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Data protection?

In the last couple of weeks,i've been getting phone calls off 2 different companies. They tell me the name of the company(scc or something) but say under data protection they can't tell me what it's in connection with. They ask me for my date of birth,address and postcode. I've so far refused to give them this information claiming they could be anyone and if i knew what it was regarding i would give the information they wanted. They ring twice a day now. Am i within my rights to refuse to confirm my details?

Comments

  • maninthestreet
    maninthestreet Posts: 16,127 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    Probably debt collectors - they can't discuss the debt they are chasing with anyone other than the debtor. Do you have any unpaid debts?
    "You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"
  • Enfieldian
    Enfieldian Posts: 2,893 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Tell them if it is important then they can put it in writing.
  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,857 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 26 August 2009 at 3:40PM
    you certainly are within your rights, tell them you cant tell them because of the data protection laws. :rotfl::rotfl:

    It seems like say 'CCS - credit card services and they are trying to establish that you are the person they are looking for by trying to get you to match up details with what they have got about the person who owes them money.

    Just tell them to 'do one' or you will report them for harrassment.

    And if they keep ringing, then report them.
    Someone will come along and give you the place that you can report them to.
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
    and we will never, ever return.
  • kalaika
    kalaika Posts: 716 Forumite
    I'd do the same thing and would keep on refusing if they carried on ringing.

    Next time they ring maybe you should get some details as to who they are so you know exactly who they are (rather than "scc or something") and what their line of business is. They don't need to divulge any personal details to you for this. Then if they do carry on refusing to talk to you about specifics you can at least Google them to find out a bit more about them.

    If they won't budge then I'd echo Enfieldian's suggestion and tell them to write to you at the address they have (if they have one at all)...
    No trees were killed to send this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced. - Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson)
  • sarahg1969
    sarahg1969 Posts: 6,694 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    princess73 wrote: »
    In the last couple of weeks,i've been getting phone calls off 2 different companies. They tell me the name of the company(scc or something) but say under data protection they can't tell me what it's in connection with. They ask me for my date of birth,address and postcode. I've so far refused to give them this information claiming they could be anyone and if i knew what it was regarding i would give the information they wanted. They ring twice a day now. Am i within my rights to refuse to confirm my details?

    Of course you are. If you wanted to speak to them, you've had phoned them.
  • Make up name address and date of birth. Infact use these,

    Julie Andrews or Iain Fleming depending whether you are male or female
    10 Queen Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1ZA and 1st July 1992

    I do that all the time when I get unsolicited phone calls. Then the next time they phone deny all knowledge, you weren't in before. Then give them different details.

    Ron
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