Originally Posted by travlngeng (Post 28792324)

So apparently, even checking if you were impacted waives any right to join a class action against Equifax. I've seen this all over the internet and Reddit, but I just don't see how checking one's status is "registering for the product", since I haven't signed up for the monitoring service. Anyone else think that even checking if you were affected constitutes using their TrustedId service?

Originally Posted by Equifax Terms and Conditions Section 4

AGREEMENT TO RESOLVE ALL DISPUTES BY BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION. PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE SECTION CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS BY REQUIRING ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES (EXCEPT AS SET FORTH BELOW) AND A WAIVER OF THE ABILITY TO BRING OR PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION, CLASS ARBITRATION, OR OTHER REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. ARBITRATION PROVIDES A QUICK AND COST EFFECTIVE MECHANISM FOR RESOLVING DISPUTES, BUT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT IT ALSO LIMITS YOUR RIGHTS TO DISCOVERY AND APPEAL.

Binding Arbitration. Any Claim (as defined below) raised by either You or Equifax against the other shall be subject to mandatory, binding arbitration. As used in this arbitration provision, the term "Claim" or "Claims" means any claim, dispute, or controversy between You and Us relating in any way to Your relationship with Equifax, including but not limited to any Claim arising from or relating to this Agreement, the Products or this Site, or any information You receive from Us, whether based on contract, statute, common law, regulation, ordinance, tort, or any other legal or equitable theory, regardless of what remedy is sought. This arbitration obligation extends to claims You may assert against Equifax’s parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, assigns, employees, and agents. The term "Claim" shall have the broadest possible construction, except that it does not include any claim, dispute or controversy in which You contend that EIS violated the FCRA. Any claim, dispute, or controversy in which You contend that EIS violated the FCRA is not subject to this provision and shall not be resolved by arbitration.

No Class or Representative Arbitrations. The arbitration will be conducted as an individual arbitration. Neither You nor We consent or agree to any arbitration on a class or representative basis, and the arbitrator shall have no authority to proceed with arbitration on a class or representative basis. No arbitration will be consolidated with any other arbitration proceeding without the consent of all parties. This arbitration provision applies to and includes any Claims made and remedies sought as part of any class action, private attorney general action, or other representative action. By consenting to submit Your Claims to arbitration, You will be forfeiting Your right to bring or participate in any class action (whether as a named plaintiff or a class member) or to share in any class action awards, including class claims where a class has not yet been certified, even if the facts and circumstances upon which the Claims are based already occurred or existed.

Right to Opt-Out of this Arbitration Provision. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BOUND BY THE ARBITRATION PROVISION, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXCLUDE YOURSELF. Opting out of the arbitration provision will have no adverse effect on your relationship with Equifax or the delivery of Products to You by Equifax. In order to exclude Yourself from the arbitration provision, You must notify Equifax in writing within 30 days of the date that You first accept this Agreement on the Site (for Products purchased from Equifax on the Site). If You purchased Your Product other than on the Site, and thus this Agreement was mailed, emailed or otherwise delivered to You, then You must notify Equifax in writing within 30 days of the date that You receive this Agreement. To be effective, timely written notice of opt out must be delivered to Equifax Consumer Services LLC, Attn.: Arbitration Opt-Out, P.O. Box 105496, Atlanta, GA 30348, and must include Your name, address, and Equifax User ID, as well as a clear statement that You do not wish to resolve disputes with Equifax through arbitration. If You have previously notified Equifax that You wish to opt-out of arbitration, You are not required to do so again. Any opt-out request postmarked after the opt-out deadline or that fails to satisfy the other requirements above will not be valid, and You must pursue your Claim in arbitration or small claims court.

Initiation of Arbitration. Arbitration shall be administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules in effect at the time the arbitration is filed unless any portion of those rules is inconsistent with any specific terms of this arbitration provision or this Agreement, in which case the terms of this arbitration provision and this Agreement will govern. The AAA’s rules may be obtained at www.adr.org, or by calling the AAA at 1-88-778-7879. To commence an arbitration, you must file a copy of your written arbitration demand with the AAA (either online at www.adr.org or by mail addressed to AAA, Case Filing Services, 1101 Laurel Oak Road, Suite 100, Voorhees, NJ 08043). The arbitration shall be before a single arbitrator. The arbitrator will have the power to award a party any relief or remedy that the party could have received in court in accordance with the law or laws that apply to the dispute, subject to any limitations of liability or damages that exist under this Agreement. This agreement to arbitrate involves interstate commerce and is made pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. sections 1-16 (the "FAA"). Any claim or dispute as to the enforceability of this arbitration provision's restrictions on your right to participate in or pursue a class action or class wide arbitration shall be decided by a court and not an arbitrator.

Payment of Arbitration Fees and Costs. In the event You file a Claim in arbitration in accordance with these provisions, We will advance all arbitration filing fees if You ask that We do so, in writing, prior to the commencement of the arbitration. The payment of any such fees will be made directly by Us to the AAA. Such requests should be mailed to Equifax Consumer Services LLC, Attn: Request for Payment of Arbitration Filing Fees, P.O. Box 105496, Atlanta, GA 30348. We will also pay all arbitrator fees. If Equifax prevails in the arbitration, then the arbitrator shall have the authority to require that You reimburse Equifax for the filing fees advanced, but only to the extent such fees would be recoverable by Us in a judicial action. You are responsible for all other fees and costs You incur in the arbitration, including attorney's fees and expert witness fees, except that the arbitrator shall have the authority to award attorney's fees and costs to the prevailing party; (i) based on applicable law; (ii) under the rules of the arbitration administrator; or (iii) if the arbitrator rules in Your favor and the arbitrator expressly determines that there is a good reason for requiring Us to pay those fees and costs.

Continuation. This arbitration provision shall survive: (i) termination or changes in this Agreement or the relationship between You and Us, including but not limited to the purchase of a new or additional Product by You; and (ii) termination or changes in Our providing any Product(s) to You.

Small claims court. Notwithstanding anything in this Section, either You or Equifax may bring an individual action in small claims court as long as (i) the claim is not aggregated with the claim of any other person, and (ii) the small claims court is located in the same county and state as Your address that You most recently provided to Equifax according to Equifax’s records in connection with this Agreement.

Originally Posted by smc333 (Post 28792157)

Issuing credit used to be based on the idea that the SSN was a secret that only the person identified by that number knew. That doesn't seem to be the case any more, with all the data breaches that have been occurring. At this point an SSN is barley any more 'secret' than your name. It's really frustrating that our legislators haven't done anything to encourage organizations to guard against these breaches (either via carrot or stick) and to tighten up security procedures around issuing credit.

Originally Posted by travlngeng (Post 28792324)

So apparently, even checking if you were impacted waives any right to join a class action against Equifax. I've seen this all over the internet and Reddit, but I just don't see how checking one's status is "registering for the product", since I haven't signed up for the monitoring service. Anyone else think that even checking if you were affected constitutes using their TrustedId service?

Originally Posted by travlngeng (Post 28792455)

The Opt Out clause does not exist for TrustID's Terms of Use, which is where the checker is.

https://trustedidpremier.com/static/terms

Originally Posted by lhrhappy (Post 28792472)

Turnabout is fair play: TrustedID, Inc. is not the company who wronged you. Who cares if you can't opt out of their arbitration?

You're opting out of Equifax's arbitration. They are the company who wronged you.

Originally Posted by tmiw (Post 28792518)

Actually, if one has ever taken advantage of the free annual credit report from them (or otherwise purchased anything), wouldn't they possibly be unable to opt-out of arbitration by now? Then again, I don't know how long that language has been in their T&C.

Originally Posted by Losers

The arbitration clause and class action wavier included in the TrustedID Premier Terms of Use applies to the free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection products, and not the cybersecurity incident.