Below is a summary of some key terms set out within this Privacy Policy. We are committed to protecting your personal information when you use our site and we want you to be confident that your personal information is safe and secure with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we use your personal information including the following:
· What personal information we collect
· How we use your personal information which is gathered
· Who your personal information is shared with;
· How we communicate with you; and
· Your rights and choices you have when it comes to your personal information
Use of our Site is subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, please stop using our Site / Services immediately.
We process your personal data in order to provide you with the service that you have applied for using our site. We act as a digital marketing company where your application will be shared with our panel of debt solution providers. See "How do we use your personal information" for further details.
This Privacy Policy may change from time to time so please check this page when using our site to ensure that you are happy with any changes.
If you wish to make an enquiry or exercise any of your rights as set out in this Privacy Policy, please contact our Compliance Department here
debtsecret.co.uk is a trading name of trading style of TFLI (US) INC. TFLI (US) INC is registered in United States of America (Company number P20000059850). Registered Office: 1200 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33131. Licenced by the Information Commissioner's Office, Registration Number ZB053626).
TFLI (US) INC is a controller in relation to the processing of personal information that is provided when you complete our application. If you want to contact our data protection officer or you have any data protection questions, please contact our Compliance Department here
From you - personal information we collect will be directly from you when you use the site to submit an application. We will collect the information from you via our websites, mobile applications, or other similar devices or applications operated by or on behalf of TFLI US INC.
The personal information we collect when you use our site to make an application includes, but is not limited to, your name, residential status, mobile number, email address, employment status, number of debts, amount of outstanding debt, IP address and device type.
We do not collect any personal information from children, or about children, nor do we collect any sensitive or special category data.
In the course of finding, you a debt solution, we may store information about how you use our site, for example, the pages viewed, the platform from which you came to visit our site and the application completion.
We may monitor or record your calls, emails, SMS or other communications but we will do so in accordance with data protection legislation and other applicable laws. Monitoring or recording will always be for business purposes, such as for quality assurance and training (for example where calls or emails have been sent to our customer service department) to enable us to deliver our services.
Note that it is your responsibility to check and ensure that all information, content, material or data you provide on this site is correct, complete, accurate, and not misleading and that you disclose all relevant facts.
Keeping you informed about our services: where you agree that we will contact you via email and / or SMS, in relation to our similar financial products such as debt solutions and debt consolidation loans that may interest you.
Whenever you provide us with personal information, where necessary we will seek your consent and/or we will give you an opportunity to tell us you do not consent to the use and sharing of your information for marketing purposes. Unless you tell us otherwise, you are consenting to such use.
You can withdraw your consent to us and our panel of debt solution providers processing your personal data for the purposes of the application at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" option in any SMS, Email, or within the communications sent by partners. You can also email us here
When you complete an application, you consent to us disclosing your personal information to the following parties:
Where permitted by data protection and privacy law, we may also disclose information about you (including electronic identifiers such as IP addresses) and/or access your account:
You can object to us processing your data in this way by contacting our Compliance Department here or using the contact details stated in section 15 / 16. In addition
FRAUD PREVENTION AGENCIES (FPA'S)
If we reasonably believe false or inaccurate information has been provided, including in relation to a person's identity, and fraud is suspected, details, including personal data may be passed to fraud prevention agencies to prevent fraud and money laundering.
Your details may be passed to statutory bodies, regulators, legal bodies, credit reference agencies, fraud prevention entities and identity and address verification agencies who may record and use your details. They may also disclose your information to other organisations for credit reference, debt tracing, and fraud and money laundering prevention purposes. If you have any queries regarding these uses, please contact the relevant organisation.
By submitting an application form on our site, you confirm that all of the information provided is true and accurate. You also, when applying, authorise the debt solution provider to use both fraud prevention and credit referencing agencies to help make relevant decisions. Credit checks and credit reference agencies can also help prevent fraudulent applications.
What Is a Fraud Prevention Agency?
Fraud Prevention agencies (FPA) collect, maintain and share information on any known or suspected fraudulent activity.
They work in the following ways with various organisations:
You have the right to object to this processing at any time by contacting us here
We, TFLI Limited and our panel of debt solution providers, will keep you informed with the progress of your application. Unless you state otherwise you may be contacted via telephone, email and SMS. (see further section on 'How we keep you informed')
Lawful basis for collecting your personal information
We rely upon a different lawful basis to process your personal data according to the reason for which you have provided your data to us.
Our use of your personal data will always have a lawful basis.
Consent:
When you submit your application with TFLI (US) INC will process your personal data on the basis that you have provided your consent to be contacted by TFLI (US) INC, TFLI Limited and our panel of debt solution providers in relation to your application.
You can withdraw your consent to us and our panel of debt solution providers from processing your personal data for the purposes of the application at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" option in any SMS, Email, or within the communications sent by partners.
Alternatively, you can withdraw your consent by contacting our Compliance Department here or using the contact details stated in section 15 / 16. If you change your mind about agreeing to us processing your personal data, this will not have any effect on the lawfulness of any processing we have carried out before you changed your mind.
Contract:
Your personal data will also be processed on the basis that we need this information to fulfil our obligations under the contract we have entered into with you by providing you with a debt solution. TFLI (US) INC and our panel of debt solution providers will contact you regarding your application.
You can object to us processing your data in this way by contacting our Compliance Department here or using the contact details stated in section 15 / 16. In addition, if you object to your personal information being used in this way you should stop using our site / services immediately.
Legitimate Interest:
We have a legitimate interest in processing your data (i.e. to share your application with our panel of debt solution providers to obtain the service you have applied for.
It also includes processing your data for tracing, verification and validation of identity. Tracing could take place for the purpose's debt collection fraud prevention and anti-money laundering processes and asset reunification. Checking of individual identities. Age verification and authentication. Individual reference or lookup services. Know you customer due diligence services.
You can object to us processing your data in this way by contacting our Compliance Department here or using the contact details stated in section 15 / 16. In addition, if you object to your personal information being used in this way you should stop using our site / services immediately.
If you are required to telephone us using the specified telephone numbers on our website under the Contact or advertising/marketing correspondence then your call may be recorded for training, quality and regulatory purposes.
You can also contact us by sending an email us here
We pride ourselves in complete customer care and this gives us the opportunity to continuously improve and monitor our customer experience.
We may want to make contact with you at some point in order to keep you informed regarding offers on products or services which we think you may find of interest; this contact will be made via email and SMS. Third parties may also wish to contact you from the information we have shared with them regarding the debt solution application, any information that is shared to third parties is completely trusted for the purpose it is specified for, third parties may also use the same means of contact stated above.
Soft opt-in is an exception to the general requirement to obtain consent before sending direct marketing to you by electronic means (such as email or text message for example) and applies where you have previously engaged with us (for example by submitting your contact details on our website to make an enquiry about Our Service), and we are marketing our similar products and services. Under the 'soft opt-in', we will assume you still want to hear about our other related products and services until you opt out or unsubscribe. For most customers, this is beneficial as it allows us to tell you about our other similar products services that we think would be useful to you alongside the specific one you originally expressed an interest in.
Unless the customer states otherwise we will contact you via means of SMS and Email to provide marketing communications and alerts relating to our services and our associate products where you have consented to be contacted.
You can withdraw your consent within the application process within the opt in statement where you can confirm your contact preferences. In addition, you can withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" option in any SMS, Email, or by emailing us here.
It is your responsibility to ensure that any information we have on record for you is kept up to date and correct. If you do require any of your information to be updated then please contact us as soon as possible so we can ensure it is corrected.
If you require your preferences to be updated then please contact our Compliance Department as soon as possible here
Some of our providers will use your personal information to assess your circumstances (including information about any third party who is named on the application) and verify the information that you have provided before providing a quote to you. Some providers may carry out checks with fraud prevention and credit reference agencies. Both public data (e.g. the electoral roll) and private data (e.g. your personal credit history) may be checked in this way.
Some providers may carry out checks against data they already hold on you, (or is held by the company whose brand they administer the product for, or members of their group of companies) such as data from existing products, account data, data from previous product transactions, accounts you may hold with them. If providers carry out these searches, a record of the search will appear on your credit report. Some providers may also check public and private higher education sources to obtain information about your educational background.
This information exchange allows providers to verify the information that is provided during the quote process (including information about any third party who is named on the policy), and also helps to detect fraudulent applications / loans. These checks are not unique to users of our Services - they may also be carried out if you obtain quotes from other sources.
If you decide to enter into a debt solution, the information you have provided to us, together with any further information requested by, and supplied by you or us to the third-party provider, will be held by the provider for the purposes set out in that provider's privacy policy. Therefore, you are strongly advised to read your chosen provider's privacy policy and satisfy yourself as to the purposes for which the provider will use your personal information before entering into the financial agreement.
Our Sites are "Let's Encrypt Secure Websites" and keeping information about you secure is very important to us. However, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be totally secure. Sensitive information, for example, your card details, is encrypted to minimise the risk of interception during transit.
We do our best to keep the information you disclose to us secure. However, we can't guarantee or warrant the security of any information which you send to us, and you do so at your own risk. By using our Sites you accept the inherent risks of providing information online and will not hold us responsible for any breach of security.
Your personal data may be held within the European Economic Area (EEA) or outside the EEA. If any personal data is transferred or stored outside of the EEA, we check whether the EU Commission has determined that it will afforded the same level of protection as it would within the EEA (this is called an adequacy decision). If it will not, we will ensure any such transfer is subject to appropriate safeguards (for example by putting appropriate contractual provisions in place with relevant third parties to provide us with reassurance about the security of your personal data) or is otherwise permitted (for example with your express consent to transfer) in accordance with the provisions of the GDPR.
You have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulations. For example, we will always let you have a copy of the personal information we hold about you, if you request it from us in writing.
To make enquiries and/or exercise any of your rights set out in this Privacy Policy please contact our Customer Services Team here
The amount of time we retain your information for will depend on the reason it was provided:
If you require further information on our data retention policies, please click here
You can opt out of future contact from DebtSecret.co.uk at any time. During the application process you can opt out of future contact within the opt in statement application page. All of our marketing messages provide an opt out link - please allow up to 48 hours for us to process your opt out request. Alternatively, you can email us here where your details will be removed from any future marketing campaigns.
If you are receiving contact from third parties you will need to contact them directly and request them to remove your details.
Your Right to be Forgotten / Erasure of Your Personal Information
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), all individuals have the right to request the deletion or removal of personal data (the right to be forgotten) under the following circumstances:
There are some circumstances where the right "to be forgotten" does not apply i.e. where we need to comply with a legal obligation.
If you wish to request your "right to be forgotten" please click here
Our marketing partners will also be informed of your request where you have stipulated to do so.
DebtSecret.co.uk always aim to be fair and honest in everything we do, so if you have a complaint about any aspect of our service, we're keen to resolve it as quickly as possible. You can contact us is any of the following ways:
By Email: here
We will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 3 working days and we hope to provide a final response within 4 weeks. We will write to you again within 4 weeks if we are unable to provide a final response within that time period. In any event we will respond to your complaint in full within 8 weeks.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you must send your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of the date of the final response, Contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service are as follows:
Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
Telephone: 0800 023 4567
Web site: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
You can report any of your concerns to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number
Fax: 01625 524 510
Last Updated March 2023
If you need help with something, feel free to contact us on the below:
By Email: compliance@tfli.us
Please Note: If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, please check your spam / junk folder.
Opening Times:
Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm
Friday (Bank Holiday)- Closed
Monday Bank Holiday - Closed
What are the Advantages of a Debt Management Plan?
A debt management plan will give you the satisfaction that you are paying ALL your debts. You will no longer need to juggle your payments and worry about those unexpected bills that life tends to throw at you
Other Advantages:
- You will have one payment each month.
- You will no longer need to communicate directly with your existing creditors
- Your chosen debt management company will request that interest and charges are frozen. This will stop your debts growing, enabling you to pay back the money you have borrowed.
What are the Disadvantages of a Debt Management Plan?
There are some disadvantages with a Debt Management Plan.
- If your creditors refuse to freeze or lower your interest, paying a reduced amount over a longer period could increase the amount you repay.
- You will pay a fee for the services provided. There are companies which can do the same job for free. You can get more information at https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en - You are still required to repay in full any items of credit that are not included in your debt management plan.
- A Debt Management Plan will affect your credit rating in the medium to long term. As you are repaying your debts at a reduced rate, your lenders are legally obliged to send you a Default Notice to say your account is in arrears. A Default Notice will remain on your credit file for 6 years.
INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTARY ARRANGEMENTS
An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is a legally binding agreement between you and your unsecured creditors, arranged and supervised by a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner (IP). In short you agree to pay back the maximum you can afford over a specified period of time, usually 5 years, at the end of which period your creditors agree to write of any remaining balances.
The IP will work with you to calculate the maximum monthly payment you are able to make and also assess whether you have anything else you are able to offer to your creditors to enhance the agreement e.g. from the sale of an asset or savings.
An IP will advise you on the terms of the agreement to maximise the chances of acceptance by your creditors and will assist you in preparing the legal document.
We do not charge you for advice about an IVA or for help with the preparation of the documents. If you are in a debt management plan already it will continue as normal until your IVA has been approved.
Our partners do charge fees for their work both for getting the agreement approved by your creditors and for monitoring it, but these fees are agreed by your creditors and are taken out of the payments made by you once the arrangement has been approved, so you do not pay anything extra to cover the fees. However, the creditors allow the IP to take their fees before they make payments to them which means that if you did find yourself with sufficient funds to pay your creditors in full, because they take a fee first, you would need to pay these fees in addition to the payments to your creditors.
IS AN IVA THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR YOU?
An IVA is a form of insolvency and is a legally binding agreement therefore it is important that you consider whether:
- You feel able to commit to a regular payment for the next 5 years
- You may be able to resolve your financial problems without the need for a formal arrangement e.g. if you are expecting a pay rise or could sell an asset to pay your debts
- You are willing to be open and honest with your creditors about everything that you owe and all of the assets that you have
- You are willing to provide the Insolvency Practitioner with copies of your wage slips or other proof of income each year. A review of income and expenditure is usually a required term of the agreement.
- You are in financial difficulty and cannot make the required payments to your creditors
ADVANTAGES
- You will pay an amount that you can afford over a limited period; usually 5 or 6 years
- Provided that you fulfill the terms of your IVA, the remainder of your debts will be written off at the end of the term
- Your creditors cannot pursue you for the debts once the IVA is agreed
- Your creditors cannot apply interest or charges to your debts
- If you are a homeowner, you will usually be able to remain in your home
DISADVANTAGES
- It is a formal agreement; if you fail to keep to your side of the agreement the arrangement may fail and you may find yourself owing as much as you did at the start
- The arrangement must be recorded on the Insolvency Register
- If you have a property, the creditors will expect you to try to remortgage towards the end of the agreement to release funds to be paid in to the IVA. If you are unable to do so the arrangement may be extended for a further 12 months.
- Some debts such as mortgages, secured loans, taxes and fines cannot be included in an IVA so you will remain responsible for paying these
- You cannot take out further borrowing during the course of the arrangement
- If your situation changes for the better you will be expected to pay more to your creditors
SERVICES FOR SCOTTISH RESIDENTS
If you live in Scotland, the debt solutions available to you are different.
DEBT ARRANGEMENT SCHEME
As part of a Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), a Debt Payment Programme (DPP) allows you to repay your debts by making one monthly payment of the amount which you have left over each month after paying your essential bills and expenses. You will pay this amount until the debts are cleared, provided that this will happen within a reasonable period.
Your creditors cannot contact you about payments or arrears if you are the subject of a DPP, and they will have to freeze interest and charges on your debts.
Your details will appear on the DAS register and your credit rating will usually be affected for 6 years.
You cannot apply directly for a DPP, this can only be done by an approved money advisor.
This solution is only available to you if you live in Scotland.
PROTECTED TRUST DEED
A trust deed is a form of insolvency. You can only apply for a trust deed if your unsecured debts are more than the value of any assets that you have. A trust deed usually lasts for 3-5 years, during which time your assets will be transferred to a trustee and you may need to make regular payments out of your earnings.
Provided that your creditors agree to the arrangement and you meet your obligations, your trust deed will become protected.
Your creditors cannot contact you about payment or arrears if you are the subject of a protected trust deed, and they will have to freeze interest and charges on your debts.
There will be restrictions on your spending during a trust deed and you may have to sell some of your assets. A trust deed may also affect your employment.
Your details will appear on the Insolvency Register of Insolvencies for 5 years and will appear on your credit file for 6 years from the date of the arrangement.
You will need an Insolvency Practitioner (IP) to set up a trust deed.
This solution is only available to you if you live in Scotland.
SEQUESTRATION
Sequestration is the Scottish legal term for bankruptcy.
Sequestration would require you to transfer all of your assets and property to a trustee who will sell these assets to pay your creditors.
You can only apply for sequestration if you owe more than £1500 and have not been made bankrupt in the last 5 years. You must be unable to meet repayments to your debts as they fall due.
Sequestration usually lasts for a year, after which period any remaining debts will be written off and you will be discharged.
The fee for sequestration is £200.00.
Bankruptcy and Debt Relief Orders
If our providers are unable to offer you a solution that they feel would suit your financial solution, they may recommend Bankruptcy or a Debt Relief Order. Although it is not possible for them to administer these products for you, they may be able to assist you in finding the right information and completing your application.
BANKRUPTCY
Bankruptcy is a formal insolvency procedure. You can apply to go bankrupt if you can demonstrate that either your debts exceed your assets or you are unable to pay your debts when they are due. There is no restriction on the level of debt you must have to apply.
Our partners cannot assist you in petitioning for bankruptcy but you can apply online through the central government website, GOV.UK. You'll receive your decision online, usually within 28 days and, if your bankruptcy is approved, you'll be contacted by the Official Receiver (or trustee in bankruptcy) who will oversee your bankruptcy and will want to know about your financial history.
If you have surplus income after meeting your essential household and personal expenses, you will have to make payments out of your income for up to 3 years.
In addition you will have to hand over any assets you have to the trustee in bankruptcy to be sold to repay your creditors. This does not include everyday items you need for your reasonable domestic needs but is likely to include your house if it can be sold for more than the mortgage outstanding.
Bankruptcy usually lasts for 1 year, and once you have been freed (discharged) from your bankruptcy, you are released from your debts (with certain exceptions).
ADVANTAGES
- Debts are written off at the end of one year.
- Creditors can't take further action unless the debts are secured on your home or other property.
- It allows you to make a fresh start after only a year.
- You may be able to avoid having to sell your home if your spouse, partner or a relative can buy your share of its value after any debts secured on it have been paid.
- You can apply online and pay in instalments
DISADVANTAGES
- Your bankruptcy is entered on a Insolvency register
- If you apply for your own bankruptcy, you will have to pay an adjudicators fee and deposit totalling £680
- You will remain liable to pay certain debts - in particular:
--- student loans;
--- fines;
--- debts arising from family proceedings; and
--- budgeting loans and crisis loans owed to the Social Fund
- If your situation changes for the better you will be expected to pay more to your creditors
- Any business you have will almost certainly be closed down
- Your employment may be affected
- Certain agreements such as hire purchase agreements and mobile phone contracts may come to an end
- You can't act as a director of a company or be involved in its management unless the court agrees
- You will be committing an offence if you get credit of £500 or more without disclosing that you are bankrupt
- You may have a bankruptcy restrictions order made against you for 2 to 15 years if you acted irresponsibly, recklessly or dishonestly
DEBT RELIEF ORDER (DRO)
A debt relief order is only available to individuals who have very little disposable income available to pay to their creditors, have few or no assets, and a limited level of debt.
You may be eligible for a Debt Relief Order if you owe less than £20,000 in total to your creditors, you have £50 or less left over each month after your essential bills and outgoings have been paid, your car (if you have one) is worth less than £1000 and your other assets don't exceed a value of £1000.
A DRO will last for 1 year, and once your DRO has ended you are released from your debts (with certain exceptions). You need to approach an approved intermediary for the application to be put forward, and you will need to pay a fee of £90.
ADVANTAGES
- Your debts will be written off at the end of the DRO.
- None of the creditors listed in the DRO application can take further action against you without the court's permission.
- After 1 year your debts will be written off
- The fee (£90) is affordable and can be paid in instalments but the fee must be paid before the application can be made.
- You will keep your assets and a vehicle as detailed above.
- The approved intermediary ensures that you are given appropriate advice and that you fit the criteria for a DRO.
DISADVANTAGES
- Your DRO is entered on a Insolvency register.
- Your DRO will remain on your credit file for 6 years.
- You can't have a DRO if you have an existing bankruptcy order, an IVA, are subject to bankruptcy restrictions, or you have had a DRO in the last 6 years.
- You will remain liable to pay certain debts - in particular:
--- student loans;
--- fines;
--- debts arising from family proceedings; and
--- budgeting loans and crisis loans owed to the Social Fund
- Your employment may be affected.
- Your DRO could be revoked (withdrawn) if you don't co-operate with the official receiver during the year that your DRO is in force.
- You can't act as a director of a company or be involved in its management unless the court agrees.
- You will be committing an offence if you get credit of £500 or more without disclosing that you are subject to a DRO.
- You may have a debt relief restrictions order* made against you for 2 to 15 years if you acted irresponsibly, recklessly or dishonestly.
- You can't have a DRO if you own your own home. Even if you have negative equity.
* An order that will place restrictions similar to those in force while subject to a DRO, which the official receiver may apply for.
To find out more about managing your money and getting free debt advice visit, https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en , an independent service set up by the Government to help people manage their money.
What are the Advantages of a Debt Management Plan?
A debt management plan will give you the satisfaction that you are paying ALL your debts. You will no longer need to juggle your payments and worry about those unexpected bills that life tends to throw at you
Other Advantages:
- You will have one payment each month.
- You will no longer need to communicate directly with your existing creditors
- Your chosen debt management company will request that interest and charges are frozen. This will stop your debts growing, enabling you to pay back the money you have borrowed.
What are the Disadvantages of a Debt Management Plan?
There are some disadvantages with a Debt Management Plan.
- If your creditors refuse to freeze or lower your interest, paying a reduced amount over a longer period could increase the amount you repay.
- You will pay a fee for the services provided. There are companies which can do the same job for free. You can get more information at https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en - You are still required to repay in full any items of credit that are not included in your debt management plan.
- A Debt Management Plan will affect your credit rating in the medium to long term. As you are repaying your debts at a reduced rate, your lenders are legally obliged to send you a Default Notice to say your account is in arrears. A Default Notice will remain on your credit file for 6 years.
INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTARY ARRANGEMENTS
An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is a legally binding agreement between you and your unsecured creditors, arranged and supervised by a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner (IP). In short you agree to pay back the maximum you can afford over a specified period of time, usually 5 years, at the end of which period your creditors agree to write of any remaining balances.
The IP will work with you to calculate the maximum monthly payment you are able to make and also assess whether you have anything else you are able to offer to your creditors to enhance the agreement e.g. from the sale of an asset or savings.
An IP will advise you on the terms of the agreement to maximise the chances of acceptance by your creditors and will assist you in preparing the legal document.
We do not charge you for advice about an IVA or for help with the preparation of the documents. If you are in a debt management plan already it will continue as normal until your IVA has been approved.
Our partners do charge fees for their work both for getting the agreement approved by your creditors and for monitoring it, but these fees are agreed by your creditors and are taken out of the payments made by you once the arrangement has been approved, so you do not pay anything extra to cover the fees. However, the creditors allow the IP to take their fees before they make payments to them which means that if you did find yourself with sufficient funds to pay your creditors in full, because they take a fee first, you would need to pay these fees in addition to the payments to your creditors.
IS AN IVA THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR YOU?
An IVA is a form of insolvency and is a legally binding agreement therefore it is important that you consider whether:
- You feel able to commit to a regular payment for the next 5 years
- You may be able to resolve your financial problems without the need for a formal arrangement e.g. if you are expecting a pay rise or could sell an asset to pay your debts
- You are willing to be open and honest with your creditors about everything that you owe and all of the assets that you have
- You are willing to provide the Insolvency Practitioner with copies of your wage slips or other proof of income each year. A review of income and expenditure is usually a required term of the agreement.
- You are in financial difficulty and cannot make the required payments to your creditors
ADVANTAGES
- You will pay an amount that you can afford over a limited period; usually 5 or 6 years
- Provided that you fulfill the terms of your IVA, the remainder of your debts will be written off at the end of the term
- Your creditors cannot pursue you for the debts once the IVA is agreed
- Your creditors cannot apply interest or charges to your debts
- If you are a homeowner, you will usually be able to remain in your home
DISADVANTAGES
- It is a formal agreement; if you fail to keep to your side of the agreement the arrangement may fail and you may find yourself owing as much as you did at the start
- The arrangement must be recorded on the Insolvency Register
- If you have a property, the creditors will expect you to try to remortgage towards the end of the agreement to release funds to be paid in to the IVA. If you are unable to do so the arrangement may be extended for a further 12 months.
- Some debts such as mortgages, secured loans, taxes and fines cannot be included in an IVA so you will remain responsible for paying these
- You cannot take out further borrowing during the course of the arrangement
- If your situation changes for the better you will be expected to pay more to your creditors
SERVICES FOR SCOTTISH RESIDENTS
If you live in Scotland, the debt solutions available to you are different.
DEBT ARRANGEMENT SCHEME
As part of a Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), a Debt Payment Programme (DPP) allows you to repay your debts by making one monthly payment of the amount which you have left over each month after paying your essential bills and expenses. You will pay this amount until the debts are cleared, provided that this will happen within a reasonable period.
Your creditors cannot contact you about payments or arrears if you are the subject of a DPP, and they will have to freeze interest and charges on your debts.
Your details will appear on the DAS register and your credit rating will usually be affected for 6 years.
You cannot apply directly for a DPP, this can only be done by an approved money advisor.
This solution is only available to you if you live in Scotland.
PROTECTED TRUST DEED
A trust deed is a form of insolvency. You can only apply for a trust deed if your unsecured debts are more than the value of any assets that you have. A trust deed usually lasts for 3-5 years, during which time your assets will be transferred to a trustee and you may need to make regular payments out of your earnings.
Provided that your creditors agree to the arrangement and you meet your obligations, your trust deed will become protected.
Your creditors cannot contact you about payment or arrears if you are the subject of a protected trust deed, and they will have to freeze interest and charges on your debts.
There will be restrictions on your spending during a trust deed and you may have to sell some of your assets. A trust deed may also affect your employment.
Your details will appear on the Insolvency Register of Insolvencies for 5 years and will appear on your credit file for 6 years from the date of the arrangement.
You will need an Insolvency Practitioner (IP) to set up a trust deed.
This solution is only available to you if you live in Scotland.
SEQUESTRATION
Sequestration is the Scottish legal term for bankruptcy.
Sequestration would require you to transfer all of your assets and property to a trustee who will sell these assets to pay your creditors.
You can only apply for sequestration if you owe more than £1500 and have not been made bankrupt in the last 5 years. You must be unable to meet repayments to your debts as they fall due.
Sequestration usually lasts for a year, after which period any remaining debts will be written off and you will be discharged.
The fee for sequestration is £200.00.
Bankruptcy and Debt Relief Orders
If our providers are unable to offer you a solution that they feel would suit your financial solution, they may recommend Bankruptcy or a Debt Relief Order. Although it is not possible for them to administer these products for you, they may be able to assist you in finding the right information and completing your application.
BANKRUPTCY
Bankruptcy is a formal insolvency procedure. You can apply to go bankrupt if you can demonstrate that either your debts exceed your assets or you are unable to pay your debts when they are due. There is no restriction on the level of debt you must have to apply.
Our partners cannot assist you in petitioning for bankruptcy but you can apply online through the central government website, GOV.UK. You'll receive your decision online, usually within 28 days and, if your bankruptcy is approved, you'll be contacted by the Official Receiver (or trustee in bankruptcy) who will oversee your bankruptcy and will want to know about your financial history.
If you have surplus income after meeting your essential household and personal expenses, you will have to make payments out of your income for up to 3 years.
In addition you will have to hand over any assets you have to the trustee in bankruptcy to be sold to repay your creditors. This does not include everyday items you need for your reasonable domestic needs but is likely to include your house if it can be sold for more than the mortgage outstanding.
Bankruptcy usually lasts for 1 year, and once you have been freed (discharged) from your bankruptcy, you are released from your debts (with certain exceptions).
ADVANTAGES
- Debts are written off at the end of one year.
- Creditors can't take further action unless the debts are secured on your home or other property.
- It allows you to make a fresh start after only a year.
- You may be able to avoid having to sell your home if your spouse, partner or a relative can buy your share of its value after any debts secured on it have been paid.
- You can apply online and pay in instalments
DISADVANTAGES
- Your bankruptcy is entered on a Insolvency register
- If you apply for your own bankruptcy, you will have to pay an adjudicators fee and deposit totalling £680
- You will remain liable to pay certain debts - in particular:
--- student loans;
--- fines;
--- debts arising from family proceedings; and
--- budgeting loans and crisis loans owed to the Social Fund
- If your situation changes for the better you will be expected to pay more to your creditors
- Any business you have will almost certainly be closed down
- Your employment may be affected
- Certain agreements such as hire purchase agreements and mobile phone contracts may come to an end
- You can't act as a director of a company or be involved in its management unless the court agrees
- You will be committing an offence if you get credit of £500 or more without disclosing that you are bankrupt
- You may have a bankruptcy restrictions order made against you for 2 to 15 years if you acted irresponsibly, recklessly or dishonestly
DEBT RELIEF ORDER (DRO)
A debt relief order is only available to individuals who have very little disposable income available to pay to their creditors, have few or no assets, and a limited level of debt.
You may be eligible for a Debt Relief Order if you owe less than £20,000 in total to your creditors, you have £50 or less left over each month after your essential bills and outgoings have been paid, your car (if you have one) is worth less than £1000 and your other assets don't exceed a value of £1000.
A DRO will last for 1 year, and once your DRO has ended you are released from your debts (with certain exceptions). You need to approach an approved intermediary for the application to be put forward, and you will need to pay a fee of £90.
ADVANTAGES
- Your debts will be written off at the end of the DRO.
- None of the creditors listed in the DRO application can take further action against you without the court's permission.
- After 1 year your debts will be written off
- The fee (£90) is affordable and can be paid in instalments but the fee must be paid before the application can be made.
- You will keep your assets and a vehicle as detailed above.
- The approved intermediary ensures that you are given appropriate advice and that you fit the criteria for a DRO.
DISADVANTAGES
- Your DRO is entered on a Insolvency register.
- Your DRO will remain on your credit file for 6 years.
- You can't have a DRO if you have an existing bankruptcy order, an IVA, are subject to bankruptcy restrictions, or you have had a DRO in the last 6 years.
- You will remain liable to pay certain debts - in particular:
--- student loans;
--- fines;
--- debts arising from family proceedings; and
--- budgeting loans and crisis loans owed to the Social Fund
- Your employment may be affected.
- Your DRO could be revoked (withdrawn) if you don't co-operate with the official receiver during the year that your DRO is in force.
- You can't act as a director of a company or be involved in its management unless the court agrees.
- You will be committing an offence if you get credit of £500 or more without disclosing that you are subject to a DRO.
- You may have a debt relief restrictions order* made against you for 2 to 15 years if you acted irresponsibly, recklessly or dishonestly.
- You can't have a DRO if you own your own home. Even if you have negative equity.
* An order that will place restrictions similar to those in force while subject to a DRO, which the official receiver may apply for.
To find out more about managing your money and getting free debt advice visit, https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en , an independent service set up by the Government to help people manage their money.
Below is a summary of some key terms of these Terms and Conditions. This summary is for your reference only and does not form part of the Terms and Conditions.
· Use of the site is subject to all of the Terms set out below - if you do not agree to the terms, please stop using the site immediately.
· The site is for your personal use only and may not be used for any commercial purposes.
· The site is for customers who are located in the UK only
· The site may only be used by over 18s.
· We are not a debt solution provider.
· As a digital marketing partner, we will not provide you with any advice regarding the suitability of any of the products from our panel debt solution providers.
· Our service as a digital marketing partner is free to use. When you apply for debt assistance through our site, we receive a fee and/or commission from the provider.
· It's your responsibility to ensure that the information you provide when using any of the sites is accurate and completed. If it isn't, a product or service that you obtain via our site may not be suitable.
· It's also your responsibility to ensure that the product matches your financial needs.
· If you proceed with a provider through our site, you will also subject to the providers terms of use and privacy policy (which will be different t ours) and you read those carefully.
· We may amend these terms and conditions at any time and without notice by changing this page, so you check our Terms & Conditions each time you use the site.
debtsecret.co.ukis a registered Trading Name of TFLI (US) INC who is registered in United States of America (Company number P20000059850). Registered Office: 1200 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33131. Licenced by the Information Commissioner's Office, Registration Number ZB053626).
For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, references to "we", "us", "our" or "Site" are to Light Finance is a registered Trading Name of TFLI (US) INC.
In these Terms & Conditions:
· Service means any service that we display on our site
· Site means any mobile applications or other similar devices, channels, or applications operated by us and
· You and your means any person who accesses and uses the site
Access to and use of the Site is subject to these Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy. By accessing and using the Site you agree to be bound by and act in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy.
If you do not agree to these Terms and Conditions or our Privacy Policy, you should stop using and/ or accessing the Site immediately.
We reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time by amending this page. The amended terms and Conditions will be effective from the date they are posted in the Site.
If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, or would like to contact us for any other reason, you can reach us:
By Post: TFLI US INC, Customer Service Department, The Old Boiler Room, Adelphi Mill, Grimshaw Lane, Bollington, Cheshire. SK10 5JB
By Email: email us here
As a digital marketing partner, we provide an online service that allows you to apply for a debt solution with our debt solution partners. As a digital marketing partner we work with the panel of debt solution providers displayed within our Privacy Policy shown within section five. We have no control of the panel of debt solution providers regarding the acceptance of an application as this is subject to your financial circumstances.
You may access our service in the following ways:
· Applying via our brands on social media platforms for example, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Ticktock and Google PPC
In order for us to provide our Service as a digital marketing partner, you will need to complete the online application providing us with information about you and your financial circumstances.
Our panel of debt solution providers may undertake a soft credit search with their credit reference agency. This is for the purpose of validating your identity, assessing your eligibility for the debt solution and preventing fraud. This soft search will be recorded on your credit history, but is not visible to lenders and will not impact your credit score.
If you didn't want our panel of debt solution providers to undertake a soft credit search you should stop using our Site immediately and not proceed with the application.
Upon the completion of the application if you have been accepted by a debt solution provider, we will share details of the debt solution provider. We will only display the debt solution provider which are available at the time of the application and are disclosed within section five of our Privacy Policy. We have no control of the panel of debt solution provider regarding the acceptance of an application as this is subject to your financial circumstances.
Unless stated otherwise we, our panel of debt solution providers s will contact you via means of telephone, SMS and /or email to provide information and alerts relating to your application and or services we think may be of interest to you.
Soft opt-in is an exception to the general requirement to obtain consent before sending direct marketing to you by electronic means (such as email or text message for example) and applies where you have previously engaged with us (for example by submitting your contact details on our website to make an enquiry about Our Service), and we are marketing our similar products and services. Under the 'soft opt-in', we will assume you still want to hear about our other related products and services until you opt out or unsubscribe. For most customers, this is beneficial as it allows us to tell you about our other similar products services that we think would be useful to you alongside the specific one you originally expressed an interest in.
You can opt out of any contact from us at any time by clicking on the links with the SMS / email or email us here
Where you have applied using our site and the debt solution provider has accepted the application, we will receive a commission.
Further information regarding commissions can be requested by emailing us here
All Intellectual Property Rights (including, without limitation, all database rights, rights in designs, rights in know-how, patents and rights in inventions (in all cases whether registered or unregistered and including all rights to apply for registration) and all other intellectual or industrial property rights in any jurisdiction) in any information, content, materials, data or processes contained in or to this Website belong to TFLI (US) INC or its licensed source. All rights of TFLI (US) INC in such Intellectual Property Rights are hereby reserved.
You may print off a copy, and may download extracts, of any page(s) from the Website for your personal use.
You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, and you must not use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from any accompanying text.
Links contained within our Privacy Policy on our Site relating to our debt solution providers are provided for information only. If you click the links, you will be leaving our Site and we are not responsible for their content or the terms and conditions governing such sites.
When visiting these Sites please ensure you read carefully and refer to the terms and conditions and privacy policy when using their Sites.
We subscribe to the latest in internet security standards so you can use our service with confidence online. You can rest assured that the information you supply is encrypted and cannot be read by anyone else.
The Website & form is controlled and operated in the United Kingdom. These Terms and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with these Terms will be governed by the laws of England and Wales and you irrevocably agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
To the extent permitted by law, we exclude all conditions, warranties, representations, or other Terms which may apply to the Website or any content on it, whether express or implied.
We cannot guarantee that the Debt Solution Provider will authorise any particular solution. This may be as a result, directly or indirectly, of a systems problem, issues which are unforeseeable or outside of our control or that of the Debt Solution Providers, or because information has been provided incorrectly.
We shall not be liable for any loss you may suffer unless we have been negligent or not acted in accordance with these Terms and Conditions or unless otherwise required by UK law. In the event that you do not use this form with reasonable care and in accordance with these terms and conditions or we discover or are notified that you are using this form fraudulently, we, the debt solution provider reserve the right to charge you for any reasonable costs that we may incur in taking action to stop you using the form and recover any monies owed as a result of your activities.
You have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulations. For example, we will always let you have a copy of the personal information we hold about you, if you request it from us in writing.
To make enquiries and/or exercise any of your rights set out in this Privacy Policy please contact our Customer Services Team here
We endeavour to make every effort to ensure our service to you is excellent; however, if you wish to make a formal complaint, please send your complaint via email us here
If you are not satisfied with our response, you must send your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of the date of the final response, contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service are as follows:
Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
Telephone: 0800 023 4567
Web site: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
You can report any of your concerns to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number
Fax: 01625 524 510
Last Updated February 2023
Below is a summary of some key terms set out within this Privacy Policy. We are committed to protecting your personal information when you use our site and we want you to be confident that your personal information is safe and secure with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we use your personal information including the following:
· What personal information we collect
· How we use your personal information which is gathered
· Who your personal information is shared with;
· How we communicate with you; and
· Your rights and choices you have when it comes to your personal information
Use of our Site is subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, please stop using our Site / Services immediately.
We process your personal data in order to provide you with the service that you have applied for using our site. We act as a digital marketing company where your application will be shared with our panel of debt solution providers. See "How do we use your personal information" for further details.
This Privacy Policy may change from time to time so please check this page when using our site to ensure that you are happy with any changes.
If you wish to make an enquiry or exercise any of your rights as set out in this Privacy Policy, please contact our Compliance Department here
debtsecret.co.uk is a trading name of trading style of TFLI (US) INC. TFLI (US) INC is registered in United States of America (Company number P20000059850). Registered Office: 1200 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33131. Licenced by the Information Commissioner's Office, Registration Number ZB053626).
TFLI (US) INC is a controller in relation to the processing of personal information that is provided when you complete our application. If you want to contact our data protection officer or you have any data protection questions, please contact our Compliance Department here
From you - personal information we collect will be directly from you when you use the site to submit an application. We will collect the information from you via our websites, mobile applications, or other similar devices or applications operated by or on behalf of TFLI US INC.
The personal information we collect when you use our site to make an application includes, but is not limited to, your name, residential status, mobile number, email address, employment status, number of debts, amount of outstanding debt, IP address and device type.
We do not collect any personal information from children, or about children, nor do we collect any sensitive or special category data.
In the course of finding, you a debt solution, we may store information about how you use our site, for example, the pages viewed, the platform from which you came to visit our site and the application completion.
We may monitor or record your calls, emails, SMS or other communications but we will do so in accordance with data protection legislation and other applicable laws. Monitoring or recording will always be for business purposes, such as for quality assurance and training (for example where calls or emails have been sent to our customer service department) to enable us to deliver our services.
Note that it is your responsibility to check and ensure that all information, content, material or data you provide on this site is correct, complete, accurate, and not misleading and that you disclose all relevant facts.
Keeping you informed about our services: where you agree that we will contact you via email and / or SMS, in relation to our similar financial products such as debt solutions and debt consolidation loans that may interest you.
Whenever you provide us with personal information, where necessary we will seek your consent and/or we will give you an opportunity to tell us you do not consent to the use and sharing of your information for marketing purposes. Unless you tell us otherwise, you are consenting to such use.
You can withdraw your consent to us and our panel of debt solution providers processing your personal data for the purposes of the application at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" option in any SMS, Email, or within the communications sent by partners. You can also email us here
When you complete an application, you consent to us disclosing your personal information to the following parties:
Where permitted by data protection and privacy law, we may also disclose information about you (including electronic identifiers such as IP addresses) and/or access your account:
You can object to us processing your data in this way by contacting our Compliance Department here or using the contact details stated in section 15 / 16. In addition
FRAUD PREVENTION AGENCIES (FPA'S)
If we reasonably believe false or inaccurate information has been provided, including in relation to a person's identity, and fraud is suspected, details, including personal data may be passed to fraud prevention agencies to prevent fraud and money laundering.
Your details may be passed to statutory bodies, regulators, legal bodies, credit reference agencies, fraud prevention entities and identity and address verification agencies who may record and use your details. They may also disclose your information to other organisations for credit reference, debt tracing, and fraud and money laundering prevention purposes. If you have any queries regarding these uses, please contact the relevant organisation.
By submitting an application form on our site, you confirm that all of the information provided is true and accurate. You also, when applying, authorise the debt solution provider to use both fraud prevention and credit referencing agencies to help make relevant decisions. Credit checks and credit reference agencies can also help prevent fraudulent applications.
What Is a Fraud Prevention Agency?
Fraud Prevention agencies (FPA) collect, maintain and share information on any known or suspected fraudulent activity.
They work in the following ways with various organisations:
You have the right to object to this processing at any time by contacting us here
We, TFLI Limited and our panel of debt solution providers, will keep you informed with the progress of your application. Unless you state otherwise you may be contacted via telephone, email and SMS. (see further section on 'How we keep you informed')
Lawful basis for collecting your personal information
We rely upon a different lawful basis to process your personal data according to the reason for which you have provided your data to us.
Our use of your personal data will always have a lawful basis.
Consent:
When you submit your application with TFLI (US) INC will process your personal data on the basis that you have provided your consent to be contacted by TFLI (US) INC, TFLI Limited and our panel of debt solution providers in relation to your application.
You can withdraw your consent to us and our panel of debt solution providers from processing your personal data for the purposes of the application at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" option in any SMS, Email, or within the communications sent by partners.
Alternatively, you can withdraw your consent by contacting our Compliance Department here or using the contact details stated in section 15 / 16. If you change your mind about agreeing to us processing your personal data, this will not have any effect on the lawfulness of any processing we have carried out before you changed your mind.
Contract:
Your personal data will also be processed on the basis that we need this information to fulfil our obligations under the contract we have entered into with you by providing you with a debt solution. TFLI (US) INC and our panel of debt solution providers will contact you regarding your application.
You can object to us processing your data in this way by contacting our Compliance Department here or using the contact details stated in section 15 / 16. In addition, if you object to your personal information being used in this way you should stop using our site / services immediately.
Legitimate Interest:
We have a legitimate interest in processing your data (i.e. to share your application with our panel of debt solution providers to obtain the service you have applied for.
It also includes processing your data for tracing, verification and validation of identity. Tracing could take place for the purpose's debt collection fraud prevention and anti-money laundering processes and asset reunification. Checking of individual identities. Age verification and authentication. Individual reference or lookup services. Know you customer due diligence services.
You can object to us processing your data in this way by contacting our Compliance Department here or using the contact details stated in section 15 / 16. In addition, if you object to your personal information being used in this way you should stop using our site / services immediately.
If you are required to telephone us using the specified telephone numbers on our website under the Contact or advertising/marketing correspondence then your call may be recorded for training, quality and regulatory purposes.
You can also contact us by sending an email us here
We pride ourselves in complete customer care and this gives us the opportunity to continuously improve and monitor our customer experience.
We may want to make contact with you at some point in order to keep you informed regarding offers on products or services which we think you may find of interest; this contact will be made via email and SMS. Third parties may also wish to contact you from the information we have shared with them regarding the debt solution application, any information that is shared to third parties is completely trusted for the purpose it is specified for, third parties may also use the same means of contact stated above.
Soft opt-in is an exception to the general requirement to obtain consent before sending direct marketing to you by electronic means (such as email or text message for example) and applies where you have previously engaged with us (for example by submitting your contact details on our website to make an enquiry about Our Service), and we are marketing our similar products and services. Under the 'soft opt-in', we will assume you still want to hear about our other related products and services until you opt out or unsubscribe. For most customers, this is beneficial as it allows us to tell you about our other similar products services that we think would be useful to you alongside the specific one you originally expressed an interest in.
Unless the customer states otherwise we will contact you via means of SMS and Email to provide marketing communications and alerts relating to our services and our associate products where you have consented to be contacted.
You can withdraw your consent within the application process within the opt in statement where you can confirm your contact preferences. In addition, you can withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" option in any SMS, Email, or by emailing us here.
It is your responsibility to ensure that any information we have on record for you is kept up to date and correct. If you do require any of your information to be updated then please contact us as soon as possible so we can ensure it is corrected.
If you require your preferences to be updated then please contact our Compliance Department as soon as possible here
Some of our providers will use your personal information to assess your circumstances (including information about any third party who is named on the application) and verify the information that you have provided before providing a quote to you. Some providers may carry out checks with fraud prevention and credit reference agencies. Both public data (e.g. the electoral roll) and private data (e.g. your personal credit history) may be checked in this way.
Some providers may carry out checks against data they already hold on you, (or is held by the company whose brand they administer the product for, or members of their group of companies) such as data from existing products, account data, data from previous product transactions, accounts you may hold with them. If providers carry out these searches, a record of the search will appear on your credit report. Some providers may also check public and private higher education sources to obtain information about your educational background.
This information exchange allows providers to verify the information that is provided during the quote process (including information about any third party who is named on the policy), and also helps to detect fraudulent applications / loans. These checks are not unique to users of our Services - they may also be carried out if you obtain quotes from other sources.
If you decide to enter into a debt solution, the information you have provided to us, together with any further information requested by, and supplied by you or us to the third-party provider, will be held by the provider for the purposes set out in that provider's privacy policy. Therefore, you are strongly advised to read your chosen provider's privacy policy and satisfy yourself as to the purposes for which the provider will use your personal information before entering into the financial agreement.
Our Sites are "Let's Encrypt Secure Websites" and keeping information about you secure is very important to us. However, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be totally secure. Sensitive information, for example, your card details, is encrypted to minimise the risk of interception during transit.
We do our best to keep the information you disclose to us secure. However, we can't guarantee or warrant the security of any information which you send to us, and you do so at your own risk. By using our Sites you accept the inherent risks of providing information online and will not hold us responsible for any breach of security.
Your personal data may be held within the European Economic Area (EEA) or outside the EEA. If any personal data is transferred or stored outside of the EEA, we check whether the EU Commission has determined that it will afforded the same level of protection as it would within the EEA (this is called an adequacy decision). If it will not, we will ensure any such transfer is subject to appropriate safeguards (for example by putting appropriate contractual provisions in place with relevant third parties to provide us with reassurance about the security of your personal data) or is otherwise permitted (for example with your express consent to transfer) in accordance with the provisions of the GDPR.
You have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulations. For example, we will always let you have a copy of the personal information we hold about you, if you request it from us in writing.
To make enquiries and/or exercise any of your rights set out in this Privacy Policy please contact our Customer Services Team here
The amount of time we retain your information for will depend on the reason it was provided:
If you require further information on our data retention policies, please click here
You can opt out of future contact from DebtSecret.co.uk at any time. During the application process you can opt out of future contact within the opt in statement application page. All of our marketing messages provide an opt out link - please allow up to 48 hours for us to process your opt out request. Alternatively, you can email us here where your details will be removed from any future marketing campaigns.
If you are receiving contact from third parties you will need to contact them directly and request them to remove your details.
Your Right to be Forgotten / Erasure of Your Personal Information
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), all individuals have the right to request the deletion or removal of personal data (the right to be forgotten) under the following circumstances:
There are some circumstances where the right "to be forgotten" does not apply i.e. where we need to comply with a legal obligation.
If you wish to request your "right to be forgotten" please click here
Our marketing partners will also be informed of your request where you have stipulated to do so.
DebtSecret.co.uk always aim to be fair and honest in everything we do, so if you have a complaint about any aspect of our service, we're keen to resolve it as quickly as possible. You can contact us is any of the following ways:
By Email: here
We will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 3 working days and we hope to provide a final response within 4 weeks. We will write to you again within 4 weeks if we are unable to provide a final response within that time period. In any event we will respond to your complaint in full within 8 weeks.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you must send your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of the date of the final response, Contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service are as follows:
Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
Telephone: 0800 023 4567
Web site: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
You can report any of your concerns to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number
Fax: 01625 524 510
Last Updated March 2023
DebtSecret.co.uk always aim to be fair and honest in everything we do, so if you have a complaint about any aspect of our service we're keen to resolve it as quickly as possible. You can contact us is any of the following ways: By Post:
Complaints Department
By Email: complaints@tfli.co.uk
We will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 3 working days and we hope to provide a final response within 4 weeks. We will write to you again within 4 weeks if we are unable to provide a final response within that time period. In any event we will respond to your complaint in full within 8 weeks.
If you are not satisfied with our response, or if a complaint is not resolved after eight weeks, you may refer the complaint to -
Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
Telephone: 0800 023 4567
Web site: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
European Online Dispute Resolution Platform in relation to your complaint you can also request a review from the European Online Resolution Platform: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/
You will be contacted by one of our partners shown below:
You will be contact be one of our partners hown below:
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