Credit Reporting Policy

The purpose of this Credit Reporting Policy is to tell you how we manage credit information and credit eligibility information.

The Privacy Act contains a variety of detailed definitions describing these types of information. To make it easier for you to read this policy we have included only some general explanations above but if you would like to refer to the full provisions in the Act and or the Credit Reporting Privacy Code they are available on the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au).

This Policy explains:

• the kinds of credit information and credit eligibility information that we collect and hold;
• how we collect and hold credit information and credit eligibility information;
• the purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose credit information and credit eligibility information;
• how you may access your credit information and credit eligibility information held by us or request correction of that information;
• how to make a complaint if you consider that we have not complied with Part IIIA of the Privacy Act or with the Credit Reporting Privacy Code, and how we will deal with complaints;
• the circumstances in which we may disclose credit information and credit eligibility information to overseas recipients and the countries where such recipients may be located.

This Policy applies to any individual in relation to whom we hold credit information or credit eligibility information no matter how they interact with us (e.g. online, in person at a branch or over the phone).

At Alpha Companies we collect and hold various kinds of credit-related information which may include:

• identification information including your current and any prior names and addresses, any known alias you may have, your date of birth, your driver’s licence number (if applicable) and your current or last known employer;
• details of consumer credit or commercial credit (including the name of each relevant credit provider) that you have applied for, the type and amount of that credit and the fact that a credit provider, mortgage insurer or trade insurer has sought information about you from a credit reporting body in relation to an application;
• consumer credit liability information, being information about consumer credit accounts you hold, or have held, with us, such as the type of account, the date the account was opened and closed, the maximum amount of credit approved for that account and some specific terms and conditions relating to the repayment of credit under that account.
• repayment history information, which includes whether in relation to your consumer credit facilities you have made payments when due and, if not, when overdue payments have been made;
• default information, being information about a payment owed by you as a borrower or guarantor in connection with consumer credit that remains overdue for more than 60 days and which we can disclose to a credit reporting body if certain requirements under the Privacy Act are met.
• payment information, which includes details of the date on which you have paid overdue amounts that were previously recorded as default information with a credit reporting body;
• whether in our or another credit provider’s opinion you have committed a serious credit infringement;
• new arrangement information which outlines that you have entered into certain types of arrangements with us in relation to consumer credit where you have been overdue in making a payment and we have provided default information to a credit reporting body. New arrangement information is either that the terms and conditions of that consumer credit have been varied as a result of you being overdue or that you have been provided with new credit relating to the original amount of credit.
• court proceedings information, which includes information about a judgement against you in proceedings that relate to any credit that has been provided to, or applied for, by you;
• personal insolvency information;
• certain publicly available information;
• scores, ratings, summaries, evaluations and other information relating to your credit worthiness which is derived by us or by credit reporting bodies wholly or partly on the basis of the information above; and
• certain administrative information relating to credit, such as account and customer numbers.

Credit related information may be collected by Alpha Companies in a number of ways including:

• by using written forms;
• through contact over the telephone, your mobile or other messaging technology;
• via the internet; and
• in person.

We may collect credit related information:

• directly from you or from persons or organisations acting on your behalf;
• from credit reporting bodies and other credit providers;
• from publicly available sources of information; and
• from information derived by us from your conduct.

Alpha Companies, or service providers on our behalf, may hold your credit related information in computer systems, electronic form, digital records, telephone recordings and/or in paper files.

Alpha Companies takes reasonable steps, including physical, electronic and procedural safeguards, to protect your credit related information from misuse, interference and loss, as well as unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We may obtain credit reporting information about you from a credit reporting body. Credit reporting information includes:

• credit information of the kinds listed under ‘What kinds of credit information do we collect and hold?’ but relating primarily to your dealings with other credit providers (such as about credit applications you have made or credit that you hold with other credit providers). This information will typically have been provided by other credit providers or other third parties; and
• creditworthiness information about you that credit reporting bodies derive from the information above, such as credit scores, risk ratings and other evaluations about you.
• We may disclose your credit information to credit reporting bodies where the Privacy Act permits us to do so.
• For example, if you fail to meet your payment obligations in relation to consumer credit provided by us or if you commit a serious credit infringement, we may be entitled to disclose this to a credit reporting body.
• Credit reporting bodies may include credit-related information provided by us in reports provided to other credit providers to assist them to assess your creditworthiness.

We currently disclose credit information to Equifax and Illion. Their contact details are:

Equifax:

By Post: Equifax, Customer Resolutions Team, GPO Box 964, NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2059

By Phone: 138 332

By Website: https://www.equifax.com.au/

Equifax is required to have a policy which explains how they will manage your credit-related personal information. If you would like to read Equifax’s policy, visit their website and follow the “Privacy” link, or you can contact them directly for further information.

You have the right to request Equifax to exclude your credit reporting information from any permissible direct marketing activities Alpha Companies may request them to perform. You also have the right to request Equifax not to use or disclose your credit reporting information if you believe that you have been, or are likely to be, the victim of fraud (for example, you suspect someone is using your identity details to apply for credit). You must contact Equifax directly should this be the case.

You can contact Illion on:

By Telephone: 13 23 33 (or +61 9828 3200)

By Email: [email protected] 

By Website: https://www.illion.com.au/contact-us/.

We use credit reporting information acquired from credit reporting bodies to derive other information that assists us in assessing your creditworthiness, for example credit risk ratings and credit scores.