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Notification of Credit Reporting Rights for Vermont consumers

Under Vermont law, you are allowed to receive one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each credit reporting agency. If you would like to obtain your free report from Experian, you should contact us by writing or calling us at the address or phone number above.

Under Vermont law, no one may access your credit report without your permission except under the following limited circumstances:

(A) in response to a court order;
(B) for direct mail offers of credit;
(C) if you have given ongoing permission and you have an existing relationship with the person requesting a copy of your credit report;
(D) where the request for a credit report is related to an education loan made, guaranteed, or serviced by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation;
(E) where the request for a credit report is by the Office of Child Support Services when investigating a child support case;
(F) where the request for a credit report is related to a credit transaction entered into prior to January 1, 1993; and
(G) 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 believe a law regulating consumer credit reporting has been violated, you may file a complaint with the Vermont Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program, 104 Morrill Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405. Telephone number 800 649 2424 or, in Chittenden County, 656-3183.

Vermont consumers who are victims of identity theft have the right to obtain a security freeze

You may obtain a security freeze on your credit report at no charge if you are a victim of identity theft and you submit a copy of a police report, investigative report or complaint you have filed with a law enforcement agency about unlawful use of your personal information by another person. You have a right to place a "security freeze" on your credit report pursuant to 9 v.s.a. Section 2480h.

The security freeze will prohibit a credit reporting agency from releasing any information in your credit report without your express authorization. A security freeze must be requested in writing by certified mail.

The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gains access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding new loans, credit, mortgage, insurance, government services or payments, rental housing, employment, investment, license, cellular phone, utilities, digital signature, internet credit card transaction, or other services, including an extension of credit at point of sale.

When you place a security freeze on your credit report, within ten business days you will be provided a personal identification number or password to use if you choose to remove the freeze on your credit report or authorize the release of your credit report for a specific party, parties or period of time after the freeze is in place. To provide that authorization, you must contact the credit reporting agency and provide all of the following:

1. The unique personal identification number or password provided by the credit reporting agency.
2. Proper identification to verify your identity.
3. The proper information regarding the third party or parties who are to receive the credit report or the period of time for which the report shall be available to users of the credit report.

A credit reporting agency that receives a request from a consumer to lift temporarily a freeze on a credit report shall comply with the request no later than three business days after receiving the request.

A security freeze does not apply to a person or entity, or its affiliates, or collection agencies acting on behalf of the person or entity with which you have an existing account that requests information in your credit report for the purposes of reviewing or collecting the account, provided you have previously given your consent to this use of your credit reports. Reviewing the account includes activities related to account maintenance, monitoring, credit line increases, and account upgrades and enhancements.

You have a right to bring a civil action against someone who violates your rights under the credit reporting laws. The action can be brought against a credit reporting agency or a user of your credit report.

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