Do I have a ‘right’ to know where companies have got my details from?

MBN

Hello,

I am a newbie, so please be gentle… Feel free to move this elsewhere, if this is not the right place to post my question.

I have recently started getting unsolicited letters from various companies - I’ve just got two more this morning, and I am fuming. However, I think I know where this all comes from: I used to be a member of BOL (now Book Giant), which sold my details to third parties (my stupid mistake, I should have read their terms and conditions more carefully). I have recently cancelled my BOL membership (a long, complicated story – be VERY careful with this company!), but I still get unsolicited offers by post. When asked, some companies confirmed that it was BOL which gave them my details, while others would not say who gave them the data (as you know, all such letters have got reference numbers, which help with the tracking of the source). I registered with MPS in June, so I have to wait 3 more months before these unsolicited letters stop (hopefully).

My question is: do I have a ‘right’ to know where companies have got my details from? If I do, what law specifies this?

Please, please help! Many thanks.

MBN

hollydays

Welcome.

Information Commissioners Office 01625 545745

will be able to tell you,but i suspect someone else will come along and tell you shortly.
Another question you should also ask yourself is- even if you do have the right,you are going to have to ask each company not only where they got it from, but who else they sold it to,and on and on.Is it going to be worth it? Info is sold and re sold.
Electoral role also sell data hopefully you are not on that list.

MBN

hollydays wrote:

Welcome.

Information Commissioners Office 01625 545745

will be able to tell you,but i suspect someone else will come along and tell you shortly.
Another question you should also ask yourself is- even if you do have the right,you are going to have to ask each company not only where they got it from, but who else they sold it to,and on and on.Is it going to be worth it? Info is sold and re sold.
Electoral role also sell data hopefully you are not on that list.

Thank you for your reply, MSE is a great place to be.:)

I have never thought about companies' re selling of the information, this certainly brings a new perspective on this issue. I had a very bad experience with BOL (perhaps I should write about this on another thread), and I was so angry with myself when I realised it was all my mistake, as I had not read their terms and conditions properly (I am mentioning them because I presume all these unsolicited letters come via them, but of course, I may be wrong).

I am not on the electoral roll, nor in the phone book, and I am registered with TPS and MPS. I am very frightened of the issue of identity theft, and I try to protect myself as much as possible. I had the feeling that if I wrote to companies and tell them to delete my details from their databases, I would be less exposed to identity theft, since my details would not be that easily available, and thus be 'stolen' by someobody - but, again, I may be so mistaken.:rolleyes:

You are right, writing this type of emails/letters can be time consuming, and maybe not worthwhile. My only reason for doing this was mentioned above: the almost obsessive fear of identity theft.

Thank you for the phone number, and for all your help.:beer:

LondonDiva

You do have a right to know. Once they have the info, you have the right to ask about what steps they take to protect your data. You can then ask the originating company why they sold your info.

I was very shocked when I realised that the guardian website sells email addresses:(

Altarf

Easiest way to track who passed on an email address is to use a different and unique one for every registration, which is easy if you have your own domain (or various other ways). That way if you get spam back to that address you know where it came from.

If the website just needs an email address and isn't going to verify it, I just use something@their own domain, so they get their own spam.

MBN

Thank you for your replies. I was very shocked myself when I read somewhere on this forum about DVLA selling information - drivers' addresses, for example.

The more I learn, the more shocking it all becomes.

Astaroth

The DVLA will only give the address to those with a good reason to need them - eg if your car is seen being involved in a hit and run then the insurance of the hit vehicle can get your details from the DVLA to pursue you.

The irony of all this histeria about identity fraud is the fact that the majority of those who are caught up in it spend much more time trying to prevent it from happening than it would ever take to resolve it should it happen (of which the chances are miniscule)

hollydays

Dvla will sell the details to a company they believe has the right to access the info.The issue is that these companies are not criminally record checked ie private carpark enforcement companies.DVLA is the only government organisation to interpret the "just cause" clause in this way.
I have never met anyone who has had their identity stolen,perhaps the perceived risk is greater than the actual risk.

Altarf

The DVLA will give the registered keeper information to anyone, provided they can demonstrate 'reasonable cause' and pay £2.50. http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/relinfo.htm

Reasonable cause, well I am hardly likely to tell the DVLA that I am an axe murder who wants to chop you limb from limb for cutting me up at the lights. No, "you bumped my car in a car park and I jotted down your registration number" will do the trick.

Astaroth

But the requirement to protect the innocent is greater than the tiny risk of an axe murder deciding the DVLA is the route to pick up someones name and address because they happen to own an SLK.

As not everyone can afford legal expenses cover or is entitled to make a no win no fee claim then these people need to have a way to access justice.

I guess the alternative is for the DVLA to have investigators to ensure that there is just cause but I doubt people would be happy of for the £50 a year increase in road tax fund to pay for this.

hollydays

THE AA Motoring Trust is campaigning to stop the details being sold to these companies.
Even the Governments own department for constitutional affairs thinks its illegal.
Article in the Daily Mail-"DVLA sells your details to Criminals"