Audio Recording of Financial Appointments in a High Street Bank

BooJewels

surreysaver said:

BooJewels said:

I can concur about the SAR @boingy - when my husband changed jobs a few years ago, his new employer must have done a SAR to HMRC in respect of his employment history - no idea why - but the output was sent to our address but with the boss's name on.  When they didn't receive it, they must have repeated the process.  Both packages were almost a full ream of paper - every single payslip detail for over 40 years, every P11D, P45 and P60.  What a waste of resources - although with some thought to formatting it could have been halved.

Because only a subject can make a Subject Access Request. That's why its called a Subject Access Request 

I fully get that was why we got it - what I'd no idea about was why they requested it in the first instance (his employment history was an open book and easily verifiable as he was always fully vetted and licenced due to the nature of his work) and that surely they would also know that it would never be sent to them.  Then when it didn't arrive, they asked again - hence we got 2 copies.

MEM62

Kim_13 said:

MickyPalTaog said:

I then requested that the bank respond in writing to me and also detail ; 

1. Who has access to these audio recordings

2. How are they stored, and in which format

3. For how long are they stored and retained

4. How are these recordings destroyed and what is the process/timetable to ensure that they are not retained further than required 

Questions that are all irrelevant on the basis that you did not consent to the recording.  

MickyPalTaog said:

I do believe HBOS are legally allowed to record financial appointments. I also believe customers have the right to decline recording and that this does not preclude access to HBOS Services.

I would agree.

MickyPalTaog said:

What do the forum feel about this ? 

I feel that you are being over-sensitive to being recorded.  You have a 20 year relationship with this bank and trust them with your money but you do not trust them with a recoding.  This make no sense.

That said, it is absolutely your perogative to refuse.  However, I do not see that you have cause for complaint in respect of any inconvenience that your refusal led to as, after all, that was your choice.      

Surely those questions are relevant - the answers may determine whether someone who is not as open to being recorded will then give their consent. Perhaps they should have been asked at the appointment though - I would expect them to have a written policy somewhere that the customer could read.

I would argue that they are not relevant as, at that stage, the OP had already refused consent to have the meeting recorded.  On the basis that the meeting was not going to take place what does it matter who has access to the recordings, what they do with them and how long they are kept?  It is a moot point.  Only if the answer to those questions would have influenced the OP's decision would they be relevant.