Optoutprescreen.com

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Optoutprescreen.com is a is a joint venture among Equifax, Experian, Innovis Data Solutions, and TransUnion, allowing customers to opt-out of receiving credit card solicitations by mail.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), consumer reporting agencies are permitted to include customers' names on lists used by creditors or insurers to make offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by the customer. The FCRA also provides customers the right to opt-out, which prevents consumer reporting agencies from providing credit file information to others.^[1]

Beginning in August 1, 2005, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 took effect, which amended the FCRA to require consumer reporting agencies to include in their credit offers a statement allowing customers to stop unsolicited offers. either by phone, (1-888-5OPTOUT or 1-888-567-8688) or via http://www.optoutprescreen.com ^[2]

Customers may opt-out from receiving offers for either five years or permanently. To opt-out permanently, customers must confirm their request in writing, by mailing in a Permanent Opt-Out Election form, available through the website. Customers who have opted-out will no longer be included in offer lists provided by consumer reporting agencies. Customers who have previously completed an opt-out request may request to opt back in at the website as well.

[edit] Criticism and "phishing" rumors

When first debuted, there was considerable confusion as to whether or not the site was legitimate. The website appeared to some to be an Internet phishing scam, because it does not use the logos of the consumer reporting agencies that it purports to represent, nor the FTC logo. ^[3] However, the site is directly linked from official FTC webpages.^[4]