Credit reporting policy

Transcription

1 Pilbara Utilities electricity and water services Credit reporting policy In this credit reporting policy, 'us', 'we' or 'our' means all the companies in the Rio Tinto Group. The Rio Tinto Group means Rio Tinto plc, Rio Tinto Limited and their related entities. This credit reporting policy deals with how we handle the credit information we collect in relation to our Pilbara electricity and water services division. For information on how the Rio Tinto Group handles personal information more generally, please refer to the Rio Tinto group-wide privacy policy available at This credit reporting policy applies only to the extent that we provide you with credit within the meaning of the Privacy Act. We provide you with credit when we supply you with goods or services for which payment is deferred for at least seven days. Our commitment We respect that certain information is personal and we are committed to protecting any credit information we hold about you in accordance with this credit reporting policy. We will ensure that this credit reporting policy aligns with any laws that govern the holding, processing or disclosure of your credit information, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act) and the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code 2014 (Version 1.2) (the CR Code). This credit reporting policy should be read in conjunction with: (i) our Pilbara electricity and water services privacy policy, which is available on our website ( and (ii) any other privacy or collection statement that we may provide to you when we collect your credit information or provide a particular product or service. What is credit information? In this policy, credit information refers to personal information that has a bearing on credit that has been provided to you, that you have applied for or that you are guarantor for. Credit information includes (i) information that we obtain from credit reporting bodies; (ii) information that we derive from such information, for example, a credit score; and (iii) information that we may disclose to a credit reporting body in relation to an application for credit made to us by you or a customer, or prospective customer. It can also cover information about you as a guarantor of a loan or an insured party under a credit related insurance policy. What kinds of credit information do we collect or hold? We may collect and hold credit information about you, such as: Page 1 of 6

2 your name, date of birth, residential address (and up to two previous addresses), the name of your current or last known employer and your driver s licence number; the name of any entities which provide consumer credit to you, whether those entities hold an Australian credit licence, the type of consumer credit those entities provide to you, the date on which the consumer credit is entered into and the terms and conditions relating to repayment of the consumer credit (or other terms and conditions relating to the consumer credit prescribed by regulations made under the Privacy Act), the maximum amount of credit available and the date any consumer credit is terminated or otherwise ceases to be in force; information as to whether any other credit provider, mortgage insurer or trade insurer has requested certain information about you from a credit reporting body, and the type of credit and amount of credit sought in connection with the request; the type of credit and the amount of credit sought in an application you have made to a credit provider; subject to the relevant credit provider having given you notice required under the Privacy Act, information about a payment of an amount equal to or greater than $150 that you are at least 60 days overdue in making in relation to consumer credit, and information about when such an overdue payment has been paid; information as to any variation of the terms and conditions of consumer credit provided to you, or as to whether you have been provided with new consumer credit, because of a payment being so overdue; information about a judgment of an Australian court that is made, or given, against you in proceedings (other than criminal proceedings) and that relates to any credit that has been provided to, or applied for by, you; information about you that is entered or recorded in the National Personal Insolvency Index and that relates to: o a bankruptcy of you; o a debt agreement proposal given by you; o a debt agreement made by you; o a personal insolvency agreement executed by you; o a direction given, or an order made, under section 50 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) that relates to your property; o an authority signed under section 188 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) that relates to your property; o any other publicly available information that relates to your activities in Australia or the external Territories and your credit worthiness in relation to consumer credit; and o the opinion of a credit provider that you have committed a serious credit infringement (that is, acted fraudulently or shown an intention not to comply with your credit obligations) in relation to consumer credit provided by the credit provider to you. How do we obtain credit information? We may obtain credit information in a number of ways, including: when you complete an application, contact us with a service enquiry or similar; from any other company in the Rio Tinto group; Page 2 of 6

3 from contractors to whom we have outsourced the provision of services to our customers[ and any other entities operating under the Rio Tinto brand name with our authority; from credit reporting bodies, law enforcement agencies and other government entities; from publicly available sources of information; during recordings of calls made when you contact us. We may also collect credit information by other means and will take all reasonable steps to inform you if and when we do. How do we hold credit information? The credit information we hold about you may be stored in an encrypted electronic database or in paper files. Our electronic records are protected by restricted password access, backed up daily and stored off site. Our paper records containing credit information are stored in secure cabinets or rooms which are locked after hours. Credit information may be stored in Australia or overseas. If credit information is stored overseas, we impose equivalent physical and logical security measures. Why do we collect, hold, use or disclose credit information? We collect, hold, use and disclose credit information to provide you, or a customer (or prospective customer), with products and services. Such purposes include: assessing whether you, or a relevant prospective customer, are eligible for a product or service; collecting overdue payments; our internal management purposes that are directly related to the relevant product or service; and assisting you to avoid defaulting on your obligations under your agreement(s) with us. We may also use or disclose certain credit information as permitted by law to third parties to assist with the administration and delivery of a range of Pilbara utilities services, as set out in the Pilbara Utilities customer portal data privacy statement and the Pilbara electricity and water services privacy policy, both available here: Can you access the credit information we hold about you? You (or a person who is assisting you to deal with us or a person authorised in writing by you to do so (an access seeker)) may access credit information that we hold about you by contacting our customer services team using any of the contact details below. We may not be able to provide access to your credit information if: Page 3 of 6

4 giving access would be unlawful; or denying access is required or authorised by or under an Australian law or a court/tribunal order; or giving access would be likely to prejudice one or more enforcement related activities conducted by, or on behalf of, an enforcement body. If we refuse to give you (or the access seeker) access to credit information that we hold about you, we will tell you (or the access seeker) why. A reasonable fee may be charged for giving access to credit information about you, but you will not be charged for making a request for access. How accurate is the credit information we hold? We take reasonable measures to ensure that the credit information we hold is accurate, up-to-date and complete. You may seek the correction of credit information held about you by contacting our customer services team using any of the contact details below. If we refuse your request to correct your credit information, we will tell you why. How can you complain if you believe we have failed to comply with the Privacy Act or the CR Code? If you believe that we have failed to comply with Division 3 of Part IIIA of the Privacy Act or the CR Code, you may make a complaint by contacting our customer services team and specifying the nature of your complaint. If you make such a complaint, we will: give you a written acknowledgement of your complaint within 7 days after you made the complaint; and investigate the complaint. We will consult with any credit reporting body or credit provider that we consider necessary to investigate the complaint. After investigating the complaint, we will give you a written notice about our decision. If we are unable to give that notice within 30 days after you made the complaint, we will inform you of this within 30 days after you made the complaint and notify you of the reason for the delay, the expected timeframe to resolve the complaint and seek your agreement to us giving that notice at a later date. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Energy and Water Ombudsman Western Australia ( or the Australian Privacy Commissioner. More information about the disputes process for complaints and is available here: If your complaint relates to our failure to provide access to or to correct any credit information that we hold about you, you may lodge a complaint directly with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (for more information, please see Page 4 of 6

5 Do we send your credit information offshore? Rio Tinto and its current Utilities Administrator Accenture Australia Limited (Accenture) shares your credit information (as permitted by law) with: Australian entities (including credit reporting agencies in Australia, as described later); and with Accenture s service delivery team in The Philippines. That team helps us to manage the assessment of your credit application. To which credit reporting bodies are we likely to disclose credit information? The credit reporting bodies to which we are likely to disclose that information are: BCA Debt Dun and Bradstreet Veda Advantage any other credit reporting body. Those credit reporting bodies may include the information disclosed by us in reports provided to credit providers to assist them to assess your credit worthiness. If you fail to meet your payment obligations in relation to consumer credit, or commit a serious credit infringement, we may be entitled to disclose this to those credit reporting bodies. For contact details and information on how credit reporting bodies manage credit information, please see their privacy policies available at the websites noted above. Can you request a credit reporting body not to use or disclose credit information? You may request a credit reporting body: not to use your credit information for the purposes of pre-screening of direct marketing by a credit provider; and not to use or disclose your credit information, if you believe on reasonable grounds that you have been, or are likely to be, a victim of fraud. Who do I contact in relation to credit reporting issues? If you have any questions about this credit reporting policy or if you would like a copy of this credit reporting policy in another format, please contact us using the details set out below: Utilities Division, Customer Services GPO Box A42 Perth WA 6837 piics.utilities@riotinto.com Page 5 of 6

6 Changes to this policy This policy is for the Pilbara Utilities division of Rio Tinto and may change from time to time. Where appropriate, we will notify you of a change. We encourage you to check this website regularly to ensure that you are aware of our current credit reporting policy. If you have any questions or suggestions about our privacy policy, please contact us on or piics.utilities@riotinto.com Contact Us For further information about our privacy policy or practices, or to access or correct your personal information, or make a complaint, please contact us. Do you need assistance in relation to this document? If you do not speak English, please call the telephone interpreter service (TIS National) on to arrange an interpreter. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please use the Telephone Typewriter (TTY) National Relay Service on Last Updated: Dec 2017 Page 6 of 6