Data protection breach Compensation

yetibrother

Hi

I have recently complained to my bank about a berach in DPA. My ex wife requested bank statements from an account that she used to be joint to and was removed from over two years ago. The bank sent statements right up to the time of her request which showed my new partner, my new address (which she did not know and I did not want her to know) and my outgoings and financial information, such as where I shop and what gym i go to.

They responded accepting their error and offered £250 in compensation, stating that they follow guidance from the FOS and that this is the maximum that they would offer.

This seems low and not in line with the upset caused, do I write and refuse and if so what do I say? Second of all is this reasonable?

Thanks in advance for all replies

YB

zxspeccy

Not entirely sure if the amount is in line with FOS, but am aware they do have recommended guidelines for the levels of compensation offered depending on the type of complaint. If you are not happy then go back to your bank with a counter offer, if you are still not happy then you can go to the FOS. However your bank is saying that the FOS will agree with their offer, and that you are unlikely to get any more compensation by referring the matter to them. It is always worth “threatening” to got to the FOS as the bank are responsible for paying for the investigation regardless of the outcome, and this is approximate £500 a time. So this might get you a higher settlement.

One thing to remember is that compensation is just that, it is a discretionary payment to cover any distress and inconvenience cause to you as a result of this error. If there are any other “out of pocket” expenses you wish to claim then this would be a separate matter. This could cover your time writing letters, postage, phone calls, etc.