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Avro sign-up form asking for next of kin contact details

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I'm trying to sign up to Avro. It's been years since I set up an energy account, and I'm confused as to why the form asks me for contact details for my next of kin.

I don't really want to provide them unless there's some legal reason the company would need them, and I can't help thinking that giving out someone else's personal contact details violates some kind of data protection law.

Does anyone know the reason the company would want this info and whether I'm obliged to provide it?

All ideas welcome - TIA
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Comments

  • Gerry1
    Gerry1 Posts: 10,848 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Are you on the Priority Services Register? If not, it's none of their business.

    Ditto for Date of Birth.
  • bluecastle wrote: »
    I'm trying to sign up to Avro. It's been years since I set up an energy account, and I'm confused as to why the form asks me for contact details for my next of kin.

    I don't really want to provide them unless there's some legal reason the company would need them, and I can't help thinking that giving out someone else's personal contact details violates some kind of data protection law.

    Does anyone know the reason the company would want this info and whether I'm obliged to provide it?

    All ideas welcome - TIA

    I don't see any request on their usual application form for details of next of kin.

    I don't see any indication within their privacy policy that they request such info either.

    Are you sure you are on the Avro website filling in the application form?

    The limited information of personal information they do collect will be covered by the declaration you are required to agree to at the bottom of the application form
    I can confirm that I am providing my explicit consent for the collection and processing of my personal data for the fulfilment of your electricity and/or gas contract under GDPR.
  • Gerry1 wrote: »
    Are you on the Priority Services Register? If not, it's none of their business.

    Ditto for Date of Birth.

    Your date of birth is required within the application form, as it often is for the most (all?) energy supplier and indeed creditors.

    Avro say they need the information to identfy you.
    If that is for part of the credit reference checking, best to provide your proper one.

    If it's just a security check when you later contact them, then I suppose you could provide any date as long as you remember what you gave when you later contact them.
  • Gerry1
    Gerry1 Posts: 10,848 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I always refuse to give it, and I've never had a problem. It's madness the way that so many organisations use DoB as a (shared) password considering that it's so widely known.

    Obviously they've never heard of birthday cards !
  • Gerry1 wrote: »
    I always refuse to give it, and I've never had a problem. ...

    It's not a password.

    I thought I read previously that you have been, or are, supplied by Avro.
    You mention the application process via their website was not a problem, I think

    Yet the Avro website will not allow you to submit your application without providing your date of birth, or at least some date.

    :cool:
  • Gerry1
    Gerry1 Posts: 10,848 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It's certainly used as a password: all sorts of stupid organisations don't need it but still ask for it. With Avro I gave a silly date but it wasn't a problem.
  • matelodave
    matelodave Posts: 9,076 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    If you don't want to give it then don't sign up with Avro - simples
    Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers
  • Streaky_Bacon
    Streaky_Bacon Posts: 656 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 28 January 2020 at 2:47AM
    There's no reason why a supplier should need your next of kin. It's probably just been put in there by somebody who thought that it sounded like the kind of thing you should have on a form.

    If you can't leave it blank, just put yourself down, if it won't allow that then put down their Managing Director at their head office address.
  • fanlight wrote: »
    I don't see any request on their usual application form for details of next of kin.

    I don't see any indication within their privacy policy that they request such info either.

    Are you sure you are on the Avro website filling in the application form?

    The limited information of personal information they do collect will be covered by the declaration you are required to agree to at the bottom of the application form

    I'm not using the standard web form, I'm using the one they send to people who have moved into a property they already supply.

    I'm happy to stay with them, but I don't know why they need to know my mum's birthday. Think I'll put myself as my next of kin and see how that goes.
  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    No wonder their prices are so cheap; they would have to be...

    Good luck, OP. According to the CEC, I could save nearly £100 by switching to them; they are so not worth the grief.
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