A federal court has directed that this notice be sent to inform you of a proposed class action settlement. Records show that you entered into an agreement with a TransUnion and/or TrueLink entity (through a website) between December 1, 1999 and April 16, 2007 to obtain one or more of the following "Offerings": credit score, credit monitoring (offered at various times under one or more of the following names: TransUnion Credit Monitoring, TransUnion Credit Monitoring Unlimited, Credit Monitoring, Weekly Credit Alerts, Credit Watch, TransUnion Credit Alerts, 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring, Credit Inform, Credit Monitor, ID Fraud Watch, Free Credit Profile and Credit Monitoring Plus FICO Score), Debt Analysis, Borrowing Power Analysis, or knowyourloanrate mortgage preparation kit (offered at various times as Mortgage Rate Wizard or Mortgage Rate Simulator). The "Settlement Class" or "Class" includes all individuals, regardless of where they reside, who, between December 1, 1999 and April 16, 2007, entered into an agreement with any of the Defendants to obtain any of the Offerings through Defendants' Websites, but did not later obtain a complete refund from any source, and received said Offering. "Settlement Class" or "Class," however, shall not include: (i) all judicial officers in the United States and their families through third degree of relationship; (ii) all officers, directors, employees or counsel of the Released Parties; (iii) all persons who have already settled or otherwise compromised their claims against the Defendants; (iv) all persons who Opt-Out; and (v) all persons who are named plaintiffs in any action pending against any of the Defendants on April 16, 2007 wherein the recovery sought is encompassed by the Released Claims.
The Settlement will resolve a lawsuit in which claims are made that TransUnion LLC ("TransUnion") and TrueLink, Inc. ("TrueLink") (collectively, the "Defendants") violated the Federal Credit Repair Organizations Act and state law. Under the Settlement, the Defendants deny that they are liable, but have agreed to make certain changes to the Offerings and to the advertising and marketing of the Offerings. In addition, a Settlement Class member who purchased an Offering from one of the Defendants will receive 3 free months of TransUnion Credit Monitoring from the Defendants. You will not be required to purchase anything. These benefits are truly free. All that is necessary is for you to fill out an Authentication Form to protect your privacy rights. TransUnion Credit Monitoring is a valuable benefit.
TransUnion Credit Monitoring monitors a consumer's TransUnion credit file, and also provides unlimited access to your TransUnion credit report and score. The current retail value of TransUnion Credit Monitoring is $9.95 per month.
To see if you are a Class Member and to obtain a full Notice of the proposed Settlement, the required procedures, the Effective Date, the deadlines, your obligations, and your options, you must visit www.townessettlement.com. This email is only a brief summary of the full Notice that is posted on the website. You may also obtain the full Notice by calling the Settlement Administrator at 800-961-6428 or writing the Settlement Administrator at Robert V. Townes, IV v. TransUnion, LLC and TrueLink, Inc., c/o The Garden City Group, Inc., P.O. Box 9130, Dublin, OH 43017-4130.
If you are an eligible Settlement Class member you have rights, obligations and options under the proposed Settlement. You have until August 20, 2007, to make your decision. Your legal rights are affected whether you act or not.
SUMMARY OF YOUR OPTIONS
1. PARTICIPATE IN THE SETTLEMENT AND SUBMIT AN AUTHENTICATION FORM In order to receive the free months of TransUnion Credit Monitoring, you need only submit an Authentication Form either on-line or by mail. An Authentication Form may be obtained on-line at www.townessettlement.com, by calling 1-800-961-6428 or by sending a written request to the Settlement Administrator at Robert V. Townes, IV v. TransUnion, LLC and TrueLink, Inc., c/o The Garden City Group, Inc., P.O. Box 9130, Dublin, OH 43017-4130. Your Authentication Form must be submitted on-line or postmarked (if sent by mail) not later than 75 days after the Effective Date. For more information on these deadlines, the Effective Date of the Settlement, the Authentication procedure, and the settlement benefits, you may visit www.townessettlement.com. Do not contact the Court.
2. EXCLUDE YOURSELF FROM THE SETTLEMENT This is the only option that allows you to bring your own lawsuit against TransUnion and TrueLink. Your request for exclusion must be mailed to the Settlement Administrator and postmarked on or before August 27, 2007. Do not contact the Court.
3. OBJECT TO OR COMMENT ON THE SETTLEMENT/ATTEND THE HEARING Write the Court and the Parties about why you do, or do not, support the Settlement or any of its provisions or about speaking to the Court about the fairness of the Settlement. The Court will hold a hearing on September 11, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. Your objection must be filed with the Court and served on counsel for the Parties on or before August 20, 2007.
4. DO NOTHING You will automatically be included in the Settlement Class and give up your right to be part of any other lawsuit regarding the Offerings, and you will not be eligible to receive the economic relief unless you submit an Authentication Form.
ATTORNEYS' FEES, EXPENSES AND INCENTIVE AWARD
Counsel for the Settlement Class have pursued the Litigation on a contingent basis and have paid all the costs of the Litigation. These lawyers have not yet been paid or recovered any of their expenses. As part of the Settlement, Class Counsel will seek up to $1.3 million in attorneys' fees and expenses. The Court will determine a reasonable fee and expense award at the Fairness Hearing based on Class Counsel's Fee and Expense Application and responses thereto. Defendants will not oppose Class Counsel's Fee and Expense Application. Class Counsel will also ask the Court to approve a $7,500 Incentive Award to the Plaintiff Robert V. Townes, IV. None of these payments will reduce the benefits you receive. Any money the Court awards Class Counsel and the Plaintiff will be paid by the Defendants.
To get complete information about the proposed Settlement, the Authentication Form, the Effective Date, the deadlines, your obligations, and your options, you must visit www.townessettlement.com. Do not contact the Court.
Please do not reply to this message. We are unable to respond to inquiries sent in reply to this email. To contact us, please access the official Settlement Website at www.townessettlement.com.
