Brighthouse family harassment

pmduk

Brighthouse's method of doing business is well known. Perhaps it would do the OP more good to research a company before dealing with them again.

shaun_from_Africa

Originally Posted by shaun from Africa
They may have contacted them to find out if they knew different contact details for the OP if for example they weren't replying to e-mails or phone messages.
They may also have contacted them to ask them to pass on a message.

Originally Posted by Flyboy152
It doesn't matter, they had no right to ask in the first place. They are a finance company, not the police

Of course they have the right to ask.
I could phone your house (if I knew your number) and ask a member of your family if they could tell me where you were or ask them to pass on a message.
Whoever I speak to in your household has every right to refuse to give me any info or not pass on a message, but are you seriously stating that only the police can ask a simple question of someone else?

Flyboy152

abi-em-mum83 wrote: »

But you give up that protection when you sign up.

Since when?

Basically they can do as they please, and they know people will agree to it because they are desperate.

The heck they can!

Without 5 contacts you are not allowed to enter into the contract with them, and they ask you to make sure these people are happy to be contacted. When I was with them,and from what of heard of others peoples experiences they make all of these terms clear when your signing up. If you want to take the risk and have your friends/family know your financial business for the sake of a 42" plasma,or a corner suite then thats what you agree to!!

Are you aware of the nature of the various pieces of legislation surrounding lending money, data protection and contract law?

Flyboy152

neilmcl wrote: »

Despicable, maybe, illegal not. The OP should have been aware of what they signed up to, so I can't see he has anything to complain about.

Insisting on unfair terms in contracts, demanding that a consumer relinquishes their statutory rights, is not a lawful way to trade.

Flyboy152

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Of course they have the right to ask.
I could phone your house (if I knew your number) and ask a member of your family if they could tell me where you were or ask them to pass on a message.
Whoever I speak to in your household has every right to refuse to give me any info or not pass on a message, but are you seriously stating that only the police can ask a simple question of someone else?

Bu they don't have the right to disclose personal information.

arcon5

I don't think it's unfair to provide 5 contacts, as long as the customer agrees and aslong the people being named agree to be contacted if necessary.

But as already said, they should only be contacting them if they can't get in touch with the customer -- using them as ther first point of call is just silly.

shaun_from_Africa

Bu they don't have the right to disclose personal information.

I agree, but that's not what I stated was it?, nor what you said in your reply to my comment.

I simply stated that they may have called asking for information on how to contact the OP or to ask them to pass on a message and you stated that they had no right to do this.

They may have contacted them to find out if they knew different contact details for the OP...
They may also have contacted them to ask them to pass on a message

they had no right to ask in the first place.

Insisting on unfair terms in contracts, demanding that a consumer relinquishes their statutory rights, is not a lawful way to trade.

So are to to assume that you can post a link to a ruling that states what Brighthouse have in their T&C's is illegal?

Passing on private or confidential information is not an illegal breach of the DPA if the person the data relates to has given permission for it to be disclosed.
I recently took out travel insurance, and one of the terms gave permission for the insurance company to contact my doctor to check my medial history.
I gave permission for them to do this by agreeing to the contract. The OP may have done the same with their Brighthouse contract.

But as already said, they should only be contacting them if they can't get in touch with the customer -- using them as ther first point of call is just silly

I agree, but we don't know if this is the case.
Just because the OP didn't hear from them doesn't mean that they didn't try to get in touch. They may have phoned many times when no one was home.

arcon5

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Bu they don't have the right to disclose personal information.

Op hasn't said they have disclosed personal information

scheming_gypsy

spookykid wrote: »

Instead they contact a member of family that you have named on the contract first and, in some cases, have contacted a member of family that you have not named.

How? if you haven't given contact details, how do they know who are the un-named family members and how to contact them?

arcon5

spookykid wrote: »

Instead they contact a member of family that you have named on the contract first and, in some cases, have contacted a member of family that you have not named.

Does this mean this isn't the first time you have missed a payment?