|
Sharing
Your Personal Information: It's Your Choice
It's important to find out what happens
to the personal information you provide to companies, marketers,
and government agencies. These organizations may use your
information simply to process your order; they may use it
to tell you about products, services, or promotions; or they
may share your information with others. More organizations
are offering people choices about how their personal information
is used. For example, many let you "opt-out" of
having your information shared with others or used for promotional
purposes.
Learn more about the choices you have to
protect your personal information by contacting the following
organizations.
The FTC publishes a free brochure, Unsolicited
Mail, Telemarketing and Email: Where to Go to "Just Say
No," that provides information on how you can
cut down on the number of unsolicited mailings, calls and
emails you receive by learning where to go to "just say
no."
Credit
Bureaus
The three major credit bureaus may have
different requirements on how to opt-out. You can write your
own letter or use our Sample
Opt-Out Letter to request that your personal information
not be shared with others or used for promotional purposes.
The national credit bureaus offer a toll-free
number that enables consumers to opt-out of all pre-approved
credit offers with just one phone call. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT
(1-888-567-8688) for more information.
Visit the web site or phone each bureau
for their most up-to-date information.
The FTC publishes free brochures on credit-related
issues. For a complete list of publications, write for
Best
Sellers, Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade
Commission, Washington, DC 20580; or call (202) FTC-HELP,
TDD (202) 326-2502.
Department
of Motor Vehicles
State departments of motor
vehicles (DMVs) maintain a lot of personal information about
you. (Just look at your driver’s license, for example.)
The Drivers
Protection Act gives you privacy rights with regard
to information maintained by DMVs. The law lists the ways
this information can be used — a DMV may distribute
personal information for things like law enforcement, driver
safety, insurance underwriting, etc.
A recent amendment to the law now prohibits
a DMV from distributing your personal information for other
types of uses, including for direct marketing, unless you
give them permission.
Contact the DMV in your state for more information.
Direct
Marketers
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) offers
the Mail, Telephone, and E-mail Preference Services, which
allow you to opt-out of direct mail marketing, telemarketing
and/or direct e-mail marketing from many national companies.
Use the links below to access information and forms for the
DMA's Mail, Telephone and/or E-mail Preference Services.
Visit the DMA's
website for their most up-to-date information.
The FTC publishes a free brochure on Shopping
by Phone or Mail. For a complete list of publications,
write for
Best Sellers, Consumer Response Center, Federal
Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580; or call toll-free,
1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357), TDD (202) 326-2502.
|
