How do they know?

Mr_Singleton

Cornucopia wrote: »

Breaching data protection rules by acquiring data they have no right to use - no.

But it’s not data protection..... as it’s an address not a person.

So, maybe TV licensing has an agreement with Royal Mail on re-directions. Royal Mail for a fee tells TV licensing that there is a redirection to “20a High Street, Any Town”. TV Licensing looks on its database and sees that the TV License was moved to another address 3 months ago leaving the property unlicensed hence the ‘new occupant’ letter.

Is that plausible?

Cornucopia

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

But it’s not data protection..... as it’s an address not a person.

Okay - I thought that was what you were implying.

So, maybe TV licensing has an agreement with Royal Mail on re-directions. Royal Mail for a fee tells TV licensing that there is a redirection to “20a High Street, Any Town”. TV Licensing looks on its database and sees that the TV License was moved to another address 3 months ago leaving the property unlicensed hence the ‘new occupant’ letter.

Is that plausible?

I don't think so. I don't think Royal Mail would be able to sell that data without the permission of the outgoing or incoming householder. And mail redirection is far from being universal.

We know how it works. It's already been mentioned by me and another poster. Royal Mail sells databases of addresses. If you want to find out about that, the basic service is called PAF - Postcode Address File.

It uses that as a source to its own LASSY database which documents every address that has a Licence (and no doubt those that used to have one, but don't now).

They use that data to maintain a list of addresses "under scrutiny". And that's (in a nutshell) how it works - when an address pings from "Licensed" to "Unlicensed" and they haven't been contacted, they start sending letters. It's a little more complex as there are a variety of reasons why unlicensed addresses do not receive enforcement and I know this because my address is one of them.

I think they will take the (tiny) risk that they may send a few letters to empty properties by virtue of this process, but then the new occupier will have something to greet them when they finally move in.

There are a large number of different TV Licensing letters - you can get a flavour of them, here: http://www.bbctvlicence.com/

Mr_Singleton

Holy mother of God...... I’m right!!!!!

Just doing a search of Google for my post above and found this UTTERLY TERRIFYING ORWELLIAN Royal Mail ‘Service’...
https://www.royalmail.com/business/services/marketing/data-optimisation/ncoa-update

Email & Telephone tracking coming soon!

Cornucopia

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

Holy mother of God...... I’m right!!!!!

Just doing a search of Google for my post above and found this UTTERLY TERRIFYING ORWELLIAN Royal Mail ‘Service’...
https://www.royalmail.com/business/services/marketing/data-optimisation/ncoa-update

Email & Telephone tracking coming soon!

Hmmm... Like I said:-

"So your customers have already given us permission to forward their new contact details to organisations that have their old information".

It is opt-in.

Mr_Singleton

Cornucopia wrote: »

Hmmm... Like I said:-

"So your customers have already given us permission to forward their new contact details to organisations that have their old information".

It is opt-in.

I used the redirect service a few years ago I was never informed/told that Royal Mail would sell my personal data. I’ve just had a look at the current redirection T&C’s and nowhere does it mention selling data Clause 20 mentions a ‘Privacy Policy’ see somewhere else.

How is this legal in the days of INFORMED consent?

Uxb1

Cornucopia wrote: »

I don't think so. I don't think Royal Mail would be able to sell that data without the permission of the outgoing or incoming householder. And mail redirection is far from being universal.

The Postal re-direction form you sign specifically says they are required by law to pass the re-direction status on to the DWP and to Local Authorities.
Also that they may pass on the details to others to prevent Fraud and/or money laundering.
(It's clause 5 - how we use your data)

Cornucopia

So - two different questions.

1) I think that Royal Mail is working on the basis of opt-in to the "inform other organisations" part of the redirection service. If you don't opt-in, then they don't send your data. I think that would be a lawful approach, but IANAL. If someone asked them if TV Licensing was "on the list", then I would expect them to say so.

2) It's clear that the data is from a subset of opt-in customers, of the subset of people who move home and use the redirection service. I suppose TVL might buy that service, but it probably isn't comprehensive enough for them, and they have their own data in that area, anyway.

Mr_Singleton

Uxb1 wrote: »

The Postal re-direction form you sign specifically says they are required by law to pass the re-direction status on to the DWP and to Local Authorities.
Also that they may pass on the details to others to prevent Fraud and/or money laundering.
(It's clause 5 - how we use your data)

None of that covers TV Licensing to my mind..... also that doesn’t cover the sort of information being passed to whoever pays Royal Mails fee for NCOA.

Mr_Singleton

Just been having a deeper dive into Redirections on my commute to work and am flabbergasted to see that it's possible to have one for FIVE years. So you move into your house and yet the former owner can masquerade with banks, credit card companies, school admission offices etc etc as if they are still living at your address. Seems like a fraudsters charter. Obviously Royal Mail plays all sides for profit.... shocking really!

Uxb1

It used to be two years max.....must have changed recently.
I've used it for two years for an deceased relative to ensure that anything that was posted to them at their address came instead to me as executor.
You set it up at one year and then after the year get an online link/asked to phone in to renew it for another year.