Privacy Policy Statement Effective Date: September 9th 2010 Policy updated on September 15th 2010 (Dispute Resolution Section Added) Aid Associates Inc. d/b/a Plaza Associates is a debt collection company whose communications represents an attempt to collect a debt. We respect your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes the types of personal information we collect, how we use the information, with whom we share it, and the choices you can make about our use of the information. We also describe the measures we take to protect the security of the information and how you can contact us about our privacy practices. Any information obtained will be used for debt collection purposes only.

We Self-Certify Compliance with: Aid Associates Inc. d/b/a Plaza Associates

How to Contact Us

Individuals may contact Plaza Associates with any inquiries or complaints by:

Phone: (212) 695-8750
(800) 805-8044

Fax: (212) 330-9668

In Writing: Plaza Associates
Privacy Officer
370 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1200
New York, NY 10001

Company Web site: www.plazaassociates.com

For Inquiries E-Mail: inquiries@plazaassociates.com

For Complaints E-Mail: webcomplaints@plazaassociates.com

Submit a Complaint or Inquiry Online
Please be as specific as possible and include your name, address and a phone number where we can reach you. When possible please provide Account Number and/or “Control Number”. We strive to respond to all inquiries within three business days.

Information We Collect

Plaza Associates may obtain information about you from various sources. We may obtain information about you in our role as a debt collection agency. We also may have a direct relationship with you, and you may choose to provide personal information to us in connection with that relationship.

Individuals who have been identified as the debtor, the debtor’s spouse (where permitted by law), the debtor’s attorney or a person legally authorized to access the account and are able to provide proof of such will be notified they are being contacted by a debt collection company. Any information obtained will be used for collection purposes only.

As a debt collection agency and provider of related services, we obtain personal information about you from financial institutions and other entities in connection with your account information. We also may obtain information about you from publicly available information systems, consumer reporting agencies, and commercial information services.

In addition, you may choose to submit information directly to us. The types of personal information we may obtain are:

• Contact information (such as name, postal or e-mail address, and phone or fax number)
• Business contact information (such as address and phone number)
• Debtor’s account information
• Financial information (such as financial account information and information that may be contained in a consumer report)
• Contact information for Attorney or other person legally authorized to access your account that you would like us to contact
• Content you provide (such as proof of bankruptcy, articles and comments)
• Employment information (such as job title, department and name of organization)
• Other information (such as payment plan)

We collect certain information by automated means, such as cookies, when you visit our websites. The information we collect in this manner includes IP address, browser type, and operating system, information on actions taken on a websites, and dates and times of websites visits. A “cookie” is a text file placed on a computer’s hard drive by a web server.

How We Use the Information We Collect

We may use the information we obtain about you to:

• Contact you by mail or by phone to process your account transactions
• Manage your account and respond to your inquiries
• Provide, administer and communicate with you about your account status
• Operate, evaluate and improve our business
• Perform data analysis (Plaza Associates may disclose information to Credit Reporting Agencies, Bankruptcy Research Vendors and Skip Tracing Organizations exclusively for the purpose of debt collection)
• Comply with applicable legal requirements and industry standards and our policies

We also may use the information in other ways for which we provide specific notice at the time of collection.

Your Rights and Choices

Plaza Associates will not use any individual’s information for any purpose other than debt collection purposes. Individuals may contact Plaza Associates to discuss their personal information privacy, or report their information is used for a purpose that is incompatible with collection activities.

You may have certain rights regarding the personal information we maintain about you. We offer you certain choices about what personal information we collect from you, how we use that information, and how we communicate with you.

You may choose not to provide detailed information to Plaza Associates, by refraining from conducting an account transaction or by using our web Quick Pay service. You also may refrain from submitting information directly to us.

You can at any time tell us not to contact you.

Consent to International Transfers of Personal Information

The personal information we collect on our websites or by direct contact may be sent to the United States or to any other country in which Plaza Associates or its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents maintain facilities. We may also store and process the information there. Although the laws that protect personal information in those countries may differ from the laws where you live, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that your privacy is protected. Providing information to us, you consent to the possible transfer of the data outside of your country.

Security

Our goal is to protect data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, destruction, modification, or disruption. To prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, to maintain data accuracy, and to ensure the appropriate use of the information, Plaza Associates utilizes appropriate physical, technical and administrative procedures to safeguard the information. When collecting, processing, storing or transferring sensitive information such as Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and credit card information, we use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. The personal information you provide us is stored on computer systems located in controlled facilities which have limited access and confidential information (such as credit card number or password) is encrypted in transit and at rest. When we transmit highly confidential information over local network or the internet, we protect it through the use of high encryption, such as the 128 bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

Plaza Associates is in compliance and/or has been certified with the following industry security standards, laws and regulations to ensure our client's and customer's information security:

• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (F.D.C.P.A) Compliant
• Fair Credit Reporting Act (F.C.R.A.) Compliant
• Compliance with all required N.A.C.H.A. banking regulations
• Compliance with all applicable U.S. Federal and State Privacy Laws and Regulations
• ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System Compliant
• PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) Service Provider and Merchant Level 1 Certified
• Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 70 Type II (SAS 70 Type II) Certified
• Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Compliant
• Electronic Code of Federal NCUA Part 717 Compliant

Data Integrity

Plaza Associates strives to keep your personal information accurately recorded. We have implemented data processes to verify and maintain data accuracy. If we have contacted you in error, please accept our apologies and please provide the number and/or address that we've erroneously dialed or mailed, so that we may delete it from our records. To protect your privacy and security, we will also take reasonable steps to verify your identity, such as requiring a “Control Number” and user security information, before granting access to your data. To view and change the personal information that you directly provided to Plaza Associates you can return to the Web page where you originally submitted your data and follow the instructions on that Web page.

Reviewing Your Account Information

In some cases, you can review and correct personal information provided through our website: www.plazaassociates.com. We may take steps to verify your identity before providing you access to your personal information. You can help us to maintain the accuracy of your information by notifying us of any change to your mailing address, phone number, or e-mail address.

Enforcement of this Privacy Statement

If you have questions regarding this statement or our handling of your personal information, please contact us. We will promptly address your concern and strive to reach a satisfactory resolution.

Changes to this Privacy Statement

Plaza Associates may occasionally update this privacy statement. When we do, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top and bottom of the privacy statement. We will obtain your opt-in consent for any updates to this privacy statement that materially expand the sharing or use of your personal information in ways not disclosed in this privacy statement at the time of collection.

Our Use of Cookies

Cookies are small files that websites save to your hard disk and/or to your browser's memory. We may use session cookies (cookies that are deleted when your browser session ends) to store your user ID, elements of your user profile, to facilitate your movement around our websites and other information useful in administering the session. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Internet browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser settings to decline cookies or to notify you when a cookie is being placed on your computer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to use our websites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What information do you have about me?
A. To service your account and to help meet your needs, we collect information about you from various sources:

• We get information from your original creditor
• We get information about your transactions with us and with your original creditor. For example, we have your account balance information
• We get information, such as your credit history, from credit bureaus
  

Q. How do you safeguard information about me?
A. We take numerous steps to protect the privacy of information about you. Here are some examples:

• We keep information under physical, electronic or procedural controls that comply with or exceed governmental standards
• We authorize our employees, agents and contractors to get information about you only when they need it to do their work for us
• We require companies working for us to protect information. They agree to use it only to provide the services we contract with them to perform for us

Q. Is information about me shared within your family of companies?
A. Yes. We may share information about you within our family of companies for the purposes of debt collections as required or permitted by law.

Q. Is information about me shared with service providers and/or financial companies outside your family of companies?
A. Yes, as permitted by law. We may share information about you with outside companies that are contracted to provide information and/or services for us. An example would be the companies that print and mail correspondences on behalf of us.

Q. Is information about me shared in any other ways?
A. Yes. We may also share information about you in other ways, as required or permitted by law. Here are some examples of ways that we share information:

• To service your account
• To respond to a subpoena
• To report to a credit bureau (if required by your original creditor and permitted by law)
• With your consent

Dispute Resolution

Plaza Associates, Inc. participates in the EU and Swiss Safe Harbor Privacy Frameworks as set forth by the United States Department of Commerce.  As part of our participation in the Safe Harbor program, we have agreed to TRUSTe dispute resolution for disputes relating to our compliance with the Safe Harbor Privacy Frameworks. If you have any complaints regarding our compliance with the Safe Harbor you should first contact us (as provided above). If contacting us does not resolve your complaint, you may raise your complaint with TRUSTe by Internet here, fax to 415-520-3420, or mail to Watchdog Complaints, TRUSTe, 55 2nd Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA, USA 94105. If you are faxing or mailing TRUSTe to lodge a complaint, you must include the following information: the name of company, the alleged privacy violation, your contact information, and whether you would like the particulars of your complaint shared with the company. For information about TRUSTe or the operation of TRUSTe's dispute resolution process, click here or request this information from TRUSTe at any of the addresses listed above. The TRUSTe dispute resolution process shall be conducted in English.  For human resources data we have agreed to cooperate with Data Protection Authorities.