Public Records Responsible Data Use Policy

Help Topic 2139

The information made available in Public Records is obtained from a variety of sources. As the provider that has assembled this information about consumers and properties, TREND has adopted a policy to act responsibly in how we present this information to our members.

Choosing to abide by consumers' requests and the manner in which we present their information now can affect the availability of this information in the future. Responsibly providing this information allows us continued access to this information so that we can continue to make it available to our members in the Public Records database. The following outlines some of the steps taken as part of this Responsible Data Use Policy.

General Information

TREND does not directly market to consumers. However, our members, real estate agents, do. According to the laws and guidelines set by the Federal Trade Commission and Direct Marketing Association, the ultimate responsibility to comply with these registries and lists lies with those who do directly solicit consumers.

Therefore, to better help our members comply with these laws and consumer preferences, TREND makes the best effort to identify and remove the telephone numbers and addresses found on these registries and opt-out lists.

This is a convenience and a courtesy to our members. The end responsibility lies with anyone who directly solicits consumers.

Do Not Mail

TREND has no legal obligation to indicate the addresses on the "No Mail" list from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). However, TREND periodically updates this information in Public Records to help our members respect the wishes of those consumers who have elected to reduce the amount of unsolicited marketing materials they receive via U.S. mail. This is a widely accepted practice in the public records industry.

Where TREND has licensed information from a third party TREND may be required to place restrictions on how the data is displayed and/or used.

Do Not Call

Compliance with the National Do Not Call Registry is enforced by the FTC, the FCC and state officials. Various states and the DMA keep individual Do Not Call and telephone opt-out lists. Though TREND as a group does not directly market to consumers, we include this in Public Records to help our members respect the wishes of those consumers who choose to receive fewer phone calls from telemarketers. TREND obtains the most recent list from the FTC and updates Public Records.

License Agreement

The Public Records License Agreement, which all members agreed to before the first time using Public Records, limits use of the information in the Public Records database. By accepting this agreement, the member agreed to abide by federal, state and local rules governing consumers' rights to privacy and to respect the requests of consumers to remove their name, address and telephone number from use in solicitation.

For more information on the Direct Marketing Association and Federal and State Do Not Call Registries and Opt-Out Lists, view Do Not Call Registries and Opt-Out Lists.

For more information on the display of phone numbers and addresses in Public Records, view Do Not Call/Mail in Public Records.

For more information on exporting labels in Public Records, view Exporting Labels from Public Records.