 |
GetSmart is a web site owned and operated by LendingTree, LLC. LendingTree’s privacy policy will govern information gathered on the GetSmart site. Throughout the Privacy Policy we refer only to LendingTree to make reading the policy easier. However, where the policy would differ for GetSmart customers, the differences are noted.
LendingTree, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company (formerly known as LendingTree, Inc.) with its corporate headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. For purposes of this privacy statement, "LendingTree" means LendingTree, LLC. In Rhode Island, the loan services made available on this site are provided by Home Loan Center, Inc., and all references on this site to LendingTree shall include Home Loan Center, Inc. for Rhode Island customers. However, LendingTree, LLC will still collect your loan request and provide technical services for Home Loan Center, Inc.
Your Privacy is Important
to Us. At LendingTree, your privacy is our chief concern. We understand that you entrust
us with your private financial information to help us match you with a bank, lender or
loan broker (we refer to all of these as "Lenders") or real estate professional who can
meet your needs. In exchange for your trust, you expect and deserve our commitment to treat
your information with respect. Rest assured that we protect your privacy. Under no
circumstances will LendingTree sell or share any personal information about you to or
with any person or organization except: as authorized by you, to participating lenders,
real estate professionals or other parties involved in your transaction, or as may be
required by law or court order. The Privacy Policy below describes the standards we adhere
to in handling information about you and your loan request.
We want you to be aware of:
- Who we are
- Information we may collect on a LendingTree Web site
- How your information is used
- Altering the information you submit through a LendingTree Web site
- How our Privacy Policy is monitored
1. Who We Are. LendingTree is the leading online lending marketplace that connects
consumers to Lenders that compete for their business across a variety of loan types.
There are more than 140 participating banks and Lenders on the LendingTree Exchange.
LendingTree also maintains a nationwide network of more than 7,000 real estate
professionals that the Company matches with consumers in the process of buying or
selling a home. More details...
2. Information We Collect. There are several areas on a LendingTree site where you
may be asked to enter both personal and non-personal information. We DO NOT sell or
share any personal information about you to or with any person or organization except:
as authorized by you, to participating Lenders, real estate professionals or other
parties involved in your transaction, or as may be required by law or court order.
- Information we receive from you on loan or realty requests. When you come to a LendingTree site to complete a qualification form you’ll need to provide personal and financial information such as your name, phone number, Social Security Number, e-mail address, income and other financial information depending upon your expressed loan or real estate referral preference. More details...
- Supplementary information for your loan or realty request. When you complete a loan or realty request at a LendingTree site, it may be necessary for us to supplement the information you provide with information from third party sources. More details...
- Information we collect when you use the LendingTree Home Price Check SM. LendingTree and our authorized partners may collect information from you through our Home Price Check SM Plus service. Participation in this service is completely voluntary and it is your choice whether or not you wish to disclose your personal information to us. More details
- Technical information we collect. In order for us to ensure that we are providing the best possible consumer experience on a LendingTree Web site, we collect and track certain user information. More details...
- Information from surveys. You may complete a survey from LendingTree online. Participation in surveys is completely voluntary and it is your choice whether or not you wish to disclose your personal information to us. More details...
- Information from the "Contact Us" section of a LendingTree Web site. You may contact LendingTree through the "Contact Us" feature. Participation in this area is completely voluntary and it is your choice whether or not you wish to disclose your personal information to us. More details...
- Information we collect when you are a member of the LendingTree Privileges. LendingTree and our authorized Privileges partners may collect information from you through our membership center. Participation in this area is completely voluntary and it is your choice whether or not you wish to disclose your personal information to us. More details...
- Information gathered from Lenders. The "Lenders" section of our Web sites contains information for Lenders who wish to join The LendingTree Network or license our Lend-XSM technology. More details...
- Information gathered from Real Estate brokers. The "Real Estate Network" section of our Web sites contains information for Real Estate brokers who wish to join the LendingTree Realty Services Network. More details...
- Information gathered from the "Affiliates" section of a LendingTree Web site. The "Affiliates" section contains information for affiliates who wish to join the LendingTree Affiliate Program and advertise LendingTree’s service on their site. If you would like to be an affiliate, you may submit an application containing personal information such as your name, e-mail address, telephone number and address. If you use LendingTree’s service through an affiliate site, under no circumstances will an affiliate ever see your information. More details...
- Information collected from the "Calculators" section of our site. LendingTree makes several resources available to you to help you complete a qualification form. One of these resources is the "Calculators" section of our site. We do not collect any personal data you may input into to any calculators on our site.
- Information we collect when you apply for a job at LendingTree. LendingTree may collect information from job applicants via the "Employment Opportunities at LendingTree" feature. Participation in this area is completely voluntary and it is your choice whether or not you wish to disclose your personal information to us. More details...
3. How your information is used. We use the information you provide on your loan or
realty request to match you with up to five participating Lenders, real estate
professionals or authorized agents. We may also send your information to other third
parties relevant to your transaction. Lenders will also receive your credit history
when you have authorized LendingTree to check your credit as part of your request. LendingTree
may also share certain aggregated data with our Lenders and other third parties for general
marketing and demographic purposes; however, this data DOES NOT include any of your personal
identifying information.
- Sharing information with our participating Lenders and real estate professionals. At your direction (when you click on the "Submit" button), the information that you provide to us on the loan or realty request will be sent through the LendingTree system and presented to up to five participating Lenders who offer the types of loan products you have identified, other parties relevant to your transaction and/or participating real estate professionals. Lenders will also receive your credit history when they review your request if you have authorized LendingTree to collect it as part of your request. As our Lenders and real estate professionals may keep and use your information whether or not you qualify for a loan with them or use their services, we recommend that you contact them directly for more information about their specific privacy policies. More details
- Sharing information with third parties. We may also act as an agent for our participating Lenders and real estate professionals, sharing information on their behalf and pursuant to their instructions with providers of services related to your transaction. In addition, LendingTree may notify you about a special offer from one of our promotional partners. We do not reveal your name, address or any other identifying information to that promotional partner unless you request us to do so. More details...
- Sharing information with authorized agents. At your direction (when you click on the "Submit" button), the information you provide to us on the loan or realty request will be sent through the LendingTree system and may be presented to our authorized agents. Our authorized agents do not sell or share your personal information with any person or organization.
4. Altering Information You Submit Through a LendingTree Web Site. LendingTree puts
you in control of your experience on our Web sites. You’ll find our sites easy to navigate
to find all the information you need to complete your transaction.
- Changing your information. You may be able to review and change personal information in an active loan or realty request that you completed through LendingTree online. If you are unable to complete this online, you may contact our Customer Care Department for assistance. More details...
- Deleting your information. Federal and state regulations require that we store completed loan and real estate requests for various periods of time. In order to comply with these regulations, we cannot delete information from our databases. More details...
- Request to stop receiving emails from us. Periodically, LendingTree may send you emails to alert you to money saving tips or special offers. If you do not wish to receive any of these offers, please visit our subscription area where you can remove yourself from our mailing list.
- Security. LendingTree sites have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. Please visit our Security page for a detailed explanation.
5. How Our Policy is Monitored.
If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, you should first contact our Customer Care Department.
If we make a change to our Privacy Policy in the future that will affect how we treat your information, we will notify you of the change. In that case, your ability to opt out of the new policy will be determined by applicable laws and we will include that information in our notification. If the change impacts how we use your information, we will notify you even if you have requested that we not contact you.
More Details
1. Who We Are.
When you visit a LendingTree Web site to request a loan, you will
complete one simple loan or realty request. Based on the information you supply,
LendingTree will transmit your data to participating lenders who are best suited
to meet your financial needs. When you request the services of a real estate
professional through a LendingTree Web site, we will transmit your data, including
your credit history, to participating real estate brokers to complete your transaction.
For GetSmart customers, the credit history transmitted is limited to the information you
provided and your credit report if you authorized LendingTree to collect it as part of your loan request.
LendingTree is a computerized loan originator and is licensed or exempt as a
mortgage and/or loan broker and real estate broker in most states. See our State Licenses
section for additional information.
2. Information We Collect.
Information we receive from you on loan or realty requests. Some of the
information you supply to us on the loan or realty request may be optional. If
you supply this information, it will not be sold or shared to or with any person
or organization except: as authorized by you, to participating Lenders, real
estate professionals or other parties involved in your transaction, or as may
be required by law or court order.
- Supplementary information for your loan or realty request. In order for us to match you with participating Lenders and real estate professionals, we may need to obtain additional data. For example, we may use your name and Social Security Number to request a credit report to help us determine which lenders are best suited to compete for your business.
- Information we collect when you use the LendingTree Home Price Check SM Plus. When you use our Home Price Check SM Plus, we may ask you for personally identifiable information such as your name, mailing address, email address, credit card number, etc. The LendingTree Home Price Check SM Plus is produced with authorized partners who will only use the information specifically to provide you with the detailed information you have requested. Your information will not be sold or shared with any person or organization for marketing purposes.
- Technical information we collect. When you visit a LendingTree Web site, our Web server sends a cookie to your computer. This cookie merely stores a limited amount of information about your site visit. Banner advertisements for LendingTree may also have cookies served by third parties. The cookie merely tracks aggregate information on how the advertisement and our site are being used, including session counts, navigation patterns, pages visited, etc. These cookies, however, do not store any personally identifiable information such as your name, email address, phone number, etc. as you browse the site. These cookies cannot be related to you as an individual unless you complete a loan or realty request.
When you complete a loan or realty request, we store your cookie identification in our system. If you request that we remember you during a loan or realty request, we use this cookie to allow our site to recognize you when you return.
LendingTree also utilizes Web Logs to track aggregate information about how our site is being used. Web Logs track anonymous user information, including the number of visitors to our site, operating systems, Internet Provider addresses (if publicly available), and browser type. Unlike cookies, Web Logs are maintained only on LendingTree servers and do not store or place anything on the user’s computer.
If you come to the LendingTree web site from an online banner ad, an anonymous identification number may be passed to our site. This information cannot be used to gather any personally identifiable information about you. It will only allow us to track the overall effectiveness of our online advertising campaigns. Our partners in this program are listed below, along with links to their sites to access privacy policies and opt-out information.
Advertising.com: http://www.advertising.com/Privacy.html
Atlas DMT: http://www.atlasdmt.com/privacy/anonymous.asp
BeFree: http://www.befree.com/privacy.htm
Commission Junction: http://www.cj.com/privacy.jsp
eMarketMakers: https://www.emarketmakers.com/about/publisherterms.aspx
FastClick: http://www.fastclick.com/co_privacy.html
HiSpeed Media: http://www.valueclick.com/privacy.html
Overture: http://www.content.overture.com/d/USm/legal/privacy.jhtml
Revenue.net: http://www.revenue.net/privacy.php
SearchAdNetwork: http://www.searchadnetwork.com/policy.html
SpecificMedia: http://www.specificmedia.com/aboutus-5.html
TrafficMarketplace: http://www.trafficmarketplace.com/trafficmp/overview/privacy.asp
Yahoo: http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/details.html
24-7 Real Media: http://www.247media.com/privacy.html
- Information from surveys. Every survey presented to you will include specific instructions regarding how your information may be shared. By clicking the "Submit" button at the end of the survey, you authorize LendingTree to share your data in the manner outlined on the survey.
- Information from the "Contact Us" section of a LendingTree Web site. In the "Contact Us" form, we may ask you for personally identifiable information such as your name, mailing address, email address, etc. This information will not be sold to any person or organization. However, your information may be shared with other parties relevant to your transaction to help resolve any issues you report to us.
- Information we collect when you use LendingTree Privileges. When you use our Privileges program, we may ask you for personally identifiable information such as your name, mailing address, email address, etc. The LendingTree Privileges is produced with partners who will only use the information to provide the Privileges services and benefits. This information will not be sold or shared with any person or organization for marketing purposes.
- Information gathered from Lenders. If you are a Lender and you submit one or both of the forms requesting more information, your name and other identifying information will not be sold or shared with any person or organization. Your e-mail address or telephone number may be used by authorized LendingTree employees to contact you concerning your request.
- Information gathered from Real Estate brokers. If you are a Real Estate broker and you submit the form requesting more information, your name and other identifying information will not be sold or shared with any person or organization. Your e-mail address or telephone number may be used by authorized LendingTree employees to contact you concerning your request.
- Information gathered from the "Affiliates" section of a LendingTree Web site. Information submitted through the "Affiliate" section of our Web sites will be shared with BeFree, our affiliate software provider. BeFree provides the software that enables LendingTree to develop and manage our LendingTree Affiliate Program. LendingTree and BeFree do not sell or share your information with any other person or organization. You can review BeFree’s privacy policy at their website [http://www.befree.com/privacy.htm]
You will receive an e-mail from LendingTree indicating whether or not you have been approved to participate in the Affiliate Program. If approved, we will use your e-mail address to inform you of Affiliate Program news and updates. You may withdraw your membership from the Affiliate Program at any time by sending an e-mail to affiliates@lendingtree.com. If you choose to withdraw, you will not receive any further e-mails regarding the LendingTree Affiliate Program.
LendingTree also enrolls affiliates through Commission Junction. Your affiliate information will only be shared with Commission Junction if you enroll in the LendingTree Affiliate Program through Commission Junction. LendingTree and Commission Junction do not sell or share your information with any other person or organization. You can review Commission Junction’s privacy policy at their website [http://www.cj.com/privacy.jsp]
If you come to a LendingTree site through an affiliate site, LendingTree will never sell or share your information with that, or any other, affiliate. All transactions take place on LendingTree’s servers. Please see our security page for more information on how we protect the integrity of your data.
- Information we collect when you apply for a job at LendingTree. When you apply for a job through a LendingTree Web site, we may ask you for personally identifiable information such as your name, mailing address, email address, etc. This information will not be sold or shared with any person or organization. All data collected will be used for the purposes of evaluating your application for employment. Your e-mail address or telephone number may be used by authorized LendingTree employees to contact you concerning your application.
3. How your information is used.
- Sharing information with our participating Lenders and real estate professionals. After up to five participating Lenders and/or real estate professionals receive your information, they may contact you directly via phone, e-mail or other communications. All of our Lenders and real estate agents operate under federal and/or state laws and regulations and believe, as we do, that the Internet is an exciting and secure place to do business. If you are matched with any participating Lenders, the Lender with which you choose to close your loan and/or obtain your credit card will report certain information about your loan and/or credit card to LendingTree, and LendingTree will treat that information in the manner it treats the information you provided on your loan or realty request. As our Lenders and real estate professionals may keep and use your information whether or not you qualify for a transaction with them, we recommend that you contact them directly for more information about their specific privacy policies.
- Sharing information with third parties. Following is an example of how LendingTree may act as an agent for our participating Lenders and real estate professionals. A Lender may instruct us to share information with an appraiser to prepare an appraisal of the property to be mortgaged, with a flood certification provider to determine whether the property lies in a flood plain, or with a prospective secondary market purchaser of the mortgage loan the lender may make. In such situations, we will be acting on behalf of the Lender, under the authority of the Lender’s privacy policy, a copy of which you will receive from the Lender. All of the information-sharing we do as agent for the Lender would be permissible under applicable federal law for the Lender to do directly.
From time to time, LendingTree may notify you about a special offer from one of our promotional partners. At your request, LendingTree will not send you any information or offers unrelated to your request for financing. If you do not wish to receive any of these offers, please visit our subscription area where you can remove yourself from our mailing list.
4. Altering Information You Submit Through a LendingTree Web Site.
- Changing your information. If you want to change the type of loan or make other significant changes to your loan or realty request, you might need to make another request through our Web site. If you wish to change your subscriptions to LendingTree emails, you can visit our subscription page.
- Deleting your information. Even if your loan or realty request was withdrawn, by law, we cannot delete that information. We store all of the information you might provide securely. You can visit our Security section to learn more about how we do this.
5. How Our Policy is Monitored. If we make a change to our Privacy Policy in the future that will affect how we treat your information, we will notify you of the change. In that case, your ability to opt out of the new policy will be determined by applicable laws and we will include that information in our notification. If the change impacts how we use your information, we will notify you even if you have requested that we not contact you.
This Privacy Policy was last updated on
October 4, 2005
SECURITY POLICY
We regularly review our information systems and processes to ensure their integrity and security.
We employ internal procedures to protect and limit access to customer information. For example, we authorize access to customer information by individuals only when there is a business purpose. We also require outside service providers to use procedures to keep your information safe and secure.
If you are transacting business with us on our Web site, we take steps to protect the security of your information such as:
- Keeping our databases and our Web servers separate and protecting each with an electronic and physical firewall;
- Using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology to transmit confidential information between your browser and our Web servers; and
- Participating in the VeriSign program, which certifies all of our secure servers.
> Back >> Start a Mortgage Request
|
