Our Privacy Policy

Guardian Debt Relief, an assumed name of Lifeline Debt Relief, Inc., recognizes your expectations of privacy and security and we greatly respect your privacy concerns.

This Privacy Policy describes how we gather information on www.guardiandebtrelief.com and any other affiliate site that links to this Privacy Policy, what we do with the information we collect, and what steps we take to safeguard your privacy and protect your personal information.

What Does This Privacy Policy Cover?

This Privacy Policy covers what we do with any personal information you may submit or authorize us to obtain, as well as any other information that we may gather when you access our sites. This Privacy Policy also covers any of your personal and other information that any of our Partners may share with us and that we may share with our Partners.

What is “Personal Information”?

Personal information is any information that you provide to us or authorize us to obtain that identifies you personally, or that can be logically associated with you. Personal Information includes: your name, your address, your phone number, your e-mail address and your Social Security Number. Demographic information such as gender, age, zip code, etc., is generally not considered personal information.

Why Do We Collect Your Personal Information?

We collect and use personal information to:

• Respond more completely to your requests for products and services we offer
• Service any existing account you may have with us
• Market new products and services that may interest you
• Keep you informed about debt relief news and updated through Guardian’s newsletter
• Share with our third party Partners for marketing and news purposes

What Personal and Other Information Do We Collect and/or Maintain?

We collect and use personal information from you that include the following:
Any information you provide to us or to one of our Partners on applications or forms, such as your income, when you request a product service. This information may include your name, your address, your telephone number and, in some cases, your Social Security number.

You may also be asked to provide additional information, such as the amount of your current unsecured debt and the identity of your creditors, your personal financial information including your assets, mortgage, or other liabilities.

Information we receive, with your permission, from a third party (e.g. any one of the three credit bureaus, employers) about your credit history or employment status.

Information, such as your e-mail address, that you provide to us to receive communications from us and our Partners, or when you communicate with us through our customer service facility, or otherwise correspond with us in any other fashion.

We also collect other, non-personal information, which is broadly defined as any information that is not and cannot be directly associated with you. An example of this type of non-personal information would be your zip code. In addition to the information we collect from you, we may also receive information about you from other on-line or off-line sources. For example, if you provide us with personal information along with an appropriate authorization we may request and obtain a credit report and credit score.

How Do We Use Personal and Other Information We Collect?

We use the personal information you supply to us, or that you authorize us to obtain from third parties for a number of purposes, such as to provide to you with the services or products requested, and to service your existing account.

We occasionally receive medical or health information from a customer if, for example, a customer lists a medical bill debt with us. We do not share medical or health information, including information received from third parties with anyone, except to maintain accounts, process transactions or service customer requests to the extent permitted by law.

With Whom Do We Share Your Information?

If you submit a request for a product or service, we will share only with our Partners and only to achieve the purpose for which this information was provided.

By submitting your request, you are consenting to being contacted by us or by our Partners, through any means, based on the information you provide to us, even if you have opted into the National Do Not Call List administered by the Federal Trade Commission, any state Do No Call List or the Do Not Call List of any specific institution. If you receive communication from one of our Partners that you no longer wish to receive, you must make a specific request to the product or service provider to be removed as a contact.

We do not sell, rent, trade or your personal information to third-parties without obtaining your prior consent.

Are There Any Other Circumstances Where We Disclose Your Information?


We may be required to share your information with law enforcement or government agencies in response to subpoenas, court orders or other forms of legal process. We may elect to share information when we believe such sharing is necessary or appropriate to protect our rights, your safety or the safety of others, for the investigation or prevention of illegal activities, including actual or suspected fraud or otherwise as required by law. In addition, if Guardian Debt Relief goes through a merger or acquisition, or any kind of business transition, any successor company will have access to all of the information collected and maintained by us. In such a circumstance, the successor company would continue to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Privacy Policy.

How Do We Safeguard the Information We Collect?

The security of your personal information is a very high priority for us and we take a number of steps to safeguard it. Some of the measures we take are:
Limiting access to personal information to those employees who are critical to the delivery of products and services to you.

Implementing appropriate physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to guard against unauthorized access or use.

Requiring appropriate consents and protections from our Partners before we share any information.

How Long Do We Retain Your Personal Information?

We normally retain your personal information for a reasonable time after our customer relationship with you ends, and in any event, generally not less than one (1) year from the date we first collect it. For legal reasons, we may sometimes be required to retain personal information for a longer period. Under certain circumstances, Federal and/or state law may require us to retain your personal information for varying periods of time.
Non-personal information may be retained indefinitely.

What about Links to Third-Party Sites and Social Media?

Our Privacy Policy does not govern the terms of any third-party websites that are linked on www.guardiandebtrelief.com or any of our affiliate sites. When you visit any third-party links, be sure to review that particular site’s privacy policy notice before using.

Our Privacy Policy also does not apply when you use one of social media widgets to share information from our site. The use of any social media widget will be governed by the privacy policy of the company who provides it (e.g. Facebook).

What Choices Do You Have?

You can always elect not to provide personal information to us, although if you do not complete and submit the information we ask for, we may not be able to provide you with the most complete responses to your requests, and you may not be able to access all the available features.

NOTE: Social Security Numbers

We rarely collect your Social Security number on the site, but in the case that we do, our Privacy Policy (1) protects the confidentiality of Social Security numbers, (2) prohibits unlawful disclosure of Social Security numbers, and (3) limits access to Social Security numbers only to the limited purpose as detailed in any Power of Attorney document dully executed by you.

A Special Note about Children’s Privacy

Guardian’s site, products and services, are neither suitable for nor directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 years of age without the prior approval or consent of their parents. If you believe we have collected information, in error, from a child under the age of 13, please calling us immediately at 1-888-986-9939 or emailing us at support@guardiandebtrelief.com so that we may take appropriate action.

We also do not knowingly collect, use or share personal information about site visitors under 18 years of age. If you are under 18 years of age, you may use the products and/or service offered on our website only in conjunction with your parents or guardians.

How Do We Notify You of Changes to the Privacy Policy?

We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected in the date of the most recent update (“Last Updated”) found at the end of this Privacy Policy. Any changes are effective as of the date they are posted, and your continued use of our website indicates that you accept the revised terms of the Privacy Policy.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO CALIFONIA RESIDENTS

We currently do not track individual users across the web, and therefore we do not respond to “Do Not Track” signals or any other mechanisms designed to allow you to make a choice about how your information is shared.

In accordance with California law, we will treat individuals with California addresses as if you requested us to not share your information with nonaffiliated third parties except as permitted by the applicable California law. We will also limit the sharing of information about you with our affiliates to comply with California privacy laws that apply to us.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO VERMONT RESIDENTS

In accordance with Vermont law, we will limit the way we share information about you. If we disclose information about you to nonaffiliated third parties, we will only share information about our transactions or experience with your use of our website.

Last updated: October 16, 2015