NEW YORK (AP) ? Customers of the now defunct Borders bookstores may want to take action if they don’t want their personal information shared with Barnes & Noble.
Depending on their specific circumstance, the Federal Trade Commission is reminding consumers that they have until either Oct. 15 or Oct. 29 to opt out of having their contact information and purchasing histories transferred over to Barnes and Noble.
The Details
Barnes and Noble Inc. acquired Borders’ customer information, including email addresses and DVD purchase histories, as part of its former rival’s bankruptcy proceedings.
In an online letter to former Borders customers, Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch says the intent was to “simply try and earn your business.” He notes that the majority of Barnes & Noble stores are near former Borders locations.
Lynch says in his letter that the data of those who opt out will be disposed of in a secure and confidential matter.
Those who received an email from Barnes & Noble with the subject line “Important Information Regarding Your Borders Account” have until Oct. 15 to opt out.
Everyone else can go to www.bn.com/borders to opt out by Oct. 29.
Others may be interested checking out Barnes & Noble’s privacy policy at www.bn.com/privacy .
The Background
Borders Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection in February after being hurt by competition from online booksellers and discounters. The company had hoped to emerge from bankruptcy protection as a smaller, more profitable company, but pressure from creditors eventually led the chain to liquidate.
Borders, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., is known for pioneering the big-box bookselling concept and grew to 1,249 stores at its peak in 2003.