LOS ANGELES, CA -- 08/12/08 --
In one of the biggest additions to member
benefits in recent history, the Automobile Club of Southern California's
six-million-plus members can now receive identity theft monitoring at no
additional charge with CreditCheck Select® from Experian Consumer Direct.
"The Auto Club's new strategic partnership with Experian Consumer Direct
will enable our members -- who make up more than half of the households in
Southern California -- to help guard against identity fraud by taking
advantage of this valuable new member benefit," said Wendy Sabins, the Auto
Club's senior vice president for marketing products and services.
According to a Federal Trade Commission survey, 8.3 million American adults
were victims of identity theft in 2005.
"Identity theft can strike whether our members are on the road or at home,
and Experian Consumer Direct's CreditCheck Select will enable members to
stay informed about changes in their credit report that could be the result
of fraudulent activity," Sabins added.
Members must enroll on the Auto Club's Web site at www.AAA.com/experian in
order to take advantage of the new benefit.
"We are proud that the Automobile Club of Southern California has selected
Experian Consumer Direct to provide this product to its widespread
membership," said Westley Koenen, general manager, Experian Consumer
Direct. "The CreditCheck Select credit monitoring product will not only
educate members about the overall health of their credit portfolio, but it
will help keep members aware of changes in their Experian credit report
that may be the result of identity theft."
Key features of CreditCheck Select include:
-- Experian online credit report - Upon enrollment, members gain access
to their Experian credit report, which is available online for 30 days.
-- Credit monitoring - Daily monitoring of the member's Experian credit
report.
-- E-mail alerts - Members receive e-mail alerts regarding key changes in
their Experian credit report and monthly "all clear" e-mails when no
activity occurs.
-- Fraud resolution support - Fraud resolution representatives are
available to assist members.
-- $10,000 identity theft insurance (AAA Premier® members only) -
Reimbursement for certain personal expenses and lost wages incurred as a
result of an identity theft incident up to $10,000 provided by Virginia
Surety Company, Inc.
Eligibility and enrollment
CreditCheck® Select is a free benefit available to new and current
primary and associate members (age 18 and older) of the Auto Club. Members
can enroll in CreditCheck Select by visiting www.AAA.com/experian. Members
who cancel their CreditCheck Select benefit are not eligible to re-enroll.
About Automobile Club of Southern California
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest member of the AAA
federation of motor clubs, has been serving Southern California since 1900.
Today, the Auto Club's members benefits include roadside assistance,
insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products,
automotive pricing and buying programs, automotive testing and analysis,
trip planning services and highway and transportation safety programs.
Information about these products and services is available on the Auto
Club's Web site at www.AAA.com.
About Experian Consumer Direct
Experian Consumer Direct is part of Experian Interactive and a market
leader for online credit reports, scores and monitoring products delivered
directly to consumers through Web sites such as www.FreeCreditReport.com
and www.FamilySecure.com. Among its products, the business provides
consumers with instant access to their credit report and credit score, plus
credit monitoring products that monitor all three national credit reports
daily and include fraud resolution assistance. Experian Consumer Direct has
established integrated, co-branded partnerships with leading online
financial destinations that provide consumers with a broad range of
comprehensive online financial products and information essential to
managing one's financial life. For more information, visit
www.experian.com. Experian Consumer Direct is a part of ConsumerInfo.com,
Inc., an Experian® company.
About Experian
Experian is a global leader in providing information, analytical and
marketing services to organizations and consumers to help manage the risk
and reward of commercial and financial decisions.
Combining its unique information tools and deep understanding of
individuals, markets and economies, Experian partners with organizations
around the world to establish and strengthen customer relationships and
provide their businesses with competitive advantage.
For consumers, Experian delivers critical information that enables them to
make financial and purchasing decisions with greater control and
confidence. Clients include organizations from financial services, retail
and catalog, telecommunications, utilities, media, insurance, automotive,
leisure, e-commerce, manufacturing, property and government sectors.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a
constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Experian has corporate headquarters in
Dublin, Ireland, and operational headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif., and
Nottingham, UK. Experian employs approximately 15,500 people in 38
countries worldwide, supporting clients in more than 65 countries around
the world. Continuing sales for the year ended March 31, 2008, were in
excess of $4 billion.
For more information, visit Experian plc's Web site on
www.experiangroup.com.
"Experian" is a registered trademark in the EU and other countries and is
owned by Experian Ltd. and/or its associated companies.
CONTACT:
Jeffrey Spring
Auto Club
(714) 885-2333
spring.jeffrey@aaa-calif.com
Corey Langworthy
PainePR for Experian Consumer Direct
(949) 809-6716
clangworthy@painepr.com
