Portafina pension review letter

JoeEngland

Today I received a letter from some outfit called Portafina offering a pension review. My first thought was that it's a scam since it's an unsolicited letter. The letter is going in the shredding pile, but does anyone know where they might have obtained my details from? I'm wondering if I have grounds to refer them to the ICO or the FCA.

xylophone

some outfit called Portafina offering a pension review.

https://www.ftadviser.com/sipp/2018/09/14/ombudsman-finds-in-favour-of-insistent-client/

Teaandscones

JoeEngland wrote: »

Today I received a letter from some outfit called Portafina offering a pension review. My first thought was that it's a scam since it's an unsolicited letter. The letter is going in the shredding pile, but does anyone know where they might have obtained my details from? I'm wondering if I have grounds to refer them to the ICO or the FCA.

I had such a letter just after my 55th brthday. It went straight into the bin.

PS These are probably the type of outfits that increase the PI insurance costs of IFA's actually providing a good service.

HappyHarry

JoeEngland wrote: »

Today I received a letter from some outfit called Portafina offering a pension review. My first thought was that it's a scam since it's an unsolicited letter. The letter is going in the shredding pile, but does anyone know where they might have obtained my details from? I'm wondering if I have grounds to refer them to the ICO or the FCA.

Did they have any details of your pension, or was it just a fishing excercise where they had your name and address?

JoeEngland

HappyHarry wrote: »

Did they have any details of your pension, or was it just a fishing excercise where they had your name and address?

Just my name and address. I'd be even more wary if they had details of my pensions!

HappyHarry

JoeEngland wrote: »

Just my name and address. I'd be even more wary if they had details of my pensions!

That's good news. They have probably bought a mailing list from somewhere, and just haven't bothered applying the checks they should.

If they haven't followed the rules, I would be tempted to report them.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/marketing/

JoeEngland

HappyHarry wrote: »

That's good news. They have probably bought a mailing list from somewhere, and just haven't bothered applying the checks they should.

If they haven't followed the rules, I would be tempted to report them.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/marketing/

Thanks. I will submit a complaint and see what, if anything, comes of it since I have no idea where they got my details. I haven't had any direct dealings with them to give permission for marketing mail.

Dorian1958

Instead of shredding their letter, I sent it back to them using their envelope (thereby incurring them a charge), asking them to remove me from their database iaw the General Data Protection Regulations 2018.

JoeEngland

Dorian1958 wrote: »

Instead of shredding their letter, I sent it back to them using their envelope (thereby incurring them a charge), asking them to remove me from their database iaw the General Data Protection Regulations 2018.

Good idea. First thing is for me to submit the ICO complaint.

Col_Jessop

As well as a complaint to the ICO it is worth identifying the data broker that supplied them with your data and ensure that your data is suppressed by them and their suppliers. Otherwise it won't be the only{Edited by Forum Team}you are sent. The likely data broker also sells / rents your data to dubious direct selling companies such as Bluecrest Healthcare who try to sell people health screening that you get for free from the NHS but don't need anyway. There are upheld complaints about them by the ASA here and in Ireland and articles condemning them for offering health damaging tests in the BMJ.


Set up a non-identifiable email alias and just send emails demanding that your data is deleted / suppressed and also worth finding out what data they hold about you. The fact the letter arrived straight after your 55th birthday would suggest that they have profiled you based on your date of birth. Do you really want unscrupulous data brokers buying an selling that level of personal data?

Longcomplexnamespec

Same here. I thought that unsolicited mail and letters asking you asking you to part get tax free lump sums bu cashing in on your pension weren't legal, but obviously are.
But who is selling the data to them, I have given no one permission to contact me because I am about to retire, or is this data being sold illegally. Either way someone contacting me out of the blue to take part of my pension is not acceptable. The company is also supposedly FCA Regulated 754580, but i don't have time to look up every unsolicited email/letter contact and will stick to my current advisers.
But someone will be asked to sell their house or pension to raise some money - good luck!