Homeserve refuse to remove my phone number on an account (not mine)

fionajbanana

This morning I had a phone call from Homeserve. They asked to speak to Mrs Clarke. I said I am not Mrs Clarke and asked them to remove my number off her account. In the call I did not reveal my name.

The CSA refused to do this. Why? I work in a call centre and do outbound calls - not sales, just to follow up/update a customer and if I dial the number on the account which turns out to be incorrect, I remove it. If I have removed the last number on the account, it autogenerates a letter asking the customer to call us to give us the correct phone number(s). The phone came up with 'unavailable' on the caller display.

The CSA was telling me I cannot remove my number off the list all the time. I asked to speak to her supervisor as she was refusing a simple request and I explained to her that I can do this at my work. I then asked her for her full name and she hung up on me!

I am going to get more calls for this Mrs Clarke. The CSA did tell me the first line of her address and there is one road about 2 miles from here, but cannot tell if that is the right one as there are about 30 others in the UK, according to Streetmap.co.uk. I had it before at work where the phone number on the account was wrong and it was for an area code 80-100 miles away. For example a customer in Sheffield with a Liverpool area code!

If Homeserve do ring again asking for this Mrs Clarke. What are my rights for asking them to remove my number? I would write to them, but as there are 30 odd roads with the same name and Clarke is a very common surname, it will be difficult for them to locate Mrs Clarke's account. I would done so if there was only one road and the surname was rare.

I don't have an account with Homeserve.

unholyangel

Write to them and state that you are informing them the data they hold is incorrect and that they have a legal obligation under Data Protection Act to ensure all the data they hold is relevant, accurate and up to date. Include something if you can to back up your claim (CSA is probably very used to hearing "wrong number") - a copy of the first page of your phone bill perhaps (mines usually has name, address and the phone number of the account on the first page).

Tell them what you expect them to do (remove your phone number from that account).

shaun_from_Africa

THe problem with using the DPA is that the OP will be asking for data to be amended on an account belonging to another person, something which may not be possible without the permission of the account holder themselves.

HomeServe_company_representative

Hi Fionajbanana

Sorry to hear that you have been experiencing problems. In order to get in touch, please send us an email. Our team email address is listed in our profile page here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.php?u=2078577"

Thanks

jwruk

Go to their website, click 'Contact Us', select 'Complaint' from drop-down box, fill in form, complete the Captcha and then hit submit.

Too easy?

unholyangel

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

THe problem with using the DPA is that the OP will be asking for data to be amended on an account belonging to another person, something which may not be possible without the permission of the account holder themselves.

That would only really matter if OP was trying to access the data - they're not entitled to it because none of it is theirs except the phone number.

What they can do is challenge the accuracy of the data.

mikb

unholyangel wrote: »

What they can do is challenge the accuracy of the data.

And if you ever do find the real Mrs Clarke, contact her, and encourage her to complain to the DPA that Homeserve are phoning up random strangers to discuss her account. And they refuse to stop doing it ...

It's like ... funny how banks suddenly become much more interested in "statement sent to wrong address" incidents when the real owner of the statement, and the accidental recipient get together and compare notes.

Up until then, it's "oh don't worry, just throw it away, we'll reissue it and keep quiet ..."