Data Protection Act breach - serious legal matter

mynameistallulah

johnisworried wrote: »

no mention of their talking about me to other banks in there, so they obviously don't know I've discovered this fro another bank, or it was all said 'by mouth.'

So how are you going to prove it? I think someone is winding you up - unless they are part of the same group, there is no benefit to the banks in talking to each other in this way.

meer53

One more reason to NEVER post anything on the internet that might come back and bite you on the bum.

Whose blog was it and why was it fictionalised ?

lolavix

mynameistallulah wrote: »

So how are you going to prove it? I think someone is winding you up - unless they are part of the same group, there is no benefit to the banks in talking to each other in this way.

Exactly what I was thinking, I can't work out what they would get from it - if you were a serial complainer, surely they'd not tell another bank that voluntarily as it wouldnt be in their favour.

Dr_Cuckoo3

What method did bank A use to pass information about you to bank B ?

Is the Bank which is passing information about you to other banks the one that provided no mention of doing so when they responded to your subject access request ? did they contact the other bank by phone rather than in writing ?

What position do the staff involved in mud slinging hold at the banks ?

Are we talking about the "big four" banks ?

dzug1

If you've bragged about it in a blog, embellished or not, then you've put it in the public domain yourself.

johnisworried

Okay, myself and several friends kept a blog which we all contributed to whilst we were travelling. The central character was made up of many different aspects of our characters, getting up to made adventures on the road. We all contributed out stories and as you can imagine, under the umbrella of being one person, it came across quite mad and fun and hectic.

It was also highly exaggerated and fictionalised. I made some of my stories I told through the blog about my complaints, and painted myself as someone battling the system.

Somehow this blog was discovered and linked to me, by this bank (credit card company actually). They mentioned to me they'd read my blog, on the back of compensating me for a legitimate complaint about not being able to access my money whilst I was travelling.

I sent for a subject access report from a different bank/credit card company a few months ago, only to discover this:

"A few months ago we were contacted by ****** advising that this customer was a serial, self confessed complainer in regular search of
compensation from companies.

I want to nip this in the bud as quite frankly I believe that if we give
him an inch, he’ll try and take a yard, especially given what we know
about him. If it means losing the customer but not offering
compensation, so be it."

I believe they got the blog address (Which was only given to close friends fo ours, could not be googled, and, as I said, was mostly !!!!!!!!) from ANOTHER bank who somehow found it and mentioned it on the back of compensating me as a result of a complaint made to them.

So do I have a case, in your opinion/s, to complain here? I don't like the fact they're slagging me off to other banks/cc companies, and without my permission, and then hiding the fact. I got a DSAR from the company slagging me off, and no mention in there of their broadcasting this highly-opinionated BS to anyone else.

Surely it's a clear breach of Data Protection, if nothing else?

mynameistallulah

You published information online about yourself, the bank found it and advised another bank that you claim to be a scam artist. The information was in the public forum, shared in good faith, and from the given quote they do not specify that you are a customer. I see no problem with this.

And if you think that any blog is not searchable via Google, you are mistaken!

meer53

So how did the other bank find your blog ?

I have no idea whether you would be able to take this further, but i do believe you have shot yourself well and truly in the foot.

lolavix

Given that you made yourself out to be a scam artist I wouldn't have thought you'd have a leg to stand on tbh

JuicyJesus

If I were to post on the Internet that I was a serial shoplifter, and about my exploits nicking stuff on the High Street, it would be somewhat reasonable for BHS to let John Lewis know about my antics. Fictionalised or not, if you put your name to them then...