How did Very get my details?

hieveryone

I've just received a letter, addressed to me with my full name and address, offering me £15 off my first shop with Very.

Who are these people affiliated to?

I have a Next account, and the standard credit/debit cards from my bank but nothing else. How would they get my details?

dannny_2

hieveryone wrote: »

How would they get my details?

They would buy them or they would be passed around within the group.

Looking at verys lack of "privacy policy"

http://www.very.co.uk/help/en/privacy-terms.page

What information do you collect about me and why?

Shop Direct Home Shopping Limited (“Shop Direct”) provides your goods and is the data controller of information that you provide when you order goods. Shop Direct Finance Company Limited (“SDFC”) provides credit, subject to status, and arranges other financial services products and is the data controller of information you provide when you request a credit account or other financial services products. Both Shop Direct and SDFC are members of the Shop Direct group of companies ("the Group Company/Companies"). Solution Personal Finance Limited (which is a joint venture with SDFC) and Home Shopping Personal Finance Limited (which is a joint venture with Shop Direct Financial Services Limited, another Group Company) and any undertakings within those joint ventures and other joint ventures that we may enter into from time to time, may also offer you other credit facilities, subject to status, and/or financial services products. By giving information to Shop Direct and SDFC, you agree that it will be shared with Group Companies

For marketing purposes. We will send you brochures, leaflets, catalogues and other promotional material for our products and services. We may also telephone or email you to discuss account details or for market or service research. In addition, we may include leaflets or brochures for complementary products or services from third parties with our statements and parcels. Shop Direct, SDFC, a Group Company or our carefully selected third party partners may contact you by mail, telephone, e-mail, text message or any other reasonable method. If you do not wish to be contacted for marketing purposes by either: third parties or Shop Direct, SDFC or a Group Company or if you have any queries about data protection, please call 08448 222 321.

"carefully selected third party partners" is a term akin to "whoever pays us money for your details". (although selected usually means they won't sell it to !!!!!! sites or known fraudsters)

From time to time we may access publically available information relating to you on the internet (for example on social media websites) to assist in fraud prevention, for identity verification and for marketing.

Looking at that the way to prevent this is NOT to sign up with them. If you do, YOU then have to proactively stop them from spamming you.


These companies are known for this sort of thing.

Twisted_Cherry

Reminds me of when I use to work for them... and the endless questions such as 'Why are you calling me?' :mad:

MothballsWallet

OP, does their letter have a reply envelope in it?

If so, send back all the unwanted other crap you get in your letter box - credit card forms, takeaway menus, etc.

If it's not a postage paid reply envelope, even better - they'll have to pay to get it, hopefully, thinking they've got a new customer

MothballsWallet

Oh, if you're going to call them, don't use that 0844 number, I found a free phone number for them on Say No To 0870, which is 0800 180 000.

I'd also dial 141 before dialing their number to keep your number hidden. That's not a 100% guarantee that their phone system can't display your number though.

hieveryone

I hate things like this!

There's no reply envelope - it's just an invitation pre-approved type letter that states £15 off when I make an order.

Was just curious about how they got my details. I tried to call with an 0800 number, but they said the waiting time was 20 minutes, so I hung up!

MothballsWallet

If you've got a spare, blank, envelope, you could always send that full of stuff back to them without a stamp....

Just sayin'

JReacher1

It's not worth worrying about. One of the pains of the 21st century is it's almost impossible to keep your personal details out of the hands of companies like this. Just ignore it or if you're that worried send it back with "not at this address" on the envelope.

frugal_mike

You could try signing up with the mail preference service. It's not perfect, but I barely get any junk mail now. The only stuff I get are unaddressed mail delivered by hand, and letters from Virgin since they go to great lengths to suppress the preference system.

Storck

Maybe got it off voting list, or as others have said they have got it off another company you have dealt with, and you forgot to tick the no marketing box.

If another one comes return it as not known at this address