April 2016
www.bvrla.co.uk
RISC News online.com
An essential update from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
RISC is a powerful loss prevention tool available free to all our corporate and broker members, with API integration for your counter software solution and an intuitive web portal for immediate access.
Continuing to treat your customers fairly In the September edition of RISC News we reported that notifying customers that they were on RISC should be a matter of best practice for BVRLA members. Customers can often be confrontational at the counter because they turn up expecting to rent a vehicle, only to be turned away. They can also be aggressive to BVRLA staff when
we explain their rights and how they can challenge the data held on our database. Here is a template letter that members can use to advise customers that they have been put on RISC - it can also be emailed out to customers. A full copy of the letter is available on our website, visit www.bvrla.co.uk.
Dear........... BVRLA’s RISC Database I write to inform you that your personal details have been listed on the BVRLA’s Rental Industry Secure Customer (RISC) database, a platform for vehicle rental companies to share information. RISC is a tool used by many vehicle rental companies within BVRLA membership during their rental qualification process. Your information has been placed on this database because you breached our rental agreement dated [INSERT DATE]. [Members may wish to inform the customer of the reason for the breach of agreement] If you believe the data held on RISC in accurate, you have the right to appeal for your data to be removed from the system.
Some RISC statistics... On an average day: Our subscribers post ten incidents on RISC. In an average month: There are 218 RISC matches that’s the number of risk renters
and risk companies identified through subscriber searches. Throughout the year: Last year our subscribers performed 2 million searches on RISC.
RISC FAQs BVRLA’s James Mansfield answers some of the FAQs about RISC. When a renter is placed on RISC is the period of disqualification always permanent, or is there a scale depending on the offence? In keeping with guidelines from the Information Commissioner, we keep data for as long as is necessary. We retain data for five years for all notifications, unless the BVRLA member reporting the notification instructs us to remove the record before five years have elapsed. Does the BVRLA send the renter the notice of admission to RISC and the reasons why, or is this the responsibility of the member? We do not send the renter any notice of admission to RISC. As a matter of best practice, we are proposing BVRLA members do so and have suggested appropriate wording. BVRLA standard rental agreement terms, available free to members already contains appropriate notices e.g. “If you break the agreement, we can give information you have given us to credit reference agencies, the DVLA, debt collectors, and any other relevant organisation. We can also give this information to the BVRLA who can pass it on to any of its members for any purpose shown in the Data Protection Act”.
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RISC News
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If you have a security concern or an alert you would like to share on RISC, please contact Nora Leggett at BVRLA 01494 545713 or, alternatively, you can email: risc@bvrla.co.uk.
RISC tips… Accurate data entry important for maximum hits!
When inputting data subject’s details, or company details on the RISC database, make sure the data entry is accurate. We have had several incidents recently where the date of incident was reported as having occurred in 2051 - when 2015 was the intended date. As a result we have since amended RISC’s date validation protocols, but we are still reliant on you inputting correct information.
Have you found when entering a RISC notification, that the person or company is already there?
Don’t stop! Incident duplication is a positive measure if an individual has breached terms and conditions on more than one occasion. Gaining as much detail about a potential renter allows the next member using RISC Online to see a link of entries, consequently raising the level of risk to rent to that individual. RISC Online is a key tool with our members’ decision during the renter qualification process.
Identity theft
So far this year, we have had two reports of individuals stating that the reason they are on RISC is that their identity had been stolen. Members are requesting our advice about how they should act. Firstly, no matter how sympathetic we might be to the individuals’ case, we advise that the renter’s details should stay on RISC. The stolen identity is the identity that contains risk, and as such it is the only means of alerting BVRLA members that the risk exists. If you get a positive match and the customer claims that their identity has been stolen, we would advise BVRLA members to perform extra checks and to ascertain and confirm the identity of the customer. CIFAS, a not-for-profit company working to protect businesses, charities, public bodies and individuals from financial crime, has a protective registration service which may be able to help individuals in this situation. For more information, visit www.cifas.org.uk/pr_for_individuals
The top 10 reasons for reports on RISC 1 Failed to comply with terms and conditions of rental
6 Given false or misleading information
2 Not paid in full for rental and other charges
7 Vehicle seized by police
3 Failed to return vehicle at time and place agreed 4 Not looked after the vehicle 5 Damage present on rental vehicle
8 Not looked after the keys of the vehicle
How do BVRLA members participate in RISC? Signing up is free, simple and fast: register your details at www.risconline.com. We need members to confirm that their terms and conditions of rental allow personal information from renters to be shared. To check, download a copy of the BVRLA’s standard terms and conditions from our website: www.bvrla.co.uk. Once we’ve received your registration and agreement to RISC terms and conditions, we will supply you with log-in details and all the information you need to get started. Login details are allocated by the RISC Administrator. Want to integrate RISC with your own office systems? We already link with proprietary counter systems such as Rentman via an application programme interface (API). This can also be used to link with bespoke in-house systems and to other customer qualification and risk management tools used throughout the sector. Security alerts RISC Alerts are for general fraud and scam information. Future developments – join our Virtual RISC User Group We have plans to develop RISC further, but would like to hear members’ thoughts. Contribute by joining our Virtual User Group. For more information on RISC call 01494 545702 or email risc@bvrla.co.uk.
9 Vehicle reported ‘stolen’ to police 1 0 Used threatening or abusive behaviour to staff
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