Screening for Duplicate Social S e c u rit y Number THIS IS NOT AN EXTERNAL CREDIT BACKGROUND CHECK, NOR SHOULD IT BE COMMUNICATED AS SUCH TO THE REPRESENTATIVE. 1. What is identity validation?... 3 2. Why is an X-tag assigned to a new Representative s account?... 3 3. What does it mean when there is a duplicate Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number?... 3 4. How does a DSM find out that there is a duplicate Social Security Number or ITIN?... 3 5. How should a DSM respond to a duplicate account situation?... 3 6. How can I explain identity validation to a new Representative?... 3 7. Once a contract has been submitted on eaps, how soon will I know if the Representative is assigned an X-tag?... 3 8. How does an X-tag Representative find out if she has 0 credit?... 3 9. Do I still let the new Representative know what the credit limit is at time of appointment?... 3 10. What if the new Representative, whose identity was not validated, wants to know more about the identity validation process?... 4 11. How can a DSM/SL find out why there is an X-tag on a Representative s account?... 4. 12. Do bankruptcies, judgments or liens have any impact on identity validation?... 4 13. Would an X-tag occur if the birth date or Social Security Number is transposed on a contract?... 4 14. Is LexisNexis able to verify mobile phone numbers?... 4 15. Who do I contact to request a review of an X-tag on an account?... 4 16. How does the X-tag Representative know the amount of payment to submit with her order each campaign?... 4 17. What if the new Representative decides she does not want to sell after being notified that she has a 0 credit limit?... 5 18. Can a Representative request to have the X-tag removed from her account?... 5 19. When an order goes on C hold for an X-tag Representative, will the order automatically be released when the payment is posted to the account?... 5 20. What forms of payment are acceptable for an X-tag Representative?... 5 21. Are only new Representatives screened for identity validation?... 5 22. What are acceptable forms of identification and proof of address for a prospect to be appointed as an Avon Representative?... 5 23. Will LexisNexis be able to validate the address for a college student or someone who has just moved into a new residence?... 6 24. How does this new process affect contracts that are submitted via fax instead of online?... 6 25. If a Representative has a different shipping and mailing address, will this affect her validation process?... 6 26. If the driver s license does not show current address and she does not have a utility bill in her name can we appoint her?... 6 27. If a Representative does not have a Social Security Number will we still be able to validate her identity?... 6 28. What if validation did not occur due to a mistake entering contract? Can this be easily corrected?... 6 29. How can a Sales Leader see if someone in her 1st/2nd/3rd generation is an X-tag?... 7 30. How should a recent change in address or name (within the past 30 days) be handled on the contract?...7 31. How do I handle the address for an active military person who wants to become a Representative?... 7 32. Can a Representative with $0 credit limit (no credit extended) request Free Product Replacements?... 7 33. What if a Customer paid for a product(s) and never received them from a Representative?... 7 34. What are the suggested formats for submitting names that contain spaces or hyphens?... 7 1
1. What is identity validation? Identity validation means Avon compares the Representative s name, mailing address, phone number, date of birth, and social security number, as entered into the Avon Contract Card, against information appearing in the public records database. Avon uses a third party vendor, LexisNexis, to access these public records. 2. Why is an X-tag assigned to a new Representative s account? 5 pieces of personal information (name, mailing address, phone number, birth date and Social Security Number) submitted by the Representative are matched against the same information in public records. If a sufficient amount of this information cannot be validated to Avon s standards, Avon assigns an X-tag to the account. 3. What does it mean when there is a duplicate social security number or tax identification number? If a new Representative s social security or tax identification number matches that of an existing Representative s account, the new Representative s account will be tagged as not active and will require the DSM to review and resolve the duplicate account issue. 4. How does a DSM find out that there is a duplicate social security number or ITIN? A confirmation page displays in eaps indicating that a duplicate account was found. The DSM receives an e-mail with details regarding the accounts with duplicate SSN/ITIN. 5. How should a DSM respond to a duplicate account situation? The DSM contacts National Collections (e-mail: nationalcollections@avon.com) to review the duplicate accounts and determine which account should be activated. 6. How can I explain identity validation to a new Representative? Identity validation means that Avon compares the information provided by the Representative to information appearing in the public records database, as provided by Avon s third party vendor, LexisNexis. It is Avon, not LexisNexis, that determines the level of validation and assigns an Xtag/$0 Credit Limit when validation is insufficient. 7. Once a contract has been submitted on eaps, how soon will I know if the Representative is assigned an X-tag? A confirmation page will be displayed within a few seconds of clicking the submit button to let the Appointment Maker know the contract has been successfully submitted and whether or not the Representative has been tagged X. She may also receive an additional message indicating that another account with the same Social Security Number/Individual Tax Identification Number already exists.. 8. How does an X-tag Representative find out if she has 0 credit? The Representative will be notified in two ways: The first way is through the Appointment Maker. The Appointment Maker should notify the new Representative by phone and e-mail within 24 hours of submitting the contract on eaps. The words to use in notifying the new Representative are provided on the back of the Credit Guidelines Decision Tree. The second way is on the new Representative landing page. The initial credit limit will be displayed on the New Representative landing page on youravon.com when a new Representative registers and logs in. 9. Do I still let the new Representative know what the credit limit is at time of appointment? Yes, you will give the new Representative a preliminary credit limit by scoring the Contract Scoring Worksheet. If the new Representative s credit limit changes due to the inability to validate the Representative s identification, you will inform the new Representative within 24 hours. Review the back of the Credit Guidelines Decision Tree for suggested wording. 2
10. What if the new Representative, whose identity was not validated, wants to know more about the identity validation process? While the Appointment Maker should tell the Representative that her identity could not be sufficiently validated, she should not say anything beyond that or assume any reason for the non-validation. Inform the Representative that it is Avon, not LexisNexis that determines the level of validation and the appropriate credit based on that validation. Direct the Representative to call LexisNexis at a dedicated phone number, 1-866-491-0873. LexisNexis will assist the Representative in getting her personal report and the Representative will be asked to provide Name/Address/Social Security Number/Date of Birth/Phone Number. LexisNexis will then send out the personal report within 5 business days. Please inform the Representative that LexisNexis does not create the information found in public records, nor do they have the authority or ability to change it. This information is available from public sources and the individual consumer is the only one who can initiate inquiries or dispute such information. Upon receipt of her personal report, the Representative should review the data for any errors, omissions or out of date information: If errors are found, the Representative should contact LexisNexis for assistance in identifying the source of the incorrect information found. It is the responsibility of the Representative to contact the source of the data to have corrections made. Once a Representative receives confirmation that her personal data has been updated, she should notify her Appointment Maker and request to have a new contract submitted through EAPs. The Appointment Maker should work with National Collections to resolve multiple accounts. If no errors are found, the Representative will remain an X-tag ($0 credit limit). Explain to the Representative to collect payments from Customers when they place orders with her and explain that she must pay Avon for her orders when she places them because she has to build her credit with Avon. After 13 Campaigns, a Representative can contact her District Manager to request to have the X- tag removed from her account. The account will be reviewed, and a decision will be made at that time as to her credit limit eligibility. 11. How can a DSM/SL find out why there is an X-tag on a Representative s account? Specific reasons as to why a Representative received an X-tag cannot be given to a DSM or Sales Leader because of privacy and confidentiality issues. 12. Do bankruptcies, judgments or liens have any impact on identity validation? Credit issues themselves, including bankruptcies, judgments or liens, do not have an impact on identity validation. However, it is not uncommon to have identity validation issues occurring in these same instances. 13. Would an X-tag occur if the birth date or Social Security Number is transposed on a contract? Transposition alone would not cause an X-tag. Generally, if all other information is entered correctly, a single digit entered incorrectly or transposition error will not be the cause of identity non-validation. 14. Is LexisNexis able to verify mobile phone numbers? Mobile numbers will be validated for the most part; public records for mobile phones are never totally complete. Temporary mobiles will probably not be verifiable. 15. Who do I contact to request a review of an X-tag on an account? Requests for review should be limited to only those instances where the Appointment maker accepts responsibility for the authenticity of the identity of the applicant. However, a final decision as to the status of the X- tag will be made by the Credit and Collections department upon review of the applicant s information after 13 campaigns. All Score Tag X review requests should be submitted to NationalCollections@avon.com 16. How does the X-tag Representative know the amount of payment to submit with her order each campaign? The X-tag Representative will need to submit payment for the entire net sales amount (see Estimated Earnings / Payment Worksheet for details). This worksheet is provided by the Appointment Maker for the Representative to assist in calculating the amount to pay with the Campaign order. It is also available to the Representative on the new Representative landing page on youravon.com. The Appointment Maker should review the worksheet during the Training Contact 2.. 3
17. What if the new Representative decides she does not want to sell after being notified that she has a 0 credit limit? If within 3 business days there has been no activity on the account, please follow the below process: The Appointment Maker will not be required to pick up the appointment kit from the new Representative.. The Appointment Maker should return the appointment fee back to the Representative within 48 hours of receiving. the removal request. The appointment fee should be returned via money order or voided personal check in the mail.. The District Sales Manager will have to remove this Representative as a District Manager removal. In order for a Sales Leader to receive a replacement Appointment kit, she will need to send an e-mail to the DSM, copying. the Career Specialists (Leadership Desk*) explaining that the new Representative has decided not to sell after being. notified that she has a 0 credit limit. The Sales Leader will need to request that the new Representative be removed and request a replacement kit. The e-mail should include the following information: Sales Leader: Name / Account number / Phone number New Representative to be removed (due to 0 credit limit): Name / Account number / Phone number *Leadership Desk e-mail addresses:» Newark Branch: newarkcareercenter@avon.com» Morton Grove Branch: MG_Career.Representative@avon.com» Pasadena Branch: PAS.Career.Representative.Support@avon.com» Atlanta Branch: Atlanta.leadership@avon.com The DSM should send an e-mail to Manager Support Specialist informing them that you: Closed the account at the Representative s request. Request removal of appointment from the account since you are returning the fee to the Representative. Need kit replenished since you are not retrieving it. 18. Can a Representative request to have the X-tag removed from her account? Yes, after 13 Campaigns, a Representative can contact her District Manager to request to have the X-tag removed from her account. The account will be reviewed, and a decision will be made at that time as to her credit limit eligibility. 19. When an order goes on C hold for an X-tag Representative, will the order automatically be released when the payment is posted to the account? Yes, the order will automatically be released if the payment posted to the account brings the balance to 0. If the entire payment is not received within 10 days, the order will be cancelled. NOTE: To avoid the Representative s order from going on C hold, please inform the new Representative of the importance of including the required amount due with her regular and add-on order.. 20. What forms of payment are acceptable for an X-tag Representative? An X- tag Representative can pay with credit card, debit credit with Visa or MasterCard logo through fast talk,. youravon.com, money order, Bank Check, or pre-paid credit card with Visa mailed to her specific Branch location.. Please refer the new Representative to the training document Money Management Suggestions document.. 21. Are only new Representatives screened for identity validation? Yes, as of July 6, 2010, all new Appointments are screened.. 22. What are acceptable forms of identification and proof of address for a prospect to be appointed as an Avon Representative? 4
Acceptable forms of photo ID are: valid Driver s License, State ID, Passport, military ID, Permanent Residence card (green card), Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad (MCAS) (Mexican Consular Matriculation of High Security) or work ID; and for proof of current address - utility, telephone or credit card bill. For College students, school ID is required as identification and proof of current address should be requested but is not required. 5
REMINDER: Except for Driver License information, these forms of identification should not be inputted on the contract. However, the Appointment Maker is responsible for obtaining and reviewing the proper identification.. 23. Will LexisNexis be able to validate the address for a college student or someone who has just moved into a new residence? The ability to validate the address in these situations is often dependent on timing. The longer the applicant is at the new address, the more likely that validating sources have been updated to reflect the change (e.g. utilities, banks, post office, and driver s license). Conversely, if an applicant just moves in and applies at Avon, there is the possibility that the source records have not had time to be updated (this is more likely in the college situation than a new home/apartment) and the ability to validate ID may be adversely affected. Because of the validation models involved and the thresholds we have established, we cannot say for sure that for any given situation the applicant will either pass or fail. 24. How does this new process affect contracts that are submitted via fax instead of online? We made a decision not to build the model into the Scanned contract because of low volume, high effortexpense. Therefore, these contracts will not currently be screened. Scanned volumes will be monitored continuously. If they go up significantly, this will be revisited. The future of Scanned contracts has not been decided. We should continue to encourage electronic submission of contracts.. 25. If a Representative has a different shipping and mailing address, will this affect her validation process? Only the home address is being validated. However, if a different shipping or mailing address is entered as the home address, this will affect the validation process.. 26. If the Driver s License does not show current address and she does not have a utility bill in her name can we appoint her? This Prospect cannot be appointed. Company policy requires a photo ID and proof of current address.. 27. If a Representative does not have a Social Security Number will we still be able to validate her identity? Lack of Social Security Number itself will not necessarily prevent identity from being validated. If a Representative does not have a Social Security Number, the Appointment Maker should leave the fields blank. Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITIN) are an acceptable entry for the Social Security field, but the Green Card number and the Employee Identification Number (EIN) cannot be used in the Social Security Number fields.. 28. What if validation did not occur due to a mistake entering contract? Can this be easily corrected? After an account is established, corrections to the contract can be made. Corrections will not change the score tag and credit limit. If the Appointment Maker thinks the assigned score tag and credit limit are incorrect, a new contract would need to be submitted and District Sales Manager must remove the original account.. Before creating a new account, verify with the Representative that you have the correct information. If yes, explain to the Representative to collect payments from Customers when they place orders with her and explain that she must pay Avon for her orders when she places them because she has to build her credit with Avon. If an error did occur when entering the 5 pieces of personal information, the following steps should be followed: SSN Input Error: Appointment Maker does not initially contact Credit. Appointment Maker confirms Contract information with Representative. If error, Appointment Maker enters new application thru EAPs. Appointment Maker communicates new account # to Representative with Score tag. Please note that the Score tag could still be X. Appointment Maker has prior account closed. Name/Address/DOB/Phone Input Error: Appointment Maker does not initially contact Credit. Appointment Maker confirms Contract information with Representative. If error, Appointment Maker enters new application thru EAPs. Appointment Maker communicates new account # to 6
Representative with Score tag. Appointment Maker receives Duplicate SS# message, has prior acct closed. 29. How can a Sales Leader see if someone in her 1st/2nd/3rd generation is an X-tag? Sales Leaders do not have access to any score tags. They can contact the District Sales Manager for the score tag information, if needed. 30. How should a recent change in address or name (within the past 30 days) be handled on the contract? If the Representative s identity was not validated, the Representative must contact Lexis Nexis to obtain a copy of their profile report to review for accuracy. Upon receipt of the profile report, if the Representative believes that their identity was not validated due to a recent address or name change the DSM must take the following steps: o o DSM must submit an exception review request to ScoreTagReview@avon.com attesting that DSM/Appointment Maker has verified the change of information. The DSM must disclose what documents have been personally verified (i.e. Driver s License, Utility Bill, etc) when submitting the review request for consideration. Due to the length of time required for the Representative to contact Lexis Nexis to request profile report, receive and review for accuracy, DSM should allow up to two weeks from appointment date for the Representative to complete this process prior to submitting exception review request to Credit. 31. How do I handle the address for an active military person who wants to become a Representative? Military addresses are APO/FPO within the US (our systems don t accept these as valid addresses). Use the military base s actual address so that our system will accept it because we will not ship outside of US to them. 32. Can a Representative with $0 credit limit (no credit extended) request Free Product Replacements? Representatives who have not been extended credit can still request free replacements if they were billed for a product and they did not receive it or if they received a damaged product. They can use the EZ return process to request credit and print a mailing label. The credit for the returned products will be applied to the Representative s account once Avon receives the products. 33. What if a Customer paid for a product(s) and never received them from a Representative? If a Customer can show a DSM proof of purchase with a receipt, Avon will ship the ordered product directly to the Customer.. 34. What are the suggested formats for submitting names that contain spaces or hyphens? LexisNexis is aware of many forms of an individual s name. They track and add additional names being used including hyphenations, to their database. EXAMPLES: de la Rosa : Please use all the words in the last name. Enter all three names into the last name field. The middle name field should only be used for actual middle names. Garcia-Gomez : LexisNexis can verify someone with a hyphenated name. Cases where they sometimes use a maiden name and sometimes use a married name: Input the name the person uses most often. Garcia Gomez (sometimes they use both last names without the hyphen and the first one is their husband s last name): If two last names are used, LexisNexis will have no problem verifying this individual. 7