Problem with Abbey divuldging information to husband

Tesco_points_addict

Hi all

Don't know where i stand here or what I should do.

Hubby received a letter from Abbey today saying
Further to your recent request, the Abbey card detailed above has been cancelled.
There is currently a balance of **** on this account and recommend you pay off the balance immediately.

Now the problem is hubby apparently applied for an Abbey card a while ago and there was some query over the correct address, by the time this was sorted he no longer required the card. He wrote to them recently to tell them he no longer wanted to open an account.

However the letter he received today was a mystery to him as he has no card and no balance!

He phoned the helpline and quoted the account number mentioned on the letter, they said to him no sir that account belong to Mrs ******...i.e.ME!

Now, hubby and i have seperate accounts (bank cards etc.) and both pay our own debts, bills etc as we are both working full time.

I am upset that Abbey have told him 1 I have an account, 2 my account number and 3 my balance!

What should i do?

TPAx

LongTermLurker

Put in a formal complaint to Abbey (in writing) but you'll probably only get an apology, which from large institutions often leaves me feeling sceptical.

Do you have the same initials? That would explain it as a honest mistake, though you would expect better checks than that.

Tesco_points_addict

LongTermLurker wrote: »

Put in a formal complaint to Abbey (in writing) but you'll probably only get an apology, which from large institutions often leaves me feeling sceptical.

Do you have the same initials? That would explain it as a honest mistake, though you would expect better checks than that.

No,not the same initials and his was addressed to MR!!
I've no idea what to write but i'm really angry by the whole thing

LongTermLurker

Well you could talk about breach of privacy and confidentiality; point out that you are not financially linked and you consider their actions a gross breach of security and lack of acceptable procedure-handling. You could also say that you are going to report them to the FSA for breach of confidentiality. Be polite, specific and to the point. Your real complaint should focus on the fact that they have closed your account and I would insist that it be re-instated with any financial detriment corrected. You may also choose to ask them for a new account number, if that isn't going to cause you problems with existing transactions.

However, as I said, you'll probably get no real recourse so I wouldn't spend too much time and energy on it. It's worth doing though; it's totally out of order.

Tesco_points_addict

I phoned them today and explained the situation, i was assured that my account had not been closed and the person I spoke with was very apologetic and sounded suprised that this could have happened. In fairness she said that they would investigate as they did not want this to happen to anyone else and would work to but mechanisims in place to assure this. They will phone me back within 48 (working) hours and will write to me.

Thanks for your adivce guys, I really wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else

TPAx

ldn-100

Abbey are a hopeless mess, unable to deal with the most routine of account administration. I moved house in July and they still have not updated my address, despite letting them know by letter, phone and in branch.

HamiltonL

Well it's the local branch's responsibility to sort that but god knows why they haven't done it still.

The card wouldn't be able to be shut with a balance on it. I suspect they have just blocked the card. What a strange situation. All I can advise is to write to Abbey as stated, or get the branch involved if there is one nearby who can mediate with customer services - did Abbey do a security check over the phone TPAx?

daveboy

I get married on Saturday 20th September.

My wife to be knows everything I spend and gets to see every statement I receive in the post, from my bank and from credit cards.

If you can't share such information as husband and wife then, as my own personal opinion, I can't see why you got married in the first place.

Marriage is a partnership in which there are no secrets.

Am I on my own in thinking this?

craftyfox

hi daveboy i think the same as you :j hubby and i have been in partnership for 15 years now and don't seem to have some of the money troubles that our friends have with their separate accounts .........

ps. good luck for next weekend :j

Tesco_points_addict

daveboy wrote: »

I get married on Saturday 20th September.

My wife to be knows everything I spend and gets to see every statement I receive in the post, from my bank and from credit cards.

If you can't share such information as husband and wife then, as my own personal opinion, I can't see why you got married in the first place.

Marriage is a partnership in which there are no secrets.

Am I on my own in thinking this?

The point being its up to me to tell my husband NOT Abbey! It is a breach of confidentiality, we both work full time and we both deal with our own spending. I hope when you get married you will be at leat half as happy as we are, if so you will be going a long way, happy the way we are thank you and no debt!! (card was a 0% balance transfer!!)

I wish you good luck and good weather for Saturday x

olly300

Tesco_points_addict wrote: »

The point being its up to me to tell my husband NOT Abbey! It is a breach of confidentiality, we both work full time and we both deal with our own spending. I hope when you get married you will be at leat half as happy as we are, if so you will be going a long way, happy the way we are thank you and no debt!! (card was a 0% balance transfer!!)

If you are married and have a joint mortgage or have any financial produce in joint names, then you are financially linked.

However it doesn't give Abbey the right to send your husband your data.

Abbey will probably offer you a written apology as you have not said how you or your husband have had any loss from the sharing of the data.