Data Protection reasonableness?

Foggster

I have been thinking about this all weekend (I know I should get out more).

On Saturday morning at 8am I received a call, the caller asked to speak to me. I told them they were speaking to Mrs F and they said they needed to ask me some security questions.

I of course asked who they were before letting them ask a question and the caller told me her name and nothing else! I asked what the call was about and more importantly was it urgent because I was just about to leave the house for an 8.30am appointment which was 35 mins drive away.

The caller was a little short with me and replied it was very urgent and asked me for my DOB. I asked on whose behalf was she calling for and she replied Argos. "Penny dropped" I had missed a payment last month and had brought the account up to date on Thursday night for the grand total of £24.99 which actually cleared the outstanding amount, it was via online banking so appreciated the lady on the other end of the phone could not see the payment at that time.

By this point I had my hand on the front door and an impatient teenager waiting in the car whose appointment I was rushing to get to. So I told the lady that a payment of £24.99 had been paid on Thursday evening, online and I was very sorry for missing last months payment and that I really needed to leave the house 5 minutes ago.

The lady on the other end of the phone was having none of it and again asked me to answer the security questions, I again said I appreciated she had a job to do but I really had to go and if she checked the account again on Monday morning she will see the account has been cleared and apologised that I was now putting the phone down.

Maybe someone who has worked or is working in a similar role could tell me if by me being able to be as specific as I was on the actual amount I had paid and that it now brought the account into a zero position was enough for the caller to have been satisified without the need for the security questions. I know I was totally in the wrong by missing the payment, and have been charged a further £12 for my forgetfulness, but I really didnt have the time to go through the spiel.

paddyrg

If they call you, it is them who need to prove who they are to you, not the other way round. It could have been anyone at all...

Valli

It's marvellous isn't is (said sarcastically) they call you then ask you to answer their questions before you proceed with the call.

Under the circumstances you describe, OP, I would normally say it wasn't convenient at that time or that I was unable to talk at that time (mind you at 8:00 am on a saturday morning they'd be lucky to get me being civil) and arrange for a call back from them at a more convenient time.

caz2703

I've often wondered if I've done the right thing handing out details to someone phoning me. It annoys me that I have to prove who I am yet what proof do I have that they are who they say they are? Tempting next time to give wrong info and see if they accept it or point out the problem.

Azari

I had a call like that once but in my case the caller would not even tell me the name of the company she was calling from citing 'data protection'.

I told he I had no intention of answering any questions until she identified herself.

She repeated the 'data protection' excuse and started asking her questions again so I hung up.

Never did find out from whom she was calling and I never missed any payments on anything.

trudij

Azari wrote: »

I had a call like that once but in my case the caller would not even tell me the name of the company she was calling from citing 'data protection'.

I told he I had no intention of answering any questions until she identified herself.

She repeated the 'data protection' excuse and started asking her questions again so I hung up.

Never did find out from whom she was calling and I never missed any payments on anything.

I do things like this now - tell them that they obviously have all my details as they have succesfully phoned me,and as I have no proof they are who they say they are I wont be confirming anything else...
someone once reeled off some details about something Id bought claiming that that proved who she was - and would I now give her my bank details - I felt duty bound to point out that all it proved was that she knew that I had recently bought a washing machine, so no - I wouldnt be giving her bank details over the phone....

balmk

Even though they have called you, they still need to verify that you are who you say you are - they are looking for Mrs F, they hear a female voice, but it's no guarantee that it is Mrs F that they are speaking to. It could be a daughter/mother/aunt/grandmother/random person answering the phone.

If you are not comfortable giving details to someone who has called you, ask them for the company and department and say you will call them back.

I know it's daft and often a pain in the bum, but it's for our own protection.

sarahg1969

balmk wrote: »

Even though they have called you, they still need to verify that you are who you say you are - they are looking for Mrs F, they hear a female voice, but it's no guarantee that it is Mrs F that they are speaking to. It could be a daughter/mother/aunt/grandmother/random person answering the phone.

If you are not comfortable giving details to someone who has called you, ask them for the company and department and say you will call them back.

I know it's daft and often a pain in the bum, but it's for our own protection.

Why would you want to phone them back if they phone YOU? If you wanted to speak to them, you'd have phoned them, presumably?

This happened to me, and the caller was mpst insistent that I give him my full name, dob and address. After explaining that I had no desire to speak to him - otherwise, I would have phoned him - I ended the call.

ariba10

Just tell them to write to you.

If they then ask for your address, tell them they can get it from the same place they had your telephone number.

zppp

Working in a similar environment, calling customers, I always call them,

Ask for customer (if not available give 0845 number which can be looked up with extension number and request they call back)
Tell them where I am calling from
Why (i.e. in response to a letter etc)
Ask them if it is a convenient time to speak
Proceed to ID as sensitively as possible with people's concerns about ID fraud in mind
If someone refuses because they wish for me to confirm my identity, I give them a choice of a direct telephone number (0845 number which can be looked up with extension number), or a letter with what I information I require etc.

That is the protocol that should be followed as good service. It looks quite lengthy as I have broken it down, but in reality all of the above takes no more than 2/3 mins at worst. I am also against calling customers at 8am, so I always wait until about 9:30am, which I feel is a less intrusive time.

Foggster

balmk wrote: »

Even though they have called you, they still need to verify that you are who you say you are - they are looking for Mrs F, they hear a female voice, but it's no guarantee that it is Mrs F that they are speaking to. It could be a daughter/mother/aunt/grandmother/random person answering the phone.

If you are not comfortable giving details to someone who has called you, ask them for the company and department and say you will call them back.

I know it's daft and often a pain in the bum, but it's for our own protection.

Yes I know the reasons but what I asked was if the person gives some pretty acurate information i.e. the exact amount that was paid and the fact the account would now be at zero, wouldnt that be better than asking "my mum" my DOB and address, because that really isnt going to tax her! :rotfl: