Online data privacy

CazzieT

An online beauty products company that I have used only twice, in 2017 and 2022, have sent me several text notifications over the past couple of years via Royal Mail or Evri, informing me that 'my delivery' is due today at such-and-a-time, with tracking details.  On looking into this, I found that the tracker did not recognise my postcode and then, when the 'your parcel has been delivered' notification came, the proof of delivery showed a photo of the parcel at the actual recipient's door, with their address plainly showing.  It is clear that they have somehow linked my mobile number to the other account holder's account.  I have written to the company several times about this and they always say they are looking into it but the notifications keep coming.  It happened again today and I have again complained, this time pointing out that this is, in effect, a breach of data privacy, as my number is not being used for my account only and I am able to see the other account holder's address, and threatening to take it further as a breach of data privacy.  Unfortunately, I don't know where such a complaint can be made and any advice would be appreciated.

user1977

It's not your privacy which is being breached though? Maybe contact the other customer and ask them to complain...

RefluentBeans

I don’t think this is a breach of data protection per se - unless there’s a name attached to the texts (like us full name) then there’s just an address, which is easily accessible. 

It’s also likely that a customer has linked the wrong mobile number (yours) to their account. Block the number sending you messages and they’ll stop. 

CazzieT

Well, it is to the extent that my number is not being used for the intended purpose.  I have thought about contacting the other person but it would have to be a snailmail letter since I have no other contact details.

CazzieT

If I block the numbers sending the texts, I won't get genuine messages from Evri and Royal Mail for deliveries that I am expecting.  I still feel that the company should see this as a security issue, since my data has somehow 'escaped' from my account.

CazzieT

Have now sent a card to the account holder so will see if that yields anything, since the company itself seems so useless, but this should not be necessary.

born_again

CazzieT said:

Have now sent a card to the account holder so will see if that yields anything, since the company itself seems so useless, but this should not be necessary.

The problem is if other user has your number listed, then they can not do anything.
Many internal system do not allow search of users via different means.

 I won't get genuine messages from Evri and Royal Mail for deliveries that I am expecting.

But you are saying the company that you are not using now are sending the messages. Rather than Evri & RM. 

As phone numbers are reused, so it is possible that this person had the number before you & has never updated the retailer with their new number

Emmia

CazzieT said:

If I block the numbers sending the texts, I won't get genuine messages from Evri and Royal Mail for deliveries that I am expecting.  I still feel that the company should see this as a security issue, since my data has somehow 'escaped' from my account.

Has it 'escaped' from your account, or has the other person simply fat-fingered the typing of their phone number, mistakenly adding yours, rather than theirs e.g. transposing two numbers.

CazzieT

born_again said:

CazzieT said:

Have now sent a card to the account holder so will see if that yields anything, since the company itself seems so useless, but this should not be necessary.

The problem is if other user has your number listed, then they can not do anything.
Many internal system do not allow search of users via different means.

 I won't get genuine messages from Evri and Royal Mail for deliveries that I am expecting.

But you are saying the company that you are not using now are sending the messages. Rather than Evri & RM. 

As phone numbers are reused, so it is possible that this person had the number before you & has never updated the retailer with their new number

The company is giving Evri and RM my number (thinking it is for the other account holder) for notification purposes so if I block the Evri and RM numbers I won't get any of the notifications that genuinely come to me.  I think it's possible that the other account holder has fat-fingered their number in their account so perhaps this will be discovered by them when they receive my card.  My point is that I have complained several times to the company - they have my number in my account with them, they have photos of the parcel, with the address, on the other account holder's step yet, despite saying they will look into it, have done nothing, nor informed me of their investigations, and it's not acceptable.

born_again

CazzieT said:

born_again said:

CazzieT said:

Have now sent a card to the account holder so will see if that yields anything, since the company itself seems so useless, but this should not be necessary.

The problem is if other user has your number listed, then they can not do anything.
Many internal system do not allow search of users via different means.

 I won't get genuine messages from Evri and Royal Mail for deliveries that I am expecting.

But you are saying the company that you are not using now are sending the messages. Rather than Evri & RM. 

As phone numbers are reused, so it is possible that this person had the number before you & has never updated the retailer with their new number

The company is giving Evri and RM my number (thinking it is for the other account holder) for notification purposes so if I block the Evri and RM numbers I won't get any of the notifications that genuinely come to me.  I think it's possible that the other account holder has fat-fingered their number in their account so perhaps this will be discovered by them when they receive my card.  My point is that I have complained several times to the company - they have my number in my account with them, they have photos of the parcel, with the address, on the other account holder's step yet, despite saying they will look into it, have done nothing, nor informed me of their investigations, and it's not acceptable.

You have to remember no company will remove any data from another account on the whim ( I know it is not in this case) of a 3rd party. As you can imagine the damage someone could do.
Only by contacting that person to check details would they be able to correct any errors. As I said it is not always possible to track a customer down from data such as phone numbers, as it will depend on what search options they have to find a customer.

tightauldgit

If the customer has given them your number (deliberately or mistakenly) then there's no privacy breach and nothing the business can really do except ask the other account to check and update their contact details if they can identify it.

It's highly unlikely that your number has somehow migrated onto someone else's account much more likely someone has put a wrong number in the box.