Privacy

Security and Privacy
You can count on us at Car Financial Services, Inc. to provide you with the responsive, professional service you deserve, and at the same time, to protect your privacy and that of your customers along the way.

This disclosure includes the following policies, statements and forms which describe how we use and protect information:

We believe that protecting your privacy and the privacy of your customers is an integral part of the customer service we provide to you.

At Car Financial Services, we value your relationship . . . and we work diligently every day to honor the trust you place in us.  Thank you for doing business with Car Financial Services.

Highlights of Our Commitment to You

  • We do not sell customer information to third parties.
  • Car Financial Services and its related companies safeguard your customer information carefully.
    You have choices about how your information may be shared and used by Car Financial Services and its related companies.
  • We are committed to protecting your customer information in every transaction, at every level of our organization.
    For this purpose, we have designed procedures, standards and technology, which are described in our policy.
  • We are committed to helping you protect privacy every day.
    On our web site, you’ll find tips for helping consumers avoiding identity theft and limiting direct marketing from outside companies.

Online Security Statement

At Car Financial Services, Inc., we recognize the importance of safeguarding your information, and accordingly have adopted this Online Security statement to serve as the basis for our online security policies and procedures.  It demonstrates our commitment to providing protection to visitors of our web site.  The following information is designed to assist you in understanding how we collect, use and safeguard information you may provide to us at, or to others through, our web site and to assist you in making informed decisions when using our site.  We have also included copies of our Dealer Privacy Policy and Consumer Privacy Policy on this page for your information.

What Information Do We Collect?
When you visit our web site you may provide two types of information:  (1) information you knowingly choose to disclose which is collected on an individual dealer basis and (2) web site use information collected on an aggregate basis as you and others browse our web site.  If you choose to correspond with us through e-mail, we may retain the content of your e-mail messages together with your e-mail address and all responses sent through our web site.  We provide the same protections for these electronic communications as we employ in the maintenance of information received by mail and telephone.

How Do We Use Information We Collect From Cookies and Web Server Logs?
Cookies help us collect important business and technical statistics.  The information in the cookies lets us track the various paths followed by users of our web site as they move from one page to another while on our site.  This is explained in more detail in the website Terms of Use section of our site.  Web server logs allow us to count how many people visit our web site and evaluate our web site’s visitor capacity.  We do not use these technologies to capture your individual e-mail address or any personally identifying information about you.

How Do We Use the Other Information that
You Provide To Us?
If you provide personally identifying information to us, such as by email correspondence with us, we may use the information we collect to notify you about important changes to our web site, new services offered by Car Financial Services and its related companies and special offers we think you may find valuable.  The lists used to send you product and service offers are developed and managed under our traditional corporate standards designed to safeguard the security and privacy of personal information.  You have the opportunity to notify us of your desire not to receive these offers.

How Do We Secure Information Transmissions?
When you send application information through our web site, a secure server software which we have licensed from Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) encrypts all information you input before it is sent.  The information is scrambled en route and decoded once it reaches its destination.  Other e-mail that you may send to us may not be secure unless we advise you that security measures will be in place prior to your transmitting the information.  For that reason, we ask that you do not send confidential information such as social security or account numbers through an unsecured e-mail.  Sensitive communications should be transmitted by calling toll free 1-800-984-9188.

How Do We Protect Your Information?
Information Security.  We utilize Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information from unauthorized access or disclosure and accidental loss, alteration or destruction.

Evaluation of Information Protection Practices.  Periodically, our operations and business practices are reviewed for compliance with corporate policies and procedures governing the security, confidentiality and quality of our information.

Employee Access, Training and Expectations.  Our corporate values, ethical standards, policies and practices are committed to the protection of your information. In general, our business practices limit employee access to confidential information and the use and disclosure of such information to authorized persons, processes and transactions.

How Can You Access and Correct Your Information?
You may request access to all your personally identifiable information that we may collect online and maintain in our database by calling toll free 1-800-984-9188. You may request that we correct or modify your personally identifiable information by calling toll free 1-800-984-9188 and providing documentation or information that credibly demonstrates the error in your personal information.

Do We Disclose Information to Outside Parties?
We may provide aggregate information about our customers, sales, web site traffic patterns and related web site information to our related companies or reputable unrelated third parties, but this information will not include personally identifying data.  All unrelated companies that may have authorized access to information have agreed to treat such information confidentially.

How Do We Protect Children?
We do not knowingly solicit data from nor knowingly market to children.  Our web site is directed to existing and potential business partners.  Parents can use various readily available software packages to prevent their children from accessing web sites which they deem to be inappropriate.  Parents can choose to utilize this and other methods to limit the web sites to which their children have access.

What About Legally Compelled Disclosure of Information?
We may disclose information when legally compelled to do so, in other words, when we, in good faith, believe that the law requires it or for the protection of our legal rights.

What About Other Web Sites Linked to the Car Financial Services Web Site?
We are not responsible for the information practices employed by web sites linked to or from our web site.  Please see the Terms of Use page for more information.  Please remember that when you use a link to go from our web site to another web site, our online security and privacy policy statements are no longer in effect.  Your browsing and interaction on any other web site, including web sites which have a link on our web site, is subject to that web site’s own rules and policies.  Please read those rules and policies carefully before proceeding to use such sites.

Your Consent
By using our web site, you consent to our collection and use of information as described in this Privacy Policy statement.  If we change our online security and privacy policies or procedures, we will post those changes on our web site to keep you aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances we may disclose it.

Dealer Privacy Policy

At Car Financial Services, Inc., we recognize the importance of safeguarding your privacy and the privacy of your customers, and accordingly have adopted this Dealer Privacy Policy to serve as the basis for our privacy policies and procedures.  It demonstrates our commitment to protecting our business partners.  The following information is designed to assist you in understanding how we collect, use and safeguard information you may provide to us at, or to others through, our web site and to assist you in making informed decisions when using our site.  We have also included copies of our Online Security Statement and Consumer Privacy Policy on this page for your information.

We safeguard the security and integrity of customer information
We are committed to protecting the security and integrity of customer information through the use of procedures and technology designed for this purpose.  For example:

  • We limit employee access to customer information to those employees who have a business reason to know this information.  Employees are required to honor our code of conduct, which includes standards to protect customer confidentiality.  They are subject to disciplinary action if they fail to do so.
  • We maintain policies and procedures covering the proper physical security of workplaces and records.
  • Our physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards meet or exceed federal standards regarding the protection of customer information.
  • We require independent contractors and outside companies who work with us to adhere to strict privacy standards through their contracts with us.
  • We use technological means (such as backup files, virus detection and eradication software, firewalls, and other computer software and hardware) to protect against unauthorized access or alterations to customer data.

We collect and maintain customer information as part of servicing your account and maintaining your customer relationship. 
In the course of serving you, we collect information about you from a variety of sources, such as:

  • Information you provide to us on applications or forms, such as your income and accounts with others
  • Information we receive from outside companies, such as a credit bureau, regarding your credit history or employment status
  • Information about your transactions or experiences with Car Financial Services and our related companies

The customer information we collect is used to serve your accounts and meet your financial needs.
Information may be used by Car Financial Services and its related companies, as well as by authorized unrelated third parties (described below), for a number of purposes, such as:

  • To protect your accounts from unauthorized access or identity theft
  • To process your requests such as loan applications and purchases
  • To service your accounts by issuing checks and account statements
  • To keep you informed about financial services of interest to you

We share customer information with unrelated third parties that act on our behalf or act jointly with us.
We may disclose the customer information we collect, as described above, with unrelated third parties that are acting on our behalf, including:

  • Companies that perform support services for us, such as data processors, technical systems consultants and programmers, check printers, or companies that help us market Car Financial Services products and services to you.
  • There are other situations when we may disclose to third parties the customer information we collect as permitted or required by law.  Third parties could include credit bureaus, government entities, courts or other entities (in response to subpoenas and other legal processes), and those with whom you have requested us to share customer information.
  • Important Notice about Credit Reporting:  We may report information about your account(s) to credit bureaus and/or consumer reporting agencies.  Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account(s) may be reflected in your credit report and/or consumer report.

It is important to note that we do not share customer information with other companies for the purpose of marketing their products to you, unless the sharing is in connection with:

  • Maintaining or servicing an account with us, or with a third party as part of a private label credit card program or other extension of credit on behalf of the third party; or
  • Marketing of our own products or services.

We share customer information with Car Financial Services-related companies so that we can work together to serve you. 
We may disclose all of the customer information we collect, as described above, within Car Financial Services and its related companies, including:

  • Our administrative and service units which, for example, service your accounts or prepare your account statements.
  • Car Financial Services-related companies which provide financial services.  These may include collection agencies, consumer bankers, mortgage lenders and consumer lenders, among others.  By law, information that helps us identify you or is derived from your transactions and experiences with us may be shared among Car Financial Services-related companies.  You can instruct us not to share other personal financial information about you with other related companies.  You may also direct Car Financial Services and our related companies not to contact you for marketing purposes by certain channels, or not at all. Indicate your preference by calling 1-888-984-9188 at any time.
  • Some state laws may impose additional restrictions on disclosure of customer information to related companies and unrelated third parties for certain purposes.  We do not disclose customer information to the extent such disclosures are prohibited by state law.

Policy Changes
The policies and practices described in this disclosure are subject to change, but we will communicate any significant changes to you as may be required by applicable law.  The policies and practices described in this disclosure replace all previous notices or statements regarding this subject.

Consumer Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is provided by Car Financial Services, Inc. (“Car Financial Services” or “we” or “us”).  Car Financial Services is a subsidiary of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation, a marketer of credit cards and other financial services.

Our Commitment

We are committed to protecting the privacy of the nonpublic personal information (“information”) you share with us and this is one of our most important priorities.  We value your trust and want you to understand what information we collect, how we protect it and how we use it.

This Privacy Policy includes examples of the types of information we collect and the kind of companies with whom we share such information.  These examples are designed to help you understand our Privacy Policy and should not be considered a complete inventory of our information collection, use and sharing practices.  In addition, you may have other privacy protections under applicable state laws, such as Vermont and California.  To the extent these laws apply, we will comply with them when we share information about you.  For example, certain state laws may restrict the types of information we may disclose about you or require us to provide you with additional notices.

Please note that this Privacy Policy will not apply to your relationships with other companies that may from time to time offer you products and services.  Those companies’ privacy policies will govern how they collect, use and share information that you choose to allow them to access.

Below is the Car Financial Services privacy pledge to our customers.

Information We May Collect
In order to provide you with products and services you have requested, to service your Car Financial Services account, and as we deem appropriate to determine your eligibility for products or services, we collect the following types of information about you from the following sources:

  • Information we receive from you (or is provided to us on your behalf) on applications and other forms, such as your name, address, telephone number, employer, income and accounts with others;
  • Information about your transactions with us or others, such as account balance, payment history and parties to transactions;
  • Information we receive from a consumer reporting agency, such as your creditworthiness, credit history or employment status.

Information We May Share and With Whom We
May Share Information

Disclosures Permitted by Law
Car Financial Services may share all of the information described above, as permitted by law.  For example, we may use related companies in our Atlanticus Holdings Corporation family and unrelated companies to perform services for us, such as providing customer assistance, processing your account, preparing your account statements and maintaining or developing software for us.  We also may share information to answer questions from law enforcement agencies or state and federal banking regulators.

Disclosures for Joint Marketing and Servicing
Car Financial Services may share all of the information described above with companies that perform marketing services on our behalf (for example, related companies within our Atlanticus Holdings Corporation family and unrelated companies, including financial companies such as banks and insurance companies; non-financial companies, such as direct marketers and mail houses; and others, such as membership organizations) or with other financial institutions, such as insurance companies, banks and securities broker-dealers with whom we have joint marketing agreements.

Other Disclosures

Unrelated Companies
In order to provide you with a wide variety of special financial and non-financial products and services, such as credit cards, prepaid debit cards, discount travel, discount movie tickets and discount shopping programs, Car Financial Services may share all of the information described above with unrelated companies (for example, financial service providers such as insurance companies, banks, and securities broker-dealers; non-financial companies such as retailers, direct marketers, airlines, and publishers and others, such as membership organizations) who may want to offer their products and services to you, unless you opt out as described below.  However, from time to time, we may communicate to you special offers of products or services of unrelated companies, which we believe may be of interest to you.  These companies will not learn about your relationship with us unless you respond to their offers.

Related Companies
In order to provide you with a wide variety of special financial and non-financial products and services, we may share all of the information described above with related companies within the Atlanticus Holdings Corporation family who may want to offer you products and services.  Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, we may share with related companies information from your application, such as your income, and from consumer credit reporting agencies, such as your credit score, (“creditworthiness information”) unless you opt out as described below.

Information Regarding Former Customers
Car Financial Services shares information about its former customers with inactive accounts only in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Our Security Procedures
We limit the use of information about you to those employees whom we believe that a legitimate business purpose to access such information in connection with the provision of products or services to you.  We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to keep information about you safe.

Changes to this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to change or replace this Privacy Policy at any time.  If we make material changes, we will provide current customers with a revised notice that describes our new practices.

Your Right to Opt Out of Other Disclosures to Unrelated Companies or Related Companies

  • If you prefer that we not share information about you with unrelated companies as stated under Other Disclosures:  Unrelated Companies above, you may opt out at any time by asking us not to share your information by checking the Do Not Share Option under Sharing With Unrelated Companies on the Opt Out Form contained in the Customer Privacy Notice.  Your Do Not Share Option does not apply to Disclosures Permitted by Law or Disclosures for Joint Marketing and Servicing described above or information sharing to which you have consented.
  • If you prefer that we not share creditworthiness information about you with related companies as stated under Other Disclosures:  Related Companies above, you may opt out at any time by asking us not to share your creditworthiness information by checking the Do Not Share Option on the Opt Out Form contained in the Customer Privacy Notice.  Your Do Not Share Option under Sharing With Related Companies does not apply to Disclosures Permitted by Law, Disclosures for Joint Marketing and Servicing and sharing of other information (information that is not creditworthiness information) about you with related companies.
  • If a joint account customer chooses the Do Not Share Option, that decision will apply to the entire joint account.
  • Once your request has been processed, it will remain in effect until you request a change.  To ensure validity of the opt out process and documentation, only opt outs which are requested via the Opt Out Notice contained in the Customer Privacy Notice will be accepted.  We will not accommodate special opt out requests made outside of the required form.

Important Notice for Vermont And North Dakota Customers

As stated in this Privacy Policy, in addition to following Federal privacy requirements we also adhere to privacy requirements under applicable state law.  As long as your billing address is in Vermont or North Dakota, the following describes additional protections we are providing to you, based on Vermont and North Dakota law.  No further action by you is necessary and you do not need to return the Opt Out Form.

  • We will not share information we collect about you with unrelated companies except:
    • With companies that conduct marketing or other services for us:
    • With financial institutions that we have joint marketing agreements with (and then, only your name and contact information, and transaction information, such as your payment history);
    • With your authorization; or
    • As otherwise permitted by law.
  • We will not share credit report information about you within our related family of companies unless you authorize us to do so.

Important Notice for California Customers

As stated in this Privacy Policy, in addition to following Federal privacy requirements we adhere to privacy requirements under applicable state law.  As long as your billing address is in California, we are providing to you additional protections based on California Law.  We will not share information about you with unrelated companies as stated under Other Disclosures:  Unrelated Companies.  You do not need to return the opt out form.  For sharing information with related companies and unrelated companies that we do business with to provide financial products and services, see your Important Privacy Choices For California Customers form for an explanation of your rights.

Credit Reporting

Important Notice about Credit Reporting:  If you have a credit account with us, we may report information about your account(s) to credit bureaus and/or consumer reporting agencies.  Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account(s) may be reflected in your credit report and/or consumer report.

Notice of Inaccurate Information:  If you believe that we have information about you that is inaccurate or that we have reported or may report to a credit reporting agency information about you that is inaccurate, please notify us of the specific information that you believe is inaccurate by writing to us at Cardholder Services, P.O. Box 105555, Atlanta, GA  30348-5555.

Tips to Help You Protect Your Customer Information

Assistance To Victims Of Identity Theft
If you suspect that someone has had unauthorized access to an account with us, or access to your personal identifying information such as your Social Security Number or credit card information, please notify us immediately so we can take action to protect you.  Contact us at 1-800-984-9188, CAR Financial Services, Inc., Attn:  Compliance, 59 Skyline Drive, Suite 1700, Lake Mary, FL  32746, visit us online at carfinancial.com, or visit us at your nearest CAR Financial Services location.

In addition, you should also report the crime to your local law enforcement agency and to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  To speak with a trained FTC telephone counselor, call toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338).  Or to enter information about your complaint into a secure FTC online database, sign onto www.ftc.gov/idtheft.  The site also provides links to numerous consumer education materials.

Ways to Limit Direct Marketing You May Receive from Outside Sources

There are outside agencies and companies, including national consumer credit reporting agencies, which are in the business of compiling mailing lists for purchase by marketers.  You may wish to have your name removed from many of these lists by following the procedures outlined below.

Direct Marketing Association Member Companies 
To remove your name from direct mail or telemarketing lists of members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), send a written request with your name, address, and Social Security Number (if it was included in the mailing you received) to the Direct Marketing Association.  The DMA is responsible for notifying its members (i.e., the agencies and companies that compile mailing and telemarketing lists) that you want your name removed from the lists they sell.

Your name and address remains in the DMA’s consumer exclusion files for five years.

DMA Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

DMA Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 1559
Carmel, NY 10512

Or contact the Direct Marketing Association via email at www.dmaconsumers.org.

National Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies (Credit Bureaus) 
If you want to reduce the number of credit offers you receive, contact the National Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies at 1-888-567-8688 (1-888-5-OPTOUT).  Financial institutions and other companies provide information to the Credit Bureaus for credit verification, fraud control purposes, and prevention of identity theft.  You may direct these agencies not to sell or share this information about you for marketing purposes.  You must register your own name and address with these organizations, because they cannot process any requests from us.  Be sure to include any variations of your name, address and other information that have appeared in mailings or telephone calls that you have received.