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Brighthouse family harassment

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  • shaun_from_Africa
    shaun_from_Africa Posts: 12,858 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It's information people are looking for, not more questions
    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    Then I suggest that posters restrict themselves to that specific activity, rather than making unwelcome moral judgements.

    Talk about being hypocritical.
    On more than one occasion you were specifically asked if you could provide a link to provide information to back up a claim you made, and on every occasion you failed to do so, instead choosing to make comments such as this one.
    Because I am not here to educate you. I have pointed you in the general direction; I hear google is a wonderful learning tool.

    What is the point in doing as you say and advising that posters "restrict themselves to that specific activity", when some of the people who claim that they have the information asked for refuse to divulge it, and simply claim that it is available using Google?
  • MamaMoo_2
    MamaMoo_2 Posts: 2,644 Forumite
    My guess would be that this information was offered up by a relative who was called. "do you have any alternative contact details for mr. X?" "yes, try his mother/brother/uncle/aunts house on 01234567890, he is there a lot"
    Also, Flyboy, if the OP was asked for people the company could contact in this situation (which he would be) and he freely offered this information after being informed of why those details would be taken and how they would be used (as he would be) then he really has no comeback. Brighthouse made it perfectly clear to me that if they Repeatedly could not get hold of me, then they would use the contact details on the reference form to try and get hold of me. As I had every intention of paying on time every week, or contacting them first in any instance where I couldn't pay, I had no issue with this.
  • Optimist
    Optimist Posts: 4,557 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    The fact that they have been calling these "references" to ask where their customer is. Now, that will give you a clue, if it doesn't, it is not my fault you don't understand it.

    The legal definition of harassment is: behaviour likely to cause alarm and distress.

    Well actually, it would be any course of action which a reasonable person would consider to be harassment.

    Please note the words "course of action" i.e. not one incident and also that wonderful word reasonable..
    "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."

    Bertrand Russell. British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)
  • The legal definition of harassment is: behaviour likely to cause alarm and distress

    Not quite correct.
    The actual law states that alarm or distress must be caused for it to be classed as harassment. The word "likely" is just something that you slipped in there (unintentionally I'm sure)


    Protection from Harassment Act 1997
    (3)For the purposes of this section—

    “conduct” includes speech;
    “harassment” of a person includes causing the person alarm or distress; and
    “harassment” of a person includes causing the person alarm or distress; and
    a course of conduct must involve conduct on at least two occasions.
    (4)It shall be a defence to any action of harassment to show that the course of conduct complained of—

    (a)was authorised by, under or by virtue of any enactment or rule of law;

    (b)was pursued for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime; or

    (c)was, in the particular circumstances, reasonable.

    There is a charge of using threatening behaviour likely to cause alarm and distress, but this is an entirely different charge to one of harassment.
  • Fridge3
    Fridge3 Posts: 9,246 Forumite
    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    How does all of that help the OP?
    Helps them understand they entered a contract. Helps them understand they broke the contract. Helps them understand Brighthouse are applying the terms as agreed. etc.
  • mynameisdave
    mynameisdave Posts: 1,284 Forumite
    arcon5 wrote: »
    "Its XXX from BH, i've been trying & unable to get in touch with YY with regards to a missed payment -- can you please ask them to get in touch with us?"

    Replace Brighthouse with Doctor and missed payment with a named medical test result..
  • mynameisdave
    mynameisdave Posts: 1,284 Forumite
    If, as the BH website suggests they are to be references only, and Brighthouse are retaining the data to find out where the customer is in the event of a missed payment then they have breached the DPA.

    How does this help the OP?

    They can point out to BH that they do not have permission to contact the persons given for character references to discuss their finances.
  • arcon5
    arcon5 Posts: 14,099 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Just because brighthouse describe them as 'personal references' doesn't mean there isn't a clause in the contract op agreed to stating they can contact the names provides in such cases.

    Is anybody with brighthouse here and do you have a contract at hand?
  • OlliesDad
    OlliesDad Posts: 1,825 Forumite
    If, as the BH website suggests they are to be references only, and Brighthouse are retaining the data to find out where the customer is in the event of a missed payment then they have breached the DPA.

    How does this help the OP?

    They can point out to BH that they do not have permission to contact the persons given for character references to discuss their finances.

    I would imagine the information is more detailed within the T's and C's, but without knowing exactly what the OP signed, all the advice given is speculative.
  • NeilF3485
    NeilF3485 Posts: 600 Forumite
    Ignoring the 6 pages of arguing, and getting back to the OP.

    If you don't want them to contact other people, don't give them any contact details for other people and sign an agreement presumably saying they can.

    If you don't want them to contact other people, don't miss any payments.

    The OP doesn't contact a single question relating to consumer rights, the only question in it is "anyone else annoyed at brighthouse for their tactics on chasing money from their customers" and the fact the question mark is missing suggests this was rhetorical anyway.

    Does someone want to come along and move this to the "vent" board instead, as that is all it is?
    "We can all fly as high as the dreams we dare to live...........unless we are a chicken" ~ Anon.
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