PITTSBURGH -- A former General Nutrition Centers executive says he and another employee sold lists of GNC customers' names and personal information -- data that most companies try to protect.

GNC has nearly $5 million customers enrolled in its Gold Card loyalty program, which offers discounts on products.

Industry experts told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that many companies either never release the information collected during the similar programs' enrollment process or are careful not to give the information to competitors.

But as recently as last week, a Web site run by former GNC executive Jack Seemiller advertised lists of thousands of GNC customers' information for $499.

Two businesses once operated by Tom Dowd, who left GNC and was rehired this year, promised to help other businesses get into the vitamin market and advertise to GNC customers with the help of the card lists.

Dowd doesn't operate the companies anymore.

Seemiller says got the card information through a legal loophole and didn't do anything wrong.