ERUDIO student loans help

rizla_king

You need to go all the way with the FOS then and ask them to order Erudio to fully backdate deferment and cancel any arrears. After all they are completely down to Erudios incompetent, bloody mindedness and lies. Take it all the way with the FOS and anything they require Erudio can to do can be legally enforced as if it were an order of the court.

eroneo

After some wild speculation about what they will do with our personal data, I have discovered that companies must notify the ICO to register how they will use data. Here is the register entry:

oops, I cannot post the link becuase I'm a newbie.

Ggoogel: ''Data Protection Public Register" and click on the ICO result.

Then search for "Erudio"

(could someone who is allowed please share the link?)

I thought I was being paranoid when I guessed that they'd be using our data for working out an 'employment score'.

It says they will share and trade data with recruitment agencies about our previous, current and prosepective employment, data about our families and our social lives amongst many other things. Read the whole list. The say that data trading is their main business. (I thought it was debt collection?)

It looks like the deal was that buying our loan accounts meant they were buying our identities to trade for whatever purpose regardless of the impact on our lives. Lose your job and perhaps they might tell the next employer you apply to what you supposedly did wrong?

What if our personal data is used for far reaching decisions about our lives for many years to come?

The day may come where your job applications are sifted according to data processed by 'big data' companies. Your livelihood and hapiness will be in their hands.

erudioed

Great find, here is the link: https://ico.org.uk/ESDWebPages/DoSearch

Here is who they say they share info with:
Where necessary or required we share information with:

• current, past or prospective employers
• family, associates and representatives of the person whose personal data we are processing
• financial organisations
• business associates and professional advisers
• educators and examining bodies
• employment and recruitment agencies
• healthcare and welfare organisations
• credit reference agencies
• debt collection and tracing agencies
• other companies in the same group
• suppliers and services providers
• trade and employer associations
• central government
• law enforcement and prosecuting authorities
• ombudsmen and regulatory authorities
• traders in personal data
• courts and tribunals

In fact, here is the entire page for Erudio Student Loans:
This register entry describes, in very general terms, the personal data being processed by:
ERUDIO STUDENT LOANS LIMITED
Nature of work - Acquiring and owning unsecured personal loan portfolios

Description of processing
The following is a broad description of the way this organisation/data controller processes personal information. To understand how your own personal information is processed you may need to refer to any personal communications you have received, check any privacy notices the organisation has provided or contact the organisation to ask about your personal circumstances.


Reasons/purposes for processing information
We process personal information to enable us to act as an intermediary for any financial transactions including mortgage and insurance broking, and debt administration to our clients; promote our goods and services; maintain our own accounts and records and to support and manage our staff.


Type/classes of information processed
We process information relevant to the above reasons/purposes. This may include:

• personal details
• family details
• lifestyle and social circumstances
• financial details
• employment and education details
• goods or services provided

We also process sensitive classes of information that may include:

• physical or mental health details
• racial or ethnic origin
• religious or other beliefs
• trade union membership
• offences and alleged offences

Who the information is processed about
We process personal information about:

• clients
• suppliers
• professional advisers and consultants
• enquirers, complainants
• employees

Who the information may be shared with
We sometimes need to share the personal information we process with the individual themself and also with other organisations. Where this is necessary we are required to comply with all aspects of the Data Protection Act (DPA). What follows is a description of the types of organisations we may need to share some of the personal information we process with for one or more reasons.


Where necessary or required we share information with:

• current, past or prospective employers
• family, associates and representatives of the person whose personal data we are processing
• financial organisations
• business associates and professional advisers
• educators and examining bodies
• employment and recruitment agencies
• healthcare and welfare organisations
• credit reference agencies
• debt collection and tracing agencies
• other companies in the same group
• suppliers and services providers
• trade and employer associations
• central government
• law enforcement and prosecuting authorities
• ombudsmen and regulatory authorities
• traders in personal data
• courts and tribunals

Trading and Sharing Personal Information
Personal information is traded and shared as a primary business function. For this reason the information processed may include name, contact details, family details, financial details, employment details, and goods and services. This information may be about customers and clients. The information may be traded or shared with business associates and professional advisers, agents, service providers, customers and clients, and traders in personal data.


Transfers
It may sometimes be necessary to transfer personal information overseas. When this is needed information is only shared within the European Economic Area (EEA). Any transfers made will be in full compliance with all aspects of the data protection act.

Copyright in this copy is owned by the Information Commissioner. Data Controllers may take copies of their own register entries. Apart from that no part of it may be copied unless allowed under the Copyright Designs and Patent Act 1988.

BaffledByErudio

Seen it all now. Surely, if Erudio awards itself the right to practically any information about us it wishes, and further claims its right to share this information with whoever comes up with the required reddies, it's only fair that BIS stops fannying around and shielding us from information WE want to know.
I find this situation to be a clear breach of what we signed up for. When I took out that loan, I think I'd have noticed the line on the application form which said, "By signing this, you assign us the right to share ANY piece of information about you to ANYONE we see fit." This is a bloody scandal and it's depressing how there seems to be nobody to effectively fight our corner, other than a lawyer, whose success is not guaranteed.
This government need lining up against a wall and shooting. It's all so outrageous it actually beggars belief!

rizla_king

Thanks for posting that but as often said a little knowledge in a dangerous thing.

Thats an aggregated list of everything they "may" share for every purpose they have in every function of their business. a lot more than just the personal info of a student loan borrower and not a list of what they can do with every persons data they hold. Data Protection Act principles and conditions for processing and sharing data still applies and means they cant do all that with our data.
The original permission to share we signed up for still apply subject to the normal legitimate interests and legal requirements exceptions.

erudioed

yep, for sure, it doesnt change any of that and it is a list that covers everything! But when they also note that they may provide name, contact details, family details, financial details, employment details to traders in personal data, that is a rather worrying thing for them not to be pulled up on by the ICO. Maybe it is standard practice, but until it is clarified, my nervousness about these bottom feeders having my bank statements/bank account info etc, and that they safeguard it like it is a core principle of their business model, i will never be at ease!

rizla_king

Yes but only where where they have consent to do that or it is justified under the data protection principles. You are confusing where they are saying may there with can or will.

They may share those things but only with consent or other legitimate legal reason that is in line with DPA.

That list is not saying they can do all those things with everyone!

Brooker_Dave

erudioed wrote: »

Where necessary or required we share information with:

• current, past or prospective employers
• family, associates and representatives of the person whose personal data we are processing
• financial organisations
• business associates and professional advisers
• educators and examining bodies
• employment and recruitment agencies
• healthcare and welfare organisations
• credit reference agencies
• debt collection and tracing agencies
• other companies in the same group
• suppliers and services providers
• trade and employer associations
• central government
• law enforcement and prosecuting authorities
• ombudsmen and regulatory authorities
• traders in personal data
• courts and tribunals

Entry for Student Loans Company:

Where necessary or required we share information with:

• claimants, beneficiaries, assignees and payees
• pension schemes with which the person whose personal information we are processing has an association
• trade and business associates and professional advisers
• healthcare, social and welfare organisations
• financial organisations and advisers
• central and local government
• service providers
• ombudsmen and regulatory authorities
• suppliers
• family, associates or representatives of the person whose personal data we are processing
• current, past or prospective employers

Brooker_Dave

So new ones:

traders in personal data (Experian?)
credit reference agencies (a/o)
debt collection and tracing agencies (Arrow?)
other companies in the same group (Arrow?)
law enforcement and prosecuting authorities (?)

erudioed

The Traders in Personal Data seems very worrying to me on the surface.