San Diego, CA: SeaWorld in San Diego is facing a Zip code privacy class action lawsuit over allegations the marine entertainment complex illegally collects customers ZIP codes during the processing of credic card payments.
Filed by plaintiff Andrew Dremark, Dremark v. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Inc., Case No. 3:13-cv-00313, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, alleges that in June while visiting the park, he was asked by a SeaWorld cashier to provide his ZIP code as he paid his parking lot fee. Dremark says he complied because he believed it was necessary in order for the payment to be processed.
Dremark later learned that the cashier' request violated California' Song-Beverly Credit Card Act, which prohibits companies from collecting personally identifying information such as ZIP codes, addresses and phone numbers during credit card transactions.
"There is no legitimate need for SeaWorld to collect a credit card customer's personal identification information in order to complete the credit card transaction,"the lawsuit states.
The Song-Beverly Act class action lawsuit also alleges that SeaWorld collects the ZIP codes and other customer information like phone numbers, email addresses and purchase histories in order to create targeted marketing campaigns, according to the class action lawsuit. SeaWorld might also "sell, rent, trade or otherwise disclose"the personal information to other businesses.
The class action lawsuit seeks to represent consumers who allegedly had their privacy compromised by providing their ZIP codes during credit card transactions at SeaWorld. The class is represented by Blood Hurst & O'Reardon LLP.
