Damart - demanding personal details - rant

Takoda

Given the way I feel about this it should probably be in the Vent section but I've chosen to put it here. I think that I will get more sensible replies here.

Rewind to 3 weeks ago. My mother who is in her early 80s responded to a Damart ad which offered a free cardigan with any order. She sent it and then watched the post eagerly.

Fast forward to today. She got a letter this morning and here is the word for word text.

Dear Mrs Takoda,
Order number ******
Thank you for your order.
Before the order can be processed we do need more information as the company has a policy of one account per address. Under certain circumstances it is necessary for us to ask you to tell us the details of any other person residing at your address and if you've a family or financial connection with that person.
Please reply on the back of this letter using the freepost envelope enclosed. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Yours Sincerely
Alison Dale
Customer Service Department.

..............................................................................................

When she phoned up to complain about being asked such questions the customer service assistant was extremely rude and said they DID have the right to demand this information. It ended up with the order being cancelled but my mother is still upset about it and now has to find an alternative source for what she had ordered.

Has anyone else on here had a similar request and did you comply with it?

Do they have the right to demand these details before releasing the order?

Is it worth contacting Trading Standards to complain?

No one from the household has ever ordered anything from Damart before so there has never been another acoount at our address - which is what they seemed to be implying.

I have emailed Damart for the answers to a couple of my questions but just wanted to ask you good folk as well for your input.

Thanks in advance,

Takoda

Mojisola

If their software can't find out whether there is more than one account at an address it should be updated!

Takoda

That's one of the things I said to them in my email Mojisola!

chesky369

As long as they don't want anything that's too personal - after all, she IS after a freebie.

hollydays

Might be worth speaking to Age concern about this,It seems wrong to me.They are an evil company IMHO (I dealt with them for an elderly neighbour-they are scum)

TomsMom

Last year a parcel arrived at my house from Damart, addressed to me, correct name and address. I hadn't ordered anything from them and had previously made one order but it was many years ago.

The parcel contained four navy blue cardigans. Next door to me is a small shop whose uniform is blue. I asked the owner if she'd ordered four blue cardigans from Damart. Yes, they were for her. However, they were ordered in her name with the shop name and address on. How Damart got that mixed up I'll never know.

I handed the cardigans over to my neighbour and rang Damart to try and find out how the error occurred. Never did get a satisfactory answer but I told them to delete my details from their records as I had only ever ordered once from them and it was so long ago I was surprised they still had me on file!

Takoda

hollydays wrote: »

Might be worth speaking to Age concern about this,It seems wrong to me.They are an evil company IMHO (I dealt with them for an elderly neighbour-they are scum)

That's a really useful suggestion thanks Hollydays. I have also got our local Trading Standards looking into it and they are going to contact the Yorkshire TS to see if Damart have asked anyone else for similar details.

"Scum" certainly describes the man who took the call from my Mother!

hollydays

If you want to look at the thread I posted (my first ever post I think),its called Damart Target the Elderly-some others have provided some links to the Advertising standards complaints.

I think Age concern have a forum too.

Aries

I got the offer that Takoda mentioned with the free Black Cardigan.
I ordered a Blue knitted Top ,I filled in the size I wanted for the free Black Cardigan.
I ordered on line (a bad website I had 3 attempts at ordering).
The Blue Top came and its OK but no Black Cardigan.
So I emailed them.
I got an apology and they said they would send me one, but made it look as if I hadnt filled in the correct details.(funny how I got the details for the Blue top right).

They have just sent me another flyer offering a free Fleece Coat,but I will be giving that one a miss.

ilovebusby

My late Mother always fell for their "Free Offers" and after ordering goods for the value to qualify for the free gift (of a fleece, jacket or whatever) they would delay in supplying the ordered goods, stating that they were out of stock, only to supply them later when the "Free Offer" had finished, so she NEVER EVER GOT A FREE ITEM IN 5 YEARS! After her death in 2004 I informed them that the account holder was deceased, they ignored this and sent mail to the effect of "You entered our competition and are now entitled to this or that free gift". This was in 2006! I sent them a very blunt letter and they have ceased communications now thank goodness. I do feel that they con old people though.

Yogibear

I keep getting vouchers for 25% off as a valued customer,I`ve never been in the shop for 5 years they keep sending the brochure which has no mens stuff but only for the ladies:rotfl: