PRIVACY POLICY & STATE LAW DISCLOSURES

Auto World of Grand Rapids ("AWGR") believes that privacy is a cornerstone of our customer relationship. In operating our business, we strive to find methods to guard personal identity and information by promoting the use of fair information practices. We have created this privacy policy to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy and to inform you of our practices concerning the collection and use of the information that you provide to us. This policy applies to our consumers, customers and former customers, and we may amend this policy from time to time. If we make any substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you in accordance with our policies and applicable law.

We do not knowingly offer our services to minors, nor do we knowingly collect information from children. Our application approval process is designed to identify applications submitted by children and to prevent their use of our web site(s).

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
AWGR complies with the requirements of Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 U.S.C. §6801 through § 6810 ("GLB Act"), and the Federal Trade Commission's implementing regulation, Regulation P, 16 C.F.R. Part 313 ("Regulation P"), as both relate to the disclosure and protection of your Non-Public Personal Information ("NPI").

Collection of Information
AWGR or its authorized agents may collect and use personal information to respond to requests for our services or to provide information about our services that may be of value. Certain personal information we collect may be publicly available via government records, telephone books, or other widely available media, however we treat all information provided as NPI subject to the protections of the GLB Act and Regulation P. We collect personal information about you from a variety of sources, including:

  1. Application Information (Information provided from loan applications and other forms such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, birthday, social security numbers, level of family income, employer's name, and employer's address);
  2. Credit Reports (such as, information from consumer reporting agencies);
  3. Correspondence (such as, information provided when communicating in writing, online or by phone with our customer service representatives); and
  4. Marketing partners and publicly available databases (We receive information from our marketing partners, e.g., financial institutions, auto dealerships and other businesses and public databases which we use to help us serve our customers).

We use information that we obtain to evaluate auto loan applications, locate an appropriate auto dealer and/or lender for you, in order to provide high quality service, and prevent fraud. We may also use this information to confirm your identity when you call us to inquire about your application or account.

Security Safeguard Procedures
We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your NPI, and employ a variety of security safeguards to protect information from loss, misuse, alteration or destruction. For example, you are only able to access information about your application or account by submitting the user name and password you created during registration. We provide access to your personal information to our employees and other authorized parties who have a "need to know" such information in order for us to provide our products and services to you. In addition, we require that all employees attend a privacy training program and sign a Confidentiality Agreement that indicates that they are aware of our privacy policy regarding the use and disclosure of information.

Sharing of Information with Third Parties
We may disclose all of the information we collect (described above) to financial providers, such as banks, lenders, finance companies and auto dealers who provide financial products and services.. In particular, we disclose the information we collect to the following types of third parties: Our Finance Partners (auto dealerships that meet customer's criteria and banks, lenders, and finance companies), and Credit Bureaus and Service Companies (companies that provide services to us in order to process your credit application). We disclose your information to these parties in so that you may obtain the credit you request, solely for the purpose of locating a vehicle that meet the customer's criteria and to obtain credit for the purchase of such vehicle. Outlined below is the information we share with each type of third party.

  • Finance Partners -- We offer our services in conjunction with auto dealerships, financial institutions and other businesses (collectively, Finance Partners). When you complete a credit application with us for the purpose of locating a vehicle that meets your criteria and obtaining credit for the purchase of such vehicle, you agree to allow us to share your application information with that partner. You also agree that we and/or our Finance Partners may forward your application to other auto dealers or finance companies for consideration. You authorize any Finance Partner or other auto dealer or finance company who receives your application to retain it, to rely on it and to obtain such other information as they may require, including credit reports, to complete the processing of your request for credit. You further authorize any auto dealer or finance company who receives this application to inform us and/or our Finance Partners of their credit decision. By submitting your application, you agree to to permit us and our Finance Partners to share your application and other information in this manner.
  • Credit Reporting Agencies - Companies involved in the credit application process are a necessary part of our processes. When you apply for credit, you agree that we may request consumer credit reports from one or more credit reporting agencies in connection with your application and the administration of your application.
  • Service Companies -- In order to provide quality service, we contract with service providers for the essential role of processing credit applications. We may disclose some or all of the information we collect to these service providers but only in order to assist you in obtaining the credit you’ve requested. All of our service providers have entered into a contract with us that forbid them from using information provided by us for any purpose other than this. AutoWorldofGR.com takes security precautions to monitor the use of the information and prevent the use of the information for any other purpose. When we contract with organizations to provide services to our customers, we will require them to conform to our privacy standards and to allow us to audit them for compliance.
    Other than as described above, we do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about our customers or former customers to anyone, except as permitted by law. However, subject to applicable law, we may disclose all of the information we collect, as described above to companies that perform marketing services on our behalf or to other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing agreements.

Storing of Information
We maintain electronic loan application information and hardcopy data. We also protect all personal information by storing the information on tapes at an offsite Data Warehouse. The Data Warehouse is not connected to our operations and the information it contains is used internally for reporting purposes.

Privacy Related Issues
We are committed to customer service and privacy. If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding our Privacy Policy and its implementation, or you would like to report any known or suspected privacy or security breaches, please do not hesitate to contact our Security Compliance Officer at info@autoworldofgr.com.


State Law Disclosures
California Applicants
California law provides that any credit applicant, if married, may apply for a separate account.
Maine Applicants
You have the right of free choice in the selection of the agent and insurer through or by which insurance in connection with a loan is to be placed. Obtaining insurance products from a particular agent or broker does not affect credit decisions by the lender.

New York Applicants
A consumer report may be requested in connection with your application. Upon your request, we will tell you whether or not the consumer report was requested and give you the name and address of the consumer reporting agency that furnished the report.

Ohio Applicants
The Ohio laws against discrimination require that all creditors make credit equally available to all creditworthy customers and that credit reporting agencies maintain separate credit histories on each individual upon request. The Ohio Civil Rights Commission administers compliance with this law.

Rhode Island Applicants
Credit reports may be obtained in connection with your application.

Vermont Applicants
By clicking "Apply Now", you are authorizing us and our Finance Partners to obtain your consumer report in order to evaluate your creditworthiness for the credit for which you are applying. You further authorize us and our Finance Partners, in connection with the same transaction or extension of credit, to obtain your consumer report 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.

Wisconsin Applicants
Wisconsin law provides that no provision of a marital property agreement, a unilateral statement under the marital property law, or a court decree, will adversely affect a creditor’s interests unless the creditor, prior to the time the credit is granted, is furnished with a copy of the agreement, statement or decree or has actual knowledge of the adverse provision. If you are making this application individually and not jointly with your spouse, you understand that Wisconsin law requires that your spouse be given notice of this credit obligation.