customers

use of personal data

How lenders use your information.

Information about you and any account that you arrange with a lender, can be shared between other companies in the lenders group and other associated companies and insurers in order to manage the account, make lending decisions, collect debts, trace debtors and prevent fraud and money laundering. Lenders may also share the information for business analysis and market research purposes. When you inform a lender of any change to your personal details, they can update all of their records relating to the mortgage account and any other account you have with them to keep their records accurate and up to date.

Lenders will not share information about you or your account with companies that do not form part of their individual group of companies for marketing purposes. Lenders however, may keep you informed of offers, products and services either by letter, telephone or e-mail. If you do not wish to receive this information, please advise the lender who will arrange for you to be excluded from any subsequent marketing communications.

Credit scoring.

The lender can make searches about you to credit referenceagencies that will supply them with credit information, for the use in the assessment of credit products and other information, as well as information from the Electoral Register, for the purpose of verifying your identity. These agencies will record details of the search type (credit and/or identification) and whether or not any application you make proceeds. The lender will use these creditscoring methods to assess your application and to verify your identity. Credit searches and other information that is provided to the lender and / or the credit reference agencies, about you and others to whom you are linked financially, may be used by the lender and other companies if credit decisions are made about you or other members of your household. Any of this information can also be used for identification purposes, debt tracing and the prevention of money laundering as well as the management of your account.

Any information about you and your accounts can be shared within other companies in the lender’s group and other associated companies to prevent or detect fraud, or to assist in verifying your identity. Such companies may search the records of fraud prevention agencies who will supply them with information. They may pass information to financial and other organizations involved in fraud prevention to protect themselves and their customers from theft or fraud. If you give the lender false or inaccurate information and they suspect fraud, they will record this. The lender and other companies may use this information if decisions are made about you or others at your address on credit-related services or motor, household, credit, life or any other insurance facilities. It may also be used for tracing and claims assessment.

Joint accounts.

By making a joint application, you are creating a financial
association with the other applicant(s), you are also confirming
that you are entitled to disclose information about the applicant(s) and anyone else referred to by you. You are also authorizing the lender to search, link and record information at credit reference agencies about you or anyone else referred to by you.

Sole accounts.

Information held about you by the credit reference agencies
might already be linked to another individual who has an existing
financial association with you. For the purposes of any application, you may be treated as financially linked and your application will be assessed with reference to any ‘associated’ records.

Access to personal data.

You have the right of access to your personal records held by the lender and credit and fraud agencies. The lender will advise you how to obtain such information from them.

How Countrywide plc
and lenders share information with insurers.

Details you provide to a lender and details of any insurance claim you make may be shared with insurers. Anyone with information from other insurers about other claims you have made can share it with Countrywide plc or the lender and / or your insurer on a search when your application is processed.

Because we hold personal information about you, the Data Protection Act ensures we will not use your personal details in any way that you do not agree with.

What this page is about.

This page outlines in detail how information you provide to us is used by companies within Countrywide plc, as well as by Friends Provident, AXA a nd lenders to which we submit agreement in principle and full mortgage applications.

For the purpose of this page, ‘lender’ refers to any company to which we pass any mortgage enquiry or application.

Confidentiality of your personal information.

We will treat all of your personal information as private and confidential. In order to process, record and use your personal information, we may disclose it as permitted:

• Where we are legally compelled or have a legal duty to do so;
• Where it is required to administer your business;
• To member companies of Countrywide plc and other third parties to offer and / or provide a service to you;
• Where disclosure is made at your request or with your authority.

On occasions, agents and sub-contractors may be employed to process your information on our behalf. The same duty of confidentiality and security will apply to these agents and sub-contractors.

Keeping you informed.

There may be times when we feel that a service or product offered by us or a selected third party may be of interest to you. In order to make you aware of these services or products, companies in Countrywide plc, insurers or third parties may contact you by mail, telephone, fax, e-mail or other reasonable methods to give you further details so you can make an informed choice.

If you prefer not to receive any information on other products and services as detailed above, please write to the Data Protection Officer, Countrywide Principal Services Ltd, Sovereign House, Hockliffe Street, Leighton-Buzzard, LU7 1GT providing your full name, address and date of birth. Upon receipt of your request we will ensure that you are excluded from any subsequent communications issued for marketing purposes.

Telephone calls.

Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded for staff training purposes to improve service standards.

Access to personal data.

You have the right of access to your personal records held by Countrywide plc. A fee may be payable if you wish to obtain this information from us.

How Countrywide plc will use your personal information.

Your details will be used to provide the service you applied for and for the continuing administration of this service. We will also use your information to assist us in developing and improving our service to you and to monitor business trends in order to improve the products we offer.

Credit referencing.

You have the right to access the information that is held about you under the Data Protection Act. There will be a fee payable for a copy of the information held, which is available through either of the companies below:

Experian

www.experian.co.uk
Post to: Experian, PO Box 8000, Nottingham. NG80 7WF

Equifax plc

www.econsumer.equifax.com
Post to: Equifax plc, Credit File, Adville Centre, PO Box 1140, Bradford. BD1 5US