Legal Requirement For Data Protection?

[securespark]

Arrrgggh!!!

Rang Comet today about a faulty cordless phone. Right, before I can discuss your query, I need your full name & address. Now I need your phone number to verify who you are.

My name & address were on the receipt, so I gave that. There were no phone numbers on the receipt, so even if I gave her my number she could not use it to "verify" my identity.

I'm miffed that companies do this. They ask for information they plainly do not need, on the grounds of data protection.

If you ask me, it's the opposite of data protection...I want to protect MY data by nor giving her the details.

After all, if I'dd gone into a store & handed over the receipt and product, they would not be asking me for my phone number to verify my identity.

Rant over.

 

[StephenW]

You could try giving a ficticious phone number and see if they say "OK, that checks out". Same when they ask for other personal info such as date of birth or mother's maiden name. Just make something up unless it's an organisation that has a genuine need for it.

 

[oompah]

When I'm asked for my mothers maiden name I always tell them mother because I never had any reason to call her anything different.

 

[Johnmelad502]

I posted on here some time ago about yell.com, they offered my a free trial period and then demanded a years subsciption.

Anyway, they eventually passed it over to a debt collection agency. They phoned me up a few times, but have not heard from them for a few months now.

They phone me, ask me to confirm a few details, why asks I. DPA they say. Rollicks says I, what number did you phone, they tell me, thats my number so you are talking to me.

No say they we have to confirm that you are the person we hold details on. We just need to confirm your address, post code, telephone number etc.

But you just phoned me, why do you need to confirm it?

Well we need to confirm your address and post code. Do you know my address and post code. Yes say they, what is say I. We can't give you that information in case you are not...

Last words from me, go away in short, sharp, jerky movements, or words to that effect.

 

[ColJack]

just tell her it was the same as it is now because your parents are brother and sister..

landlines are registered to an address so they can check that the number is to th address you've given..

if you've robbed a place and happen to have grabbed the recipts for the items you've nicked, then you can possibly take them back for money rather than have to fence them some other way..

a robber is hardly going to take note of the phone number, but they might rifle through the drawers..

 

[wreckedit]

My friend walked in to a Bank and up to the the till girls window. She greeted him with ' Hello Mr. Granger what can I do for you'. He said ' Would you check my savers card for me, because I don't understand why it doesn't show a credit payment on it'
She 'I can't do that without you showing me some means of identity'
He ' But you know who I am, you just called me Mr.Granger'

 

[Blasphemous]

Pee's me off having to give my name and address when purchase anything in Comet, Currys, PC World, Screwfix etc etc. You can't get around big purchases like TV's because they're normally delivered and if anything goes wrong you have to give your name and address etc etc for the warranty.

About 7 years ago my wife worked in the Financial sector (she's in HR not banking before you start having a go!). She said that when any large amounts of cash were deposited they were required to ask 'where' the money had come from. The cashiers would ask in a light hearted way, 'WOW, have you won the lottery, at horses, on the bandit etc etc', but suspicious and/or large amounts had to be flagged and the deposit amounts were passed on to HMRC. It was all to do with Money Laundering but it was also a 'fishing net' for anyone doing cash jobs and not declaring. This 'asking for name and address' when making purchases from Electrical dealers is also used as a 'fishing net' in the same way. If you've got the latest Plasma, Computer, Games Console, etc etc the Tax man can track you even if you paid cash! In short, the Tax man is shyte scared he's missing out on a few quid.

 

[joinerjohn]

Totally agree Blas. About 20 yrs ago my father was investigated by Inland Revenue. When he went for the dreaded interview, they told him what sort of TV he had, how much his carpets cost and even how much he'd paid for the double glazing. None of these items went through his books as they were personal things.
The only thing he managed to fool them on was the false alarm box on the side of the house,,, They though it was real.

PS,, I wonder if MP's have the same trouble cashing their expenses cheques
Because that's tantamount to money laundering

 

[ajstoneservices]

I've had a tax investigation. It's the only time in my life I've had my ring check

 

[conny]

I have a different slant on this.
A while ago wife and I ordered something through Mothercare. Girl asked for my email address so they could email me when it was in stock so I gave her it.
"Ah, Mr C*^&*%, can you confirm your address is 'XX WXYZ Ave, PQRST, Liverpool L* *** please and your home phone number is 0151 *** ***

"How the hell do you know all that?"
"It came up when I typed in your email address ."

I've never given Mothercare any personal details before but they know all about me. The bugger is, I'm ex-directory anyway so how did they get my number?

 

[Deluks]

Pee's me off having to give my name and address when purchase anything in Comet, Currys, PC World, Screwfix etc etc. You can't get around big purchases like TV's because they're normally delivered and if anything goes wrong you have to give your name and address etc etc for the warranty.

They are obliged to ask for your details when purchasing a TV, they pass all details onto TV licensing so they can cross check that you've got a licence.

I was asked for my details when I bought a DVD player (even though it cannot receive TV transmisisons!!!) So I made it up and gave a falsie.
I do have a TV licence but it's the principal, nosey bastards

 

[FLIPPINeck]

"DATA PROTECTION" ,what a load of cobblers , i have to ring India regard any problems with my wages , the local council can sell on your details to a third party , my medical records will soon be going to India , you ring up big companies like BT and what do you get an India call centre that have all your details and finally Cameron is going to let any tom ,dick and harry access your credit details now................. I GIVE UP..............

 

[joinerjohn]

They are obliged to ask for your details when purchasing a TV, they pass all details onto TV licensing so they can cross check that you've got a licence.

I was asked for my details when I bought a DVD player (even though it cannot receive TV transmisisons!!!) So I made it up and gave a falsie.
I do have a TV licence but it's the principal, nosey b*****d

I'm not sure about the cross checking to see if you have a TV license Deluks.
Last time I bought a TV (already had 2) a couple of weeks later, a letter arrives from TV Licensing saying I need a licence. They obviously don't cross reference every time they are notified by retailers.

 

[securespark]

Rang them again.

When asked the same question, I told them it would be useless giving them my phone number as they had no record of it on their system so could not use it to verify my ID.

She said no more about it. Neither did the geezer at Comet near Newcastle-U-Lyme today when I swapped it.

Shysters!!

I am very annoyed that companies always seem to be asking for this information now.

And if anybody in the future asks me anything "because of the DPA", I shall refuse on the grounds that I want to protect MY data...

My late step-father, who invested in stocks and shares in the 80's, was asked for his DOB for some trivial reason. My step-father's response?

To move tens of 1000's of pounds of business away from that firm, along with a stiff letter explaining why.

 

[libby lou lou]

walk out and tell them they lost a sale......... whats wrong with you lot today?