall operate as a discharge of such covenant, agreement, or condition, or render the same invalid, or impair the right of either party to enforce the same in the event of any subsequent breach by the other party.

3.13 Independent Contractors. This Agreement is not intended to create or evidence any employer-employee arrangement, agency, partnership, joint venture, or similar relationship.

3.14 Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision will be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of this Agreement.

3.15 Force Majeure. TURSS shall not be liable for any delay in performance or failure to perform under this Agreement if such delay or failure us caused by conditions beyond TURSS’ reasonable control.

3.16 Audit Rights. During the term of this Agreement and for a period of five (5) years thereafter, TURSS may audit Subscriber’s policies, procedures and records which pertain to this Agreement, to ensure compliance with this Agreement, upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours.

3.17 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without reference to the choice of law principles thereof.

3.18 Notices. Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that any notice provided by TURSS to any electronic mail address provided by Subscriber shall suffice for proper notice under this Agreement. Additionally, all of Subscriber’s communications or notices required or permitted by this Agreement shall be sufficiently given for all purposes hereunder if given in writing and delivered to TURSS (i) personally, (ii) by United States first class mail, (iii) by reputable overnight delivery service, (iv) by electronic mail, or (v) by facsimile. All notices delivered in accordance with this Section for TURSS shall be sent to the appropriate address or number, as set forth below:

TURSS: TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions

6430 S. Fiddler’s Green Circle, Suite 500, Greenwood Village, CO 80111

3.19 Trademarks. Both Subscriber and TURSS shall submit to the other party for written approval, prior to use, distribution, or disclosure, any material including, but not limited to, all advertising, promotion, or publicity in which any trade name, trademark, service mark, and/or logo (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Marks”) of the other party are used (the “Materials”). Both parties shall have the right to require, at each party’s respective discretion and as communicated in writing, the correction or deletion of any misleading, false, or objectionable material from any Materials. Neither party shall remove any of the other party’s Marks from any information materials nor reports provided to the other party and shall comply with the other party’s instructions with respect to the use of any such Marks. Moreover, when using the other party’s Marks pursuant to this Agreement, a party shall take all reasonable measures required to protect the other party’s rights in such Marks, including, but not limited to, the inclusion of a prominent legend identifying such Marks as the property of the other party. In using each other’s Marks pursuant to this Agreement, each party acknowledges and agrees that (i) the other party’s Marks are and shall remain the sole properties of the other party, (ii) nothing in this Agreement shall confer in a party any right of ownership in the other party’s Marks, and (iii) neither party shall contest the validity of the other party’s Marks. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, without the prior written approval of Subscriber, TURSS shall have the right to disclose to third parties Subscriber’s marks in consumer credit reports containing Subscriber’s account information.

3.20 By signing this Agreement, Subscriber acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Federal Trade Commission’s “Notice to Users of Consumer Reports: Obligations of Users Under the FCRA” and a copy of the Federal Trade Commission’s “Notices to Furnishers of Information: Obligations of Furnishers Under the FCRA”.

3.21 The individual executing this Agreement has direct knowledge of all facts certified and the authority to both execute this Agreement on behalf of Subscriber and bind Subscriber to the terms of this Agreement.

3.22 ID Manager Service: In connection with the Services, Subscriber desires to obtain TransUnion’s ID Manager Service pursuant to the following additional terms and conditions:

3.22.1 With respect to request for ID Manager Service, Subscriber hereby certifies that its use of the ID Manager Service will be requested, obtained and used for one or more of the following permitted uses as described in, and as may be interpreted from time to time, by competent legislative, regulatory or judicial authority, as being encompassed by, Section (6802) (e) of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB), Title V, Subtitle A, Financial Privacy (15 U.S.C. § 6801-6809) and the United States Federal Trade Commission rules promulgated thereunder.

– To protect against or prevent actual fraud, unauthorized transactions, claims or other liability;

– To comply with Federal, State or local laws, rules and other applicable legal requirements.

3.22.2 Subscriber further represents that:

(a) Subscriber shall not request, obtain or use such ID Manager Service for any other purpose including, but not limited to, in whole or in part, as a factor in establishing an individual’s creditworthiness or eligibility for (i) credit or insurance, or (ii) employment, nor for any other purpose under the FCRA. Moreover, Subscriber shall not take any adverse action, which is based in whole or in part on the ID Manager Service, against any consumer.

(b) Subscriber shall comply with all other applicable federal, state and local laws, statutes, rules and regulations including, but not limited to, the Drivers Privacy Protection Act.

3.22.3 To the extent that the ID Manager Service requested by Subscriber utilize, in whole or in part, Consumer Reports as defined in the FCRA, Subscriber certifies that it will request and use each such request ID Manager Service solely for one of the permissible purposes certified below:

– In connection with a credit transaction involving the individual on whom the information is to be furnished and involving the extension of credit to the individual.

– Pursuant to the written authorization of the individual who is subject of the individual ID Manager Service request.

– In connection with a business transaction initiated by the individual.

3.22.4 Subscriber expressly acknowledges and agrees that where the ID Manager Service to be provided to Subscriber under this Agreement utilizes Consumer Reports TURSS expresses no opinion regarding a Consumer’s creditworthiness in rendering such ID Manager Service. Moreover, in the event Subscriber’s requested ID Manager Service utilize, in whole or in part, Consumer Reports, without limiting Subscriber’s obligations set forth elsewhere in this Agreement, Subscriber shall comply with any and all adverse action notice requirements of the FCRA.

Entire Agreement:

THIS AGREEMENT INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL EXHIBITS AND ATTACHMENTS HERETO, CONSTITUTES THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT BETWEEN TURSS AND SUBSCRIBER AND SUPERSEDES ALL PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, SOLELY WITH RESPECT TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AGREEMENT. THIS AGREEMENT MAY NOT BE ALTERED, AMENDED, OR MODIFIED EXCEPT BY WRITTEN INSTRUMENT SIGNED BY THE DULY AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES OF BOTH PARTIES.

Notice to Users of Consumer Reports: Obligations of
Users Under the FCRA

All users of consumer reports must comply with all applicable regulations. Information about applicable regulations currently in effect can be found at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website, www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.

NOTICE TO USERS OF CONSUMER REPORTS: OBLIGATIONS OF USERS UNDER THE FCRA

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), 15 U.S.C. §1681-1681y, requires that this notice be provided to inform users of consumer reports of their legal obligations. State law may impose additional requirements. The text of the FCRA is set forth in full at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (“CFPB”) website at www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore. At the end of this document is a list of United States Code citations for the FCRA. Other information about user duties is also available at the Bureau’s website. Users must consult the relevant provisions of the FCRA for details about their obligations under the FCRA.

The first section of this summary sets forth the responsibilities imposed by the FCRA on all users of consumer reports. The subsequent sections discuss the duties of users of reports that contain specific types of information, or that are used for certain purposes, and the legal consequences of violations. If you are a furnisher of information to a consumer reporting agency (“CRA”), you have additional obligations and will receive a separate notice from the CRA describing your duties as a furnisher.

I. Obligations of All Users of Consumer Reports

A. Users Must Have a Permissible Purpose

Congress has limited the use of consumer reports to protect consumers’ privacy. All users must have a permissible purpose under the FCRA to obtain a consumer report. Section 604 contains a list of the permissible purposes under the law. These are:

· As ordered by a court or federal grand jury subpoena. Section 604(a) (1)

· As instructed by the consumer in writing. Section 604(a) (2)

· For the extension of credit as a result of an application from a consumer, or the review or collection of a consumer’s account. Section 604(a) (3) (A)

· For employment purposes, including hiring and promotion decisions, where the consumer has given written permission. Section 604(a) (3) (B) and 604(b)

· For the underwriting of insurance as a result of an application from a consumer. Section 604(a) (3) (C)

· When there is a legitimate business need, in connection with a business transaction that is initiated by the consumer. Section 604(a) (3) (F) (i)

· To review a consumer’s account to determine whether the consumer continues to meet the terms of the account. Section 604(a) (3) (F) (ii)

· To determine a consumer’s eligibility for a license or other benefit granted by a governmental instrumentality required by law to consider an applicant’s financial responsibility or status. Section 604(a) (3) (D)

· For use by a potential investor or servicer, or current insurer, in a valuation or assessment of the credit or prepayment risks associated with an existing credit obligation. Section 604(a) (3) (E)

· For use by state or local officials in connection with the determination of child support payments, or modifications and enforcement thereof. Sections 604(a) (4) and 604(a) (5).

In addition, creditors and insurers may obtain certain consumer report information for the purpose of making “prescreened” unsolicited offers of credit or insurance. Section 604(c). The particular obligations of users of “prescreened” information are described in Section VII below.

B. Users Must Provide Certifications

Section 604(f) prohibits any person from obtaining a consumer report from a consumer reporting agency (“CRA”) unless the person has certified to the CRA the permissible purpose(s) for which the report is being obtained and certifies that the report will not be used for any other purpose.

C. Users Must Notify Consumers When Adverse Actions Are Taken

The term “adverse action” is defined very broadly by Section 603. “Adverse actions” include all business, credit, and employment actions affecting consumers that can be considered to have a negative impact as defined by Section 603(k) of the FCRA – such as denying or canceling credit or insurance, or denying employment or promotion. No adverse action occurs in a credit transaction where the creditor makes a counteroffer that is accepted by the consumer.

1. Adverse Actions Based on Information Obtained From a CRA

If a user takes any type of adverse action as defined by the FCRA that is based at least in part on information contained in a consumer report, Section 615(a) requires the user to notify the consumer. The notification may be done in writing, orally, or by electronic means. It must include the following:

· The name, address, and telephone number of the CRA (including a toll-free telephone number, if it is a nationwide CRA) that provided the report.

· A statement that the CRA did not make the adverse decision and is not able to explain why the decision was made.

· A statement setting forth the consumer’s right to obtain a free disclosure of the consumer’s file from the CRA if the consumer makes a request within sixty (60) days.

· A statement setting forth the consumer’s right to dispute directly with the CRA the accuracy or completeness of any information provided by the CRA.

2. Adverse Actions Based on Information Obtained from Third Parties Who Are Not Consumer Reporting Agencies

If a person denies (or increases the charge for) credit for personal, family, or household purposes based either wholly or partly upon information from a person other than a CRA, and the information is the type of consumer information covered by the FCRA, Section 615(b)(1) requires that the user clearly and accurately disclose to the consumer his or her right to be told the nature of the information that was relied upon if the consumer makes a written request within sixty (60) days of notification. The user must provide the disclosure within a reasonable period of time following the consumer’s written request.

3. Adverse Actions Based on Information Obtained From Affiliates

If a person takes an adverse action involving insurance, employment, or a credit transaction initiated by the consumer, based on information of the type covered by the FCRA, and this information was obtained from an entity affiliated with the user of the information by common ownership or control, Section 615(b) (2) requires the user to notify the consumer of the adverse action. The notice must inform the consumer that he or she may obtain a disclosure of the nature of the information relied upon by making a written request within 60 days of receiving the adverse action notice. If the consumer makes such a request, the user must disclose the nature of the information not later than 30 days after receiving the request. If consumer report information is shared among affiliates and then used for an adverse action, the user must make an adverse action disclosure set forth in I.C.1 above.

D. Users Have Obligations When Fraud and Active Duty Military Alerts are in Files

When a consumer has placed a fraud alert, including one relating to identity theft, or an active duty military alert with a nationwide consumer reporting agency as defined in Section 603(p) and resellers, Section 605A (h) imposes limitations on users of reports obtained from the consumer reporting agency in certain circumstances, including the establishment of a new credit plan and the issuance of additional credit cards. For initial fraud alerts and active duty alerts, the user must have reasonable policies and procedures in place to form a belief that the user knows the identity of the applicant or contact the consumer at a telephone number specified by the consumer; in the case of extended fraud alerts, the user must contact the consumer in accordance with the contact information provided in the consumer’s alert.

E. Users Have Obligations When Notified of an Address Discrepancy

Section 605(h) requires nationwide CRAs, as defined in Section 603(p), to notify users that request reports when the address for a consumer provided by the user in requesting the report is substantially different from the addresses in the consumer’s file. When this occurs, users must comply with regulations specifying the procedures to be followed. Federal regulations are available at www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.

F. Users Have Obligations When Disposing of Records

Section 628 requires that all users of consumer report information have in place procedures to properly dispose of records containing this information. Federal regulations have been issued that cover disposal. The Federal Trade Commission’s regulations may be found at www.ftc.gov/credit.

II. Creditors Must Make Additional Disclosures

If a person uses a consumer report in connection with an application for, or a grant, extension, or provision of, credit to a consumer on material terms that are materially less favorable than the most favorable terms available to a substantial proportion of consumers from or through that person, based in whole or in part on a consumer report, the person must provide a risk-based pricing notice to the consumer in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Section 609(g) requires a disclosure by all persons that make or arrange loans secured by residential real property (one to four units) and that use credit scores. These persons must provide credit scores and other information about credit scores to applicants, including the disclosure set forth in Section 609(g) (1) (D) (“Notice to the Home Loan Applicant”).

III. Obligations of Users When Consumer Reports Are Obtained For Employment Purposes

A. Employment Other Than in the Trucking Industry

If information from a CRA is used for employment purposes, the user has specific duties, which are set forth in Section 604(b) of the FCRA. The user must:

· Make a clear and conspicuous written disclosure to the consumer before the report is obtained, in a document that consists solely of the disclosure, that a consumer report may be obtained.

· Obtain from the consumer prior written authorization. Authorization to access reports during the term of employment may be obtained at the time of employment.

· Certify to the CRA that the above steps have been followed, that the information being obtained will not be used in violation of any federal or state equal opportunity law or regulation, and that, if any adverse action is to be taken based on the consumer report, a copy of the report and a summary of the consumer’s rights will be provided to the consumer.

· Before taking an adverse action, the user must provide a copy of the report to the consumer as well as the summary of the consumer’s rights. (The user should receive this summary from the CRA.). A Section 615(a) adverse action notice should be sent after the adverse action is taken.

An adverse action notice also is required in employment situations if credit information (other than transactions and experience data) obtained from an affiliate is used to deny employment. Section 615(b) (2).

The procedures for investigative consumer reports and employee misconduct investigations are set forth below.

B. Employment in the Trucking Industry

Special rules apply for truck drivers where the only interaction between the consumer and the potential employer is by mail, telephone, or computer. In this case, the consumer may provide consent orally or electronically, and an adverse action may be made orally, in writing, or electronically. The consumer may obtain a copy of any report relied upon by the trucking company by contacting the company.

IV. Obligations When Investigative Consumer Reports Are Used

Investigative consumer reports are a special type of consumer report in which information about a consumer’s character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and mode of living is obtained through personal interviews by an entity or person that is a consumer reporting agency. Consumers who are the subject of such reports are given special rights under the FCRA. If a user intends to obtain an investigative consumer report, Section 606 requires the following:

· The user must disclose to the consumer that an investigative consumer report may be obtained.

This must be done in a written disclosure that is mailed, or otherwise delivered, to the consumer at some time before or not later than three days after the date on which the report was first requested. The disclosure must include a statement informing the consumer of his or her right to request additional disclosures of the nature and scope of the investigation as described below, and the summary of consumer rights required by Section 609 of the FCRA. (The summary of consumer rights will be provided by the CRA that conducts the investigation.).

· The user must certify to the CRA that the disclosures set forth above have been made and that the user will make the disclosure below.

· Upon written request of a consumer made within a reasonable period of time after the disclosures required above, the user must make a complete disclosure of the nature and scope of the investigation. This must be made in a written statement that is mailed, or otherwise delivered, to the consumer no later than five days after the date on which the request was received from the consumer or the report was first requested, whichever is later in time.

V. Special Procedures for Employee Investigations

Section 603(x) provides special procedures for investigations of suspected misconduct by an employee or for compliance with Federal, state or local laws and regulations or the rules of a self- regulatory organization, and compliance with written policies of the employer. These investigations are not treated as consumer reports so long as the employer or its agent complies with the procedures set forth in Section 603(x), and a summary describing the nature and scope of the inquiry is made to the employee if an adverse action is taken based on the investigation.

VI. Obligations of Users of Medical Information

Section 604(g) limits the use of medical information obtained from consumer reporting agencies (other than payment information that appears in a coded form that does not identify the medical provider). If the information is to be used for an insurance transaction, the consumer must give consent to the user of the report or the information must be coded. If the report is to be used for employment purposes – or in connection with a credit transaction (except as provided in federal regulations) – the consumer must provide specific written consent and the medical information must be relevant. Any user who receives medical information shall not disclose the information to any other person (except where necessary to carry out the purpose for which the information was disclosed, or as permitted by statute, regulation, or order).

VII. Obligations of Users of “Prescreened” Lists

The FCRA permits creditors and insurers to obtain limited consumer report information for use in connection with unsolicited offers of credit or insurance under certain circumstances. Section 603(l), 604(c), 604(e), and 615(d). This practice is known as “prescreening” and typically involves obtaining from a CRA a list of consumers who meet certain pre-established criteria. If any person intends to use prescreened lists, that person must (1) before the offer is made, establish the criteria that will be relied upon to make the offer and to grant credit or insurance, and (2) maintain such criteria on file for a three-year period beginning on the date on which the offer is made to each consumer. In addition, any user must provide with each written solicitation a clear and conspicuous statement that:

· Information contained in a consumer’s CRA file was used in connection with the transaction.

· The consumer received the offer because he or she satisfied the criteria for credit worthiness or insurability used to screen for the offer.

· Credit or insurance may not be extended if, after the consumer responds, it is determined that the consumer does not meet the criteria used for screening or any applicable criteria bearing on credit worthiness or insurability, or the consumer does not furnish required collateral.

· The consumer may prohibit the use of information in his or her file in connection with future prescreened offers of credit or insurance by contacting the notification system established by the CRA that provided the report. This statement must include the address and the toll-free telephone number of the appropriate notification system.

In addition, once the CFPB has established the format, type size, and manner of the disclosure required by Section 615(d), users must be in compliance with the rule. The relevant regulation is 12 CFR 1022.54.

VIII. Obligations of Resellers

A. Disclosure and Certification Requirements

Section 607(e) requires any person who obtains a consumer report for resale to take the following steps:

· Disclose the identity of the end-user to the source CRA.

· Identify to the source CRA each permissible purpose for which the report will be furnished to the end-user.

· Establish and follow reasonable procedures to ensure that reports are resold only for permissible purposes, including procedures to obtain:

1) the identity of all end-users;

2) certifications from all users of each purposes for which reports will be used; and

3) certifications that reports will not be used for any purpose other than the purpose(s) specified to the reseller. Resellers must make reasonable efforts to verify this information before selling the report.

B. Reinvestigations by Resellers

Under Section 611(f), if a consumer disputes the accuracy or completeness of information in a report prepared by a reseller, the reseller must determine whether this is a result of an action or omission on its part and, if so, correct or delete the information. If not, the reseller must send the dispute to the source CRA for reinvestigation. When any CRA notifies the reseller of the results of an investigation, the reseller must immediately convey the information to the consumer.

C. Fraud Alerts and Resellers

Section 605A (f) requires resellers who receive fraud alerts or active duty alerts from another consumer reporting agency to include these in their reports.

IX. Liability for Violations of the FCRA

Failure to comply with the FCRA can result in state government or federal government enforcement actions, as well as private lawsuits. Sections 616, 617, and 621. In addition, any person who knowingly and willfully obtains a consumer report under false pretenses may face criminal prosecution. Section 619.

The CFPB’s website, www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore, has more information about the FCRA, including publications for businesses and the full text of the FCRA. Citations for the FCRA sections in the U.S. Code, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.:

Section 602 15 U.S.C. 1681

Section 603 15 U.S.C. 1681a

Section 604 15 U.S.C. 1681b

Section 605 15 U.S.C. 1681c

Section 605A 15 U.S.C. 1681cA

Section 605B 15 U.S.C. 1681cB

Section 606 15 U.S.C. 1681d

Section 607 15 U.S.C. 1681e

Section 608 15 U.S.C. 1681f

Section 609 15 U.S.C. 1681g

Section 610 15 U.S.C. 1681h

Section 611 15 U.S.C. 1681i

Section 612 15 U.S.C. 1681j

Section 613 15 U.S.C. 1681k

Section 614 15 U.S.C. 1681l

Section 615 15 U.S.C. 1681m

Section 616 15 U.S.C. 1681n

Section 617 15 U.S.C. 1681o

Section 618 15 U.S.C. 1681p

Section 619 15 U.S.C. 1681q

Section 620 15 U.S.C. 1681r

Section 621 15 U.S.C. 1681s

Section 622 15 U.S.C. 1681s-1

Section 623 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2

Section 624 15 U.S.C. 1681t

Section 625 15 U.S.C. 1681u

Section 626 15 U.S.C. 1681v

Section 627 15 U.S.C. 1681w

Section 628 15 U.S.C. 1681x

Section 629 15 U.S.C. 1681y

Notice to Furnishers of Information: Obligations of
Furnishers Under the FCRA

All furnishers of consumer reports must comply with all applicable regulations. Information about applicable regulations currently in effect can be found at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website, www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.

NOTICE TO FURNISHERS OF INFORMATION: OBLIGATIONS OF FURNISHERS UNDER THE FCRA:

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), 15 U.S.C. 1681-1681y, imposes responsibilities on all persons who furnish information to consumer reporting agencies (“CRAs”). These responsibilities are found in Section 623 of the FCRA, 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2. State law may impose additional requirements on furnishers. All furnishers of information to CRAs should become familiar with the applicable laws and may want to consult with their counsel to ensure that they are in compliance. The text of the FCRA is available at the website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”): www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore. A list of the sections of the FCRA cross-referenced to the U.S. Code is at the end of this document. Section 623 imposes the following duties upon furnishers:

Accuracy Guidelines

The FCRA requires furnishers to comply with federal regulations dealing with the accuracy of information provided to CRAs by furnishers. Federal regulations and guidelines are available at www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore. Section 623(e).

General Prohibition on Reporting Inaccurate Information

The FCRA prohibits information furnishers from providing information to a CRA that they know or have reasonable cause to believe is inaccurate. However, the furnisher is not subject to this general prohibition if it clearly and conspicuously specifies an address to which consumers may write to notify the furnisher that certain information is inaccurate. Section 623(a) (1) (A) and (a) (1) (C).

Duty to Correct and Update Information

If at any time a person who regularly and in the ordinary course of business furnishes information to one or more CRAs determines that the information provided is not complete or accurate, the furnisher must provide complete and accurate information to the CRA. In addition, the furnisher must notify all CRAs that received the information of any corrections, and must thereafter report only the complete and accurate information. Section 623(a) (2).

Duties after Notice of Dispute from Consumer

If a consumer notifies a furnisher, at an address specified by the furnisher for such notices, that specific information is inaccurate, and the information is, in fact, inaccurate, the furnisher must thereafter report the correct information to CRAs. Section 623(a) (1) (B).

If a consumer notifies a furnisher that the consumer disputes the completeness or accuracy of any information reported by the furnisher, the furnisher may not subsequently report that information to a CRA without providing notice of the dispute. Section 623(a) (3).

Furnishers must comply with federal regulations that identify when an information furnisher must investigate a dispute made directly to the furnisher by a consumer. Under these regulations, furnishers must complete an investigation within 30 days (or 45 days, if the consumer later provides relevant additional information) unless the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant or comes from a “credit repair organization.” Section 623(a) (8). Federal regulations are available at www.consumerfinance.gov. Section 623(a) (8).

Duties after Notice of Dispute from Consumer Reporting Agency

If a CRA notifies a furnisher that a consumer disputes the completeness or accuracy of information provided by the furnisher, the furnisher has a duty to follow certain procedures. The furnisher must:

· Conduct an investigation and review all relevant information provided by the CRA, including information given to the CRA by the consumer. Section 623(b) (1) (A) and (b) (1) (B).

· Report the results to the CRA that referred the dispute, and, if the investigation establishes that the information was, in fact, incomplete or inaccurate, report the results to all CRAs to which the furnisher provided the information that compile and maintain files on a nationwide basis. Section 623(b) (1) (C) and (b) (1) (D).

· Complete the above steps within thirty (30) days from the date the CRA receives the dispute (or 45 days, if the consumer later provides relevant additional information to the CRA). Section 623(b) (2).

· Promptly modify or delete the information, or block its reporting. Section 623(b) (1) (E).

Duty to Report Voluntary Closing of Credit Accounts

If a consumer voluntarily closes a credit account, any person who regularly and in the ordinary course of business furnished information to one or more CRAs must report this fact when it provides information to CRAs for the time period in which the account was closed. Section 623(a) (4).

Duty to Report Dates of Delinquencies

If a furnisher reports information concerning a delinquent account placed for collection, charged to profit or loss, or subject to any similar action, the furnisher must, within 90 days after reporting the information, provide the CRA with the month and the year of the commencement of the delinquency that immediately preceded the action, so that the agency will know how long to keep the information in the consumer’s file. Section 623(a) (5).

Any person, such as a debt collector, that has acquired or is responsible for collecting delinquent accounts and that reports information to CRAs may comply with the requirements of Section 623(a)(5) (until there is a consumer dispute) by reporting the same delinquency date previously reported by the creditor. If the creditor did not report this date, they may comply with the FCRA by establishing reasonable procedures to obtain and report delinquency dates, or, if a delinquency date cannot be reasonably obtained, by following reasonable procedures to ensure that the date reported precedes the date when the account was placed for collection, charged to profit or loss, or subjected to any similar action. Section 623(a) (5).

Duties of Financial Institutions When Reporting Negative Information

Financial institutions that furnish information to “nationwide” consumer reporting agencies, as defined in Section 603(p), must notify consumers in writing if they may furnish or have furnished negative information to a CRA. Section 623(a) (7). The CFPB has prescribed model disclosures, 12 CFR Part 222, App.B.

Duties When Furnishing Medical Information

A furnisher whose primary business is providing medical services, products, or devices (and such furnisher’s agents or assignees) is a medical information furnisher for the purposes of the FCRA and must notify all CRAs to which it reports of this fact. Section 623(a) (9). This notice will enable CRAs comply with their duties under Section 604(g) when reporting medical information.

Duties When ID Theft Occurs

All furnishers must have in place reasonable procedures to respond to notifications from CRAs that information furnished is the result of identity theft, and to prevent refurnishing the information in the future. A furnisher may not furnish information that a consumer has identified as resulting from identity theft unless the furnisher subsequently knows or is informed by the consumer that the information is correct. Section 623(a) (6). If a furnisher learns that it has furnished inaccurate information due to identity theft, it must notify each CRA of the correct information and must thereafter report only complete and accurate information. Section 623(a) (2). When any furnisher of information is notified pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 605B that a debt has resulted from identity theft, the furnisher may not sell, transfer, or place for collection the debt except in certain limited circumstances. Section 615(f).

The CFPB’s website, www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore, has more information about the FCRA, including publications for businesses and the full text of the FCRA. Citations for FCRA sections in the U.S. Code, 15 U.S. C § 1681 et seq.:

Section 602 15 U.S.C. 1681
Section 603 15 U.S.C. 1681a
Section 604 15 U.S.C. 1681b
Section 605 15 U.S.C. 1681c
Section 605A 15 U.S.C. 1681cA
Section 605B 15 U.S.C. 1681cB
Section 606 15 U.S.C. 1681d
Section 607 15 U.S.C. 1681e
Section 608 15 U.S.C. 1681f
Section 609 15 U.S.C. 1681g
Section 610 15 U.S.C. 1681h
Section 611 15 U.S.C. 1681i
Section 612 15 U.S.C. 1681j
Section 613 15 U.S.C. 1681k
Section 614 15 U.S.C. 1681l
Section 615 15 U.S.C. 1681m
Section 616 15 U.S.C. 1681n
Section 617 15 U.S.C. 1681o
Section 618 15 U.S.C. 1681p
Section 619 15 U.S.C. 1681q
Section 620 15 U.S.C. 1681r
Section 621 15 U.S.C. 1681s
Section 622 15 U.S.C. 1681s-1
Section 623 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2
Section 624 15 U.S.C. 1681t
Section 625 15 U.S.C. 1681u
Section 626 15 U.S.C. 1681v
Section 627 15 U.S.C. 1681w
Section 628 15 U.S.C. 1681x

Section 629 15 U.S.C. 1681y

Vermont FCRA – Notice of Requirement for Consumer Consent

IMPORTANT NOTICE AFFECTING END USERS DOING BUSINESS WITH VERMONT RESIDENTS

In addition to the Notice to Users of Consumer Reports, if you are a user of Vermont consumer reports, please read below:

Vermont Fair Credit Reporting Statute, 9 V.S.A. § 2480e

§ 2480e. Consumer consent

(a) A person shall not obtain the credit report of a consumer unless:

(1) the report is obtained in response to the order of a court having jurisdiction to issue such an order; or

(2) the person has secured the consent of the consumer, and the report is used for the purpose consented to by the consumer.

(b) Credit reporting agencies shall adopt reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible compliance with subsection (a) of this section.

(1) the ability of a person who has secured the consent of the consumer pursuant to subdivision (a)(2) of this section to include in his or her request to the consumer permission to also obtain credit reports, in connection with the same transaction or extension of credit, for the purpose of reviewing the account, increasing the credit line on the account, for the purpose of taking collection action on the account, or for other legitimate purposes associated with the account; and

(2) the use of credit information for the purpose of prescreening, as defined and permitted from time to time by the Federal Trade Commission. (Added 1991, No. 246 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

VERMONT RULES *** CURRENT THROUGH JUNE 1999 ***

AGENCY 06. OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

SUB-AGENCY 031. CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION

CHAPTER 012. Consumer Fraud–Fair Credit Reporting

RULE CF 112 FAIR CREDIT REPORTING

CVR 06-031-012, CF 112.03 (1999)

CF 112.03 CONSUMER CONSENT

A person required to obtain consumer consent pursuant to 9 V.S.A. §§ 2480e and 2480g shall obtain said consent in writing if the consumer has made a written application or written request for credit, insurance, employment, housing or governmental benefit. If the consumer has applied for or requested credit, insurance, employment, housing or governmental benefit in a manner other than in writing, then the person required to obtain consumer consent pursuant to 9 V.S.A. §§ 2480e and 2480g shall obtain said consent in writing or in the same manner in which the consumer made the application or request. The terms of this rule apply whether the consumer or the person required to obtain consumer consent initiates the transaction.

Consumer consent required pursuant to 9 V.S.A. §§ 2480e and 2480g shall be deemed to have been obtained in writing if, after a clear and adequate written disclosure of the circumstances under which a credit report or credit reports may be obtained and the purposes for which the credit report or credit reports may be obtained, the consumer indicates his or her consent by providing his or her signature.

The fact that a clear and adequate written consent form is signed by the consumer after the consumer’s credit report has been obtained pursuant to some other form of consent shall not affect the validity of the earlier consent.

Under Vermont law, no one may access a Vermont consumer’s credit report without obtaining the consumer’s permission except under the following limited circumstances:

in response to the order of a court having jurisdiction to issue such an order;

for direct mail offers of credit (prescreening), as permitted by the FCRA;

for the purpose of reviewing an account, increasing the credit line on the account, taking collection action on the account, or for other legitimate purposes associated with the account, if the consumer has given ongoing permission to obtain reports in connection with an existing credit relationship;

where the request for a credit report is related to an education loan made, guaranteed, or serviced by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation;

where the request for a credit report is by the Office of Child Support Services when investigating a child support case;

where the request for a credit report is related to a credit transaction entered into prior to January 1, 1993; or

where the request for a credit report is by the Vermont State Tax Department and is used for the purpose of collecting or investigating delinquent taxes.

If you have obtained consent from the consumer to receive their credit report, the report may only be used for the purpose consented to by the consumer.

*****

Please note that by signing ARI’s Terms and Conditions, you have agreed to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, and regulations relating to the use of information received from ARI or regarding the provision of information to ARI. You and/or your company has also certified that it will not use the information received from ARI for purposes prohibited by law.

Based on the provisions in ARI’s Terms and Conditions between ARI and you and/or your company, ARI will rely on your company’s certification that credit reports will not be requested unless done so in compliance with Vermont and all other applicable law.

The Vermont statute above is provided to you with the intention of increasing awareness of your responsibilities under VT2480e(b) only. The notice is not meant to be an exhaustive representation of all Vermont laws affecting credit report users nor of your obligations under such laws. In short, it is not intended to provide you with, nor shall it be construed as, legal advice regarding Vermont law.

Should you have any questions about your or your institution’s specific obligations under the FCRA or any related state law, we ask that you consult with your own legal counsel.

*****

California FCRA – California Consumer Credit Reporting Legislation Data User / Furnisher Obligations

IMPORTANT NOTICE AFFECTING END USERS DOING BUSINESS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS

California law requires that consumer credit reporting agencies, communicate to all its users and data furnishers their obligations under Title 1.6 California Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act.

Provided below is an extract of the Act. Please note that federal law may pre-empt state regulations. We strongly encourage you to review the entire statute closely with your legal counsel. A copy of the statute may be found at www.sen.ca.gov.

This communication is not intended to provide legal advice or counsel you in regards to your obligations under the law. If you have any questions pertaining to your obligations under California law, or any other state or federal regulation, we ask that you consult with your own legal counsel.

California Consumer Credit Reporting Legislation Data User / Furnisher Obligations

1785.11.1 (g) Any person who uses a consumer credit report in connection with the approval of credit based on an application for an extension of credit, or with the purchase, lease, or rental of goods or non-credit-related services and who receives notification of a security alert pursuant to subdivision (a) may not lend money, extend credit, or complete the purchase, lease, or rental of goods or non-credit-related services without taking reasonable steps to verify the consumer’s identity, in order to ensure that the application for an extension of credit or for the purchase, lease, or rental of goods or non-credit-related services is not the result of identity theft. If the consumer has placed a statement with the security alert in his or her file requesting that identity be verified by calling a specified telephone number, any person who receives that statement with the security alert in a consumer’s file pursuant to subdivision (a) shall take reasonable steps to verify the identity of the consumer by contacting the consumer using the specified telephone number prior to lending money, extending credit, or completing the purchase, lease, or rental of goods or non-credit-related services. If a person uses a consumer credit report to facilitate the extension of credit or for another permissible purpose on behalf of a subsidiary, affiliate, agent, assignee, or prospective assignee, that person may verify a consumer’s identity under this section in lieu of the subsidiary, affiliate, agent, assignee, or prospective assignee.

(i) If reasonable steps are taken to verify the identity of the consumer pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1785.20.3, those steps constitute compliance with the requirements of this section, except that if a consumer has placed a statement including a telephone number with the security alert in his or her file, his or her identity shall be verified by contacting the consumer using that telephone number as specified pursuant to subdivision (g).

1785.11.4 The provisions of Sections 1785.11.1, 1785.11.2, and 1785.11.3 do not apply to a consumer credit reporting agency that acts only as a reseller of credit information pursuant to Section 1785.22 by assembling and merging information contained in the data base of another consumer credit reporting agency or multiple consumer credit reporting agencies, and does not maintain a permanent data base of credit information from which new consumer credit reports are produced. However, a consumer credit reporting agency acting pursuant to Section 1785.22 shall honor any security freeze placed on a consumer credit report by another consumer credit reporting agency.

1785.14 (2) If the prospective user is a retail seller, as defined in Section 1802.3, and intends to issue credit to a consumer who appears in person on the basis of an application for credit submitted in person, the retail seller certifies, in writing, to the consumer credit reporting agency that it instructs its employees and agents to inspect a photo identification of the consumer at the time the application was submitted in person. This paragraph does not apply to an application for credit submitted by mail.

(3) If the prospective user intends to extend credit by mail pursuant to a solicitation by mail, the extension of credit shall be mailed to the same address as on the solicitation unless the prospective user verifies any address change by, among other methods, contacting the person to whom the extension of credit will be mailed.

1802.3. “Retail seller” or “seller” means a person engaged in the business of selling goods or furnishing services to retail buyers.

1785.20.2. Any person who makes or arranges loans and who uses a consumer credit score as defined in Section 1785.15.1 in connection with an application initiated or sought by a consumer for a closed end loan or establishment of an open end loan for a consumer purpose that is secured by one to four units of residential real property shall provide the following to the consumer as soon as reasonably practicable:

(a) A copy of the information identified in subdivision (a) of Section 1785.15.1 that was obtained from a credit reporting agency or was developed and used by the user of the information. In addition to the information provided to it by a third party that provided the credit score or scores, a lender is only required to provide the notice contained in subdivision (d).

(b) If a person who is subject to this section uses an automated underwriting system to underwrite a loan, that person may satisfy the obligation to provide a credit score by disclosing a credit score and associated key factors supplied by a consumer credit reporting agency. However, if a numerical credit score is generated by an automated underwriting system used by an enterprise, and that score is disclosed to the person, it shall be disclosed to the consumer consistent with subdivision (c). For purposes of this subdivision, the term “enterprise” shall have the meaning provided in paragraph (6) of Section 4502 of Title 12 of the United States Code.

(c) A person subject to the provisions of this section who uses a credit score other than a credit score provided by a consumer reporting agency may satisfy the obligation to provide a credit score by disclosing a credit score and associated key factors supplied by a consumer credit reporting agency.

(d) A copy of the following notice, which shall include the name, address, and telephone number of each credit bureau providing a credit score that was used:

NOTICE TO THE HOME LOAN APPLICANT

In connection with your application for a home loan, the lender must disclose to you the score that a credit bureau distributed to users and the lender used in connection with your home loan, and the key factors affecting your credit scores. The credit score is a computer generated summary calculated at the time of the request and based on information a credit bureau or lender has on file. The scores are based on data about your credit history and payment patterns. Credit scores are important because they are used to assist the lender in determining whether you will obtain a loan. They may also be used to determine what interest rate you may be offered on the mortgage. Credit scores can change over time, depending on your conduct, how your credit history and payment patterns change, and how credit scoring technologies change. Because the score is based on information in your credit history, it is very important that you review the credit-related information that is being furnished to make sure it is accurate. Credit records may vary from one company to another. If you have questions about your credit score or the credit information that is furnished to you, contact the credit bureau at the address and telephone number provided with this notice, or contact the lender, if the lender developed or generated the credit score. The credit bureau plays no part in the decision to take any action on the loan application and is unable to provide you with specific reasons for the decision on a loan application. If you have questions concerning the terms of the loan, contact the lender.

(e) This section shall not require any person to do the following: (1) Explain the information provided pursuant to Section 1785.15.1. (2) Disclose any information other than a credit score or key factor, as defined in Section 1785.15.1. (3) Disclose any credit score or related information obtained by the user after a loan has closed. (4) Provide more than one disclosure per loan transaction. (5) Provide the disclosure required by this section when another person has made the disclosure to the consumer for that loan transaction. (f) Any person’s obligation pursuant to this section shall be limited solely to providing a copy of the information that was received from the consumer credit reporting agency. No person has liability under this section for the content of that information or for the omission of any information within the report provided by the consumer credit reporting agency.

1785.20.3. (a) Any person who uses a consumer credit report in connection with the approval of credit based on an application for an extension of credit, and who discovers that the consumer’s first and last name, address, or social security number, on the credit application does not match, within a reasonable degree of certainty, the consumer’s first and last name, address or addresses, or social security number listed, if any, on the consumer credit report, shall take reasonable steps to verify the accuracy of the consumer’s first and last name, address, or social security number provided on the application to confirm that the extension of credit is not the result of identity theft, as defined in Section 1798.92.

(b) Any person who uses a consumer credit report in connection with the approval of credit based on an application for an extension of credit, and who has received notification pursuant to subdivision (k) of Section 1785.16 that the applicant has been a victim of identity theft, as defined in Section 1798.92, may not lend money or extend credit without taking reasonable steps to verify the consumer’s identity and confirm that the application for an extension of credit is not the result of identity theft.

(f) If a consumer provides initial written notice to a creditor that he or she is a victim of identity theft, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 1798.92, the creditor shall provide written notice to the consumer of his or her rights under subdivision (k) of Section 1785.16. (g) The provisions of subdivisions (k) and (l) of Section 1785.16 do not apply to a consumer credit reporting agency that acts only as a reseller of credit information by assembling and merging information contained in the database of another consumer credit reporting agency or the databases of multiple consumer credit reporting agencies, and does not maintain a permanent database of credit information from which new credit reports are produced.

(h) This section does not apply if one of the addresses at issue is a US Army or Air Force post office address or a US Fleet post office address.

1785.20.5. (a) Prior to requesting a consumer credit report for employment purposes, the user of the report shall provide written notice to the person involved. The notice shall inform the person that a report will be used and the source of the report, and shall contain a box that the person may check off to receive a copy of the credit report. If the consumer indicates that he or she wishes to receive a copy of the report, the user shall request that a copy be provided to the person when the user requests its copy from the credit reporting agency. The report to the user and to the subject person shall be provided contemporaneously and at no charge to the subject person. (b) Whenever employment involving a consumer is denied either wholly or partly because of information contained in a consumer credit report from a consumer credit reporting agency, the user of the consumer credit report shall so advise the consumer against whom the adverse action has been taken and supply the name and address or addresses of the consumer credit reporting agency making the report. No person shall be held liable for any violation of this section if he or she shows by a preponderance of the evidence that, at the time of the alleged violation, he or she maintained reasonable procedures to assure compliance with this section.

1785.22. (a) A person may not procure a consumer credit report for the purpose of reselling the report or any information therein unless the person discloses to the consumer credit reporting agency which issues the report the identity of the ultimate end user and each permissible purpose for which the report is furnished to the end user of the consumer credit report or information therein. (b) A person that procures a consumer credit report for the purpose of reselling the report or any information therein shall do all of the following: (1) Establish and comply with reasonable procedures designed to ensure that the consumer credit report or information is resold by the person only for a purpose for which the report may be furnished under this title. These procedures shall include all of the following: (A) Identification of each prospective user of the resold consumer credit report or information. (B) Certification of each purpose for which the consumer credit report or information will be used. (C) Certification that the consumer credit report or information will be used for no other purpose. (2) Before reselling the consumer credit report or information, the person shall make reasonable efforts to verify the identities and certifications made under paragraph (1).

1785.25. (a) A person shall not furnish information on a specific transaction or experience to any consumer credit reporting agency if the person knows or should know the information is incomplete or inaccurate.

1785.30. Upon notification of the results of a consumer credit reporting agency’s reinvestigation pursuant to Section 1785.16, a consumer may make a written demand on any person furnishing information to the consumer credit reporting agency to correct any information that the consumer believes to be inaccurate. The person upon whom the written demand is made shall acknowledge the demand within 30 days.

Should you have any questions regarding your institutions specific obligations under California law or any other state or federal statute, we ask that you consult with your own legal counsel.

CALIFORNIA INVESTIGATIVE CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES ACT ADDENDUM

You hereby agree, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Agreement, as follows:

You will complete and provide to each consumer about whom you order a consumer report from ARI a notice substantially in the form of that shown below as Exhibit A no later than three (3) calendar days after the date on which You ordered the applicable consumer report and, if such consumer indicates thereon that he or she wishes to receive a copy of the consumer report relating to him or her, to provide such copy to such consumer no later than three (3) business days from the date you received the consumer report from ARI.
You hereby certify to ARI that:
1. The legal name of Your organization is accurately reflected in Your account with ARI and that You will promptly notify ARI in writing of any change thereto.
2. The purpose for which You are and may continue to order consumer reports from ARI shall be limited to use in connection with the screening of current or prospective tenants and or employees. You will notify ARI of any proposed change in such purpose.
3. The obligations set forth herein are in addition to and not in lieu of any other obligation contained in the Agreement.

Exhibit A

This notice is to advise you that an investigative consumer report will be made regarding your character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and mode of living. The name and address of the investigative consumer reporting agency that will prepare the report is:

ARI

You can receive a copy of this consumer report from:

[Ordering Entity Legal Name & Address]

Check here if you wish to receive a copy of this consumer report [ ]

Additionally, pursuant to Section 1786.22 of the Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act, you have the right upon request to and verification of your identity by Application Research Inc. through the submission of proper identification: (1) to visually inspect all files maintained by Application Research Inc. regarding you; (2) to receive a list of the recipients of any investigative consumer report about you furnished by Application Research Inc. within the three (3)-year period preceding your request. You have the right to request and be provided with the address and telephone number of such recipients.

You may request to visually inspect your files in the following ways:

In Person Inspection. You may inspect the files maintained by Application Research Inc. about you in person during normal business hours. You may receive a copy of your file for a fee not to exceed the actual costs of duplicating your file. If you elect to inspect your file in person, you may be accompanied by one (1) other person of your choosing, who shall furnish reasonable identification. Application Research Inc. may require you to furnish a written statement granting permission to Application Research Inc. to discuss your file in such person’s presence.
Certified Mail Inspection. You may request by certified mail to Application Research Inc., along with a copy of proper identification (e.g. valid driver’s license, social security account number, military identification card, or credit card), that copies of your files maintained by Application Research Inc. be sent to an addressee(s) specified in your request.
Telephonic Inspection. You may request in writing to Application Research Inc., along with a copy of proper identification (e.g. valid driver’s license, Social Security account number, military identification card, or credit card), to be provided with a summary of all information in your file maintained by Application Research Inc. by telephone. You will be responsible for any toll charges associated with such a call.

CALIFORNIA SB 267 COMPLIANCE LANGUAGE

California makes it unlawful, in instances where there is a government rent subsidy, for a landlord to use a person’s credit history as part of the application process for a rental accommodation without offering the applicant the option, at the applicant’s discretion, of providing lawful, verifiable alternative evidence of reasonable ability to pay the portion of the rent to be paid by the tenant, including, but not limited to, government benefit payments, pay records, and bank statements.

Contents

Terms and Conditions

TURSS Service Agreement

Notice to Users of Consumer Reports: Obligations of
Users Under the FCRA

Notice to Furnishers of Information: Obligations of
Furnishers Under the FCRA

Vermont FCRA – Notice of Requirement for Consumer Consent

California FCRA – California Consumer Credit Reporting Legislation Data User / Furnisher Obligations

CALIFORNIA INVESTIGATIVE CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES ACT ADDENDUM

Exhibit A

CALIFORNIA SB 267 COMPLIANCE LANGUAGE

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