Last updated: 6 September 2016

1. Introduction

Each company listed in Section 8 below (“Company” or “we”) wants you to be familiar with how we collect and use credit information about you. You obtain credit from us when we agree to defer or suspend a payment for our goods or services.

This Credit Reporting Policy describes our practices in connection with certain information we collect and hold about individuals when providing credit as described below:

1. consumer credit:

• information we collect and hold about individuals when providing credit to those individuals for services (such as advertising services) which are acquired for personal, family or household purposes; and
• information we collect and hold about individuals when providing credit to those individuals for products (such as certain types of newspaper subscriptions) when acquired for personal, family or household purposes.

2. commercial credit:

• information we collect and hold about individuals who are directors of a company, when providing credit to that company;
• information we collect and hold about individuals who provide a personal guarantee to us in relation to the debt of a company to us; and
• information we collect and hold about individuals who are obtaining that credit for their own business purposes.

2. What information do we collect?

Company collects certain personal information about you when you apply for and/or obtain credit from us. That information is referred to as "credit information" in this policy. Credit Information means your name, alias or previous name, date of birth, gender, your postal address and 2 previous addresses, the name of your current or last employer or your driver’s licence number.  We may not always collect all of these types of information. Credit Information also means information about your credit arrangement with us, including the amount of the payment you have deferred, when you are required to make those deferred payments or repayments and information about whether you have met your obligations to make those payments, repay your credit or to satisfy your guarantee.

In relation to consumer credit, we may obtain credit reports in relation to individuals for the purposes of assessing credit applications (including applications to increase the amount of or change the terms of existing credit) from those persons and may use those reports in the course of providing them with credit. We will not generally do this in relation to the purchase of newspaper subscriptions.

In relation to commercial credit, we may obtain credit reports in relation to individuals for the purposes of assessing credit applications (including applications to increase the amount or change the terms of existing credit) from those persons or companies of which they are a director and also to assess whether to accept a guarantee from an individual. If you or your company defaults on a credit arrangement with us, we may obtain other information about you from credit reporting bodies to assist us to contact or locate you. We may also obtain information about your assets to determine your ability to repay that credit.

For information about how we collect, use and disclose other personal information about you that is not Credit Information and is not information in or derived from a credit report, please see our Privacy Policy available at www.newscorpaustraliaprivacy.com.

3. How do we use and disclose your information?

We use the credit information we collect about you for account management and administrative purposes. For example, we may use credit information we hold about you to identify whether you are overdue in making a payment and to take steps to obtain that payment from you. We may also use credit information to determine whether to provide you with credit when you make any subsequent application for credit. If you choose not to provide certain personal information to us, we may not be able to provide you with the goods or services you require.

For consumer credit, we may also use credit information we collect to obtain additional information from credit reporting bodies and to determine whether to provide an applicant with credit, and if so how much credit and on what terms. We may also report defaults in payment terms to credit reporting bodies.  We will not generally do this in relation to the purchase of newspaper subscriptions.

For commercial credit, we may also use credit information we hold about you to obtain additional information from credit reporting bodies and to determine whether to provide you or the company of which you are a director with credit, and if so how much credit and on what terms. We may also report how you or your company repays credit (that is, whether payments are made on time), and defaults in payment terms or guarantee commitments in relation to commercial credit to credit reporting bodies. We may also disclose a debtor’s collected information to any guarantor of the debtor’s obligations to us.

We currently work with Veda Advantage Ltd (Veda) and Dun & Bradstreet (Australia) Pty Ltd (D&B) as credit reporting bodies for all these purposes. As at the date of this policy, you can contact Veda Advantage on: Veda Advantage, Veda - Customer Resolutions, PO Box 964, North Sydney NSW 2059, phone: 1300 762 207 or email: corrections@veda.com.au. Veda's current contact details at any time can be found at: www.veda.com.au/contact-us. You can also contact D&B: Dun & Bradstreet (Australia) Pty Ltd - Client Services Centre, PO Box 4705, St Kilda Rd Melbourne VIC 3004, phone: 13 23 33 or email: clientservices@dnb.com.au. D&B’s contact details at any time can be found at: www.dnb.com.au.

We may also share the credit information we have collected about you with our related companies listed in section 8 below so that they can use the information for these same purposes when you or the company of which you are a director seeks credit arrangements with them.

We may de-identify the information we collect about you so that we can use and disclose it without using or revealing any personal information about you.

We use the information we collect about you for these additional purposes:

To allow service providers to assist us in and managing your account. Company may make your information available to certain third party service providers, such as providers of data cloud services, website hosting service providers, and debt collection, to help us provide goods or services to you or provide Company with related services. These third parties may be located in a range of different countries including the United Kingdom, United States of America and Singapore. Company generally requires these service and content providers to comply with relevant privacy laws and not to use personal information which Company provides for any purpose other than the specific service they are providing to you and/or Company.

To protect the rights of Company and others. There may be instances when Company may disclose your information, including situations where Company has a good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary in order to: (i) protect, enforce, or defend the legal rights, privacy, safety, or property of Company, our related companies or their employees, agents and contractors (including enforcement of our agreements and our terms of use); (ii) protect the safety, privacy, and security of users of the Company Services or members of the public; (iii) protect against fraud or for risk management purposes; (iv) comply with the law or legal process in any country; or (v) respond to requests from public and government authorities.

To complete a merger or sale of assets. If Company sells all or part of its business or makes a sale or transfer of its assets or is otherwise involved in a merger or transfer of all or a material part of its business, Company may transfer or disclose your information to the party or parties involved in the transaction as part of that transaction and as part of any due diligence processes which take place in contemplation of a potential transaction.

4. How do we protect your information?

Company uses commercially reasonable administrative, technical, personnel and physical measures to safeguard information in its possession against loss, theft and unauthorized use, disclosure or modification. However, no one can guarantee the complete safety of your information.

5. How can you access your information?

If you would like to access, review, correct or update your personal information, you may contact us as outlined in section 7 of this policy. In your request, please include your email address, name, address, and telephone number and specify clearly what information you would like to access, review, correct or update. We will need to share your information with others who can assist in responding to your request. We will try to respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable. If we deny access in any circumstances or cannot correct or update your information we will generally tell you why.

6. Other important information for you

Updates to Credit Reporting Policy. Company may modify this Credit Reporting Policy at any time. Please look at the Last Updated date at the top of this Credit Reporting Policy to see when this Credit Reporting Policy was last revised.

Location of Data. Some of the technology used to provide you with goods or services are hosted in and managed outside of Australia and in dealing with Company, you consent to having any personal information accessible from or transmitted outside of Australia. These third parties may be located in a range of different countries including the United Kingdom, United States of America and Singapore.

Data Retention. We will retain your information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Credit Reporting Policy unless a longer retention period is required or allowed by law.

Complaint. If you think we have breached the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (including Part IIIA, Division 3), other applicable privacy laws or the registered Credit Reporting Privacy Code, you may complain to us by contacting us as outlined in section 7 below. When you contact us, please include your email address, name, address, and telephone number and clearly describe your complaint. We will need to share your information with others who can assist in responding to your complaint. We will contact you within 7 days to let you know the next steps in resolving your complaint and to obtain any further information we need to consider your complaint. As soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within 30 days, we will let you know our decision in writing. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, or at any time, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au).

Certain of our companies are also a member of an external debt resolution (EDR) scheme managed by the Credit and Investments Ombudsman. If you are not satisfied with how one of those businesses has resolved your complaint in relation to consumer credit, you can lodge a complaint with the Credit and Investments Ombudsman by contacting them through their website at www.coi.org.au or by phone contact on 1800 138 422.

7. How can you contact us?

If you have questions about this Credit Reporting Policy, please contact our Privacy Officer at:

Email: privacy@news.com.au

Mail: National Privacy Officer, News Limited, 2 Holt Street Surry Hills, NSW 2010

Telephone: +6129288 3000

8. List of included companies

Advertiser Newspapers Pty Ltd (ACN 007 872 997)
Advertiser News Weekend Publishing Company Pty Ltd (ACN 007 562 950)
Australia Independent Business Media Pty Ltd (ACN 126 233 743)
Business Spectator Pty Ltd (ACN 126 233 725)
Davies Brothers Pty Limited (ACN 009 475 754)
Duvir Holdings Pty Limited (ACN 068 007 474)
Gold Coast Publications Pty Limited (ACN 009 696 511)
Kidspot.com.au Pty Ltd (ACN 111 607 866)
Leader Associated Newspapers Pty Ltd (ACN 004 337 446)
Messenger Press Proprietary Limited (ACN 007 563 439)
Nationwide News Pty Ltd (ACN 008 438 828)
News Digital Media Pty Limited (ACN 000 529 457)
News Life Media Pty Limited (ACN 088 923 906)
News Limited (ACN 007 871 178)
Perth Print Pty Ltd (ACN 081 584 223)
Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd (ACN 009 661 778)
Shespot.com.au Pty Ltd (ACN 138 256 961)
Sunshine Coast Publishing Pty Ltd (ACN 090 524 799)
The Cairns Post Proprietary Limited (ACN 009 655 752)
The Geelong Advertiser Proprietary Limited (ACN 004 090 055)
The Herald and Weekly Times Pty Limited (ACN 004 113 937)
The North Queensland Newspaper Company Pty Limited (ACN 009 655 690)