dreadedmonkeygod . net

Hey, I'm kind of over this, but if I'm going to blog about the story, I might as well blog the whole thing. ChoicePoint has responded to my request that they forget they ever heard of me.

From: consumer.center@choicepoint.com
To: Chris Raser
Date: Wednesday 02:55:06 pm

Thank you for contacting ChoicePoint. We have received and are processing your request to remove your information from our Direct Marketing Services database. You will receive a follow-up letter in the mail that provides more information about the Opt-Out process.

While your information will be removed from our Direct Marketing Services, you should understand that ChoicePoint processes many types of transactions for businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations. These include screening services such as pre-employment background checks and inquiries in connection with applications for homeowner's insurance, auto insurance or an apartment lease.

While this information will be removed from our direct marketing services activity, it will not be removed from our general database. We, of course, cannot remove information from public records just as consumers cannot remove public data about themselves from county courthouses and other public records databases.

We will continue to include such public data in information products we provide to government, businesses and non-profit groups that use these products for legitimate purposes such as detecting and preventing fraud, performing legal due diligence, locating criminal suspects, finding missing children, screening volunteers and managing business risks.

We are continuing to strengthen our customer credentialing and other security processes to limit access to these information products to those who have a legitimate use for the data. ChoicePoint does not distribute information to individuals, such as when a family hires someone to work in their home, without the individual's permission.

If you would like to learn more about the public records that ChoicePoint's customers use to make decisions, visit www.choicetrust.com.

Thank you,

ChoicePoint Consumer Center

Here's my response:

I understand that information cannot be purged from public records. However, my bank account and credit card information are certainly not matters of public record. Please delete this information from your databases.

After sever emails, you still have not answered my two original questions:

1. How do I determine who gave ChoicePoint my bank account information?
2. How do I get ChoicePoint to delete all records you have regarding my bank accounts and credit cards?

I look forward to hearing the answers to these questions.

-Christopher Raser

I'm sure this is going to go nowhere. I'll go get them on the phone in my copious free time.

And let me just point out the pomposity of mentioning "detecting and preventing fraud" and "performing legal due diligence" as one of the services supported by their databases.