Last month I forgot to pay my credit card balance, yesterday the company rang my house and my mum answered. They told her how much I owed them and lots of other stuff. I'm now getting lots of grief from my mum which I can really do without.

I thought it would be against the data protection act for them to tell her this information, am I right?

Originally posted by adlinds
Last month I forgot to pay my credit card balance, yesterday the company rang my house and my mum answered. They told her how much I owed them and lots of other stuff. I'm now getting lots of grief from my mum which I can really do without.

I thought it would be against the data protection act for them to tell her this information, am I right?

Yes you are right, unless you signed otherwise and she is a garantor.

If I were you I would file a complaint, ask your mum if she took the name of the person she spoke to... unless she did what my mother usually does and if I get a phone call she tells them that she is me and gets them to give her all the info... but then again, your mum probably isnt as crazy as mine.

Susie
xx

Originally posted by adlinds
Last month I forgot to pay my credit card balance, yesterday the company rang my house and my mum answered. They told her how much I owed them and lots of other stuff. I'm now getting lots of grief from my mum which I can really do without.

I thought it would be against the data protection act for them to tell her this information, am I right?

They have absolutely broken the most important rule they have to abide by, unless your mum did indeed pretend to be you. I used to work in the financial world and did occasionally get the odd person who could answer all my data protection questions and we would have suspicions they were someone else but would have to give them the information.

I would make a very serious complaint ASAP.

Were you there when your mother took the call?

It sounds strange that any of the major credit card companies (which one was it by the way?) would go to the trouble of calling a customer after one month's lack of payment.
They are normally just overjoyed to slap the interest on the next bill!

Unless anyone else knows different.

I'm sure they cannot do that because of the Data Protection Act. You should file a complaint and transfer your balance to another card who will respect your privacy.....

Most companies record calls - and by law you're entitled to a copy of the tape.

Does your mum have a masculine voice? If they could tell she was a woman, or if they had suspicions then they were wrong to give out the information even if she answered the security questions correctly.

If you do want to take this further, ask for a copy of the company's complaints procedure - this will have an address to write to.

Originally posted by cgksheff
Were you there when your mother took the call?

It sounds strange that any of the major credit card companies (which one was it by the way?) would go to the trouble of calling a customer after one month's lack of payment.
They are normally just overjoyed to slap the interest on the next bill!

Unless anyone else knows different.

We got one of these calls after a missing payment, but the guy who called us wanted to know our password before he would proceed with disclosing any info about the reason he was calling. I explained that I had no proof of who he was and he wasn't getting any passwords from me, for security reasons :D

We rang back on the general helpline number and asked them if there was a problem, and they were able to pin it down to a missing payment due to a lost cheque - so the call was from their 'collections department' :roll:

The collections guy was not used to being treated this way. He's used to calling all the shots :mad:

Originally posted by Strix
We got one of these calls after a missing payment, but the guy who called us wanted to know our password before he would proceed with disclosing any info about the reason he was calling. I explained that I had no proof of who he was and he wasn't getting any passwords from me, for security reasons :D

We rang back on the general helpline number and asked them if there was a problem, and they were able to pin it down to a missing payment due to a lost cheque - so the call was from their 'collections department' :roll:

The collections guy was not used to being treated this way. He's used to calling all the shots :mad:
HA nice one Strix, will remember this thread next time they are getting all pomped up with self importance at my bank :thumbsup:

Originally posted by honeyplanet
HA nice one Strix, will remember this thread next time they are getting all pomped up with self importance at my bank :thumbsup:

I work in a collections department for mortgage arrears and would comment as follows....

1. Unless Adlinds has previously given his mother authority to deal on his behalf no details should have been given regarding his account as this is in breach of Data Protection Act and he can make a justified complaint.

2. Security questions are asked for the purpose of the Data Protection Act as a process of identification. If people are unhappy to disclose personal details such as DOB etc passwords are an alternative method!!

I am therefore in complete confusion over the last two posts :confused: as this procedure is there for the protection of the customer.....NOT pomped up bank staff full of self importance....:mad:

If Adlinds bank had done security ie., questions/password his mother would NEVER have succeeded in accessing his account details....

what do people want.....security questions/passwords???? or us to discuss the details of their account with anyone who answers the phone.....???

:help:

Fair enough.. but you do get the odd one or two call centre staff who seem to take thier roll with the bank to extremes, and in my book thats getting pomped up on self importance.
As a customer I don't have to speak to them, and like Strix can opt to call back myself.
In this day and age of identity theft personally I feel its the best thing to do, who's to say the identity thives have not taken things to a new level by 'phishing' via phonecalls.

Thanks for the response Honeyplanet...I just get fed up from time to time with people taking this attitude on security because I am 'one of those people' just trying to do my job....I am quite happy for people to call back etc but people are naturally sceptical due to the rise in identity theft not to give personal details over the phone to anyone etc but these people I call should have received a letter before the call...all the banks who operate collections departments issue letters before calling...so the call is made purely if no response from the letter after 3 days!

Another point to mention is a lot of my customers say we 'with-hold our number or if 1471 is keyed the number is blocked...this is because the call centres operate an 0845 local call number so BT do this...we do not set out to 'mask' our identity...it is just that if all our calls left 0114 etc people outside of Sheffield would be charged at national rate if they rang us back.

Hope this clears things up for a few people who get agitated by people like me calling!

:thumbsup:

I also got a call from the RBS recently and the person asked for my date of birth for security reason. I ask what the call was about and they said they I needed to give my DOB first before they could tell me.
I find it annoying that people call my house and the first thing they ask me is my birthday without even telling me what the call was about, I mean they could just say credit card or car without going into details. I have an AA credit card and didn't even know it had something to do with the Bank of Scotland, anyway he eventually settled for my post code.
At then end of the day I guess it was no big deal, was probably the way he asked me that got me a bit worked up.

I've had a couple of calls recently, they always ask 'security questions' before discussing the purpose of the call.

However, hubby answered a call recently and although they asked for me (and I wasn't in) they told him they were calling from GE Capital. Now that got my hubby in a bit of a state - they should not reveal ANY details to a third pary - including where they are caling from.

Originally posted by Shiesh
Thanks for the response Honeyplanet...I just get fed up from time to time with people taking this attitude on security because I am 'one of those people' just trying to do my job....I am quite happy for people to call back etc but people are naturally sceptical due to the rise in identity theft not to give personal details over the phone to anyone etc but these people I call should have received a letter before the call...all the banks who operate collections departments issue letters before calling...so the call is made purely if no response from the letter after 3 days!

Another point to mention is a lot of my customers say we 'with-hold our number or if 1471 is keyed the number is blocked...this is because the call centres operate an 0845 local call number so BT do this...we do not set out to 'mask' our identity...it is just that if all our calls left 0114 etc people outside of Sheffield would be charged at national rate if they rang us back.

Hope this clears things up for a few people who get agitated by people like me calling!

:thumbsup:
For me rather than a security issue its more of the atitude of some staff at certain times. When I had my cards stolen a few years ago I made a formal complaint to my bank as some of the call centre staff insinuated that I was resposable for the fraud on my account, and then more recently when we moved they neglected to change my address over and sent documents to my old address including all account numbers balance ect..
Not that I am having a pop at you in any way, I do know that there are good staff out there somwhere, I just wish my bank would employ some :)

Originally posted by Hels
However, hubby answered a call recently and although they asked for me (and I wasn't in) they told him they were calling from GE Capital. Now that got my hubby in a bit of a state - they should not reveal ANY details to a third pary - including where they are caling from. [/B]

That annoys me when they won't say who they are from. Many times my wife has answered calls whilst I am at work. When she asks who it is so I can call back, they refuse. Since I work a lot this makes it nigh on impossible for me to speak to anyone, and I only find out what it is about when a letter arrives on my doorstep 2 weeks later (not 3 days before as mentioned earlier...I have never been informed via post first before being phoned in the 15 years of my having credit cards etc).

Personally, in this day and age of scams, I prefer not to discuss any financial dealings with 'cold calls' from financial institutions unless I am convinced that their security measures are good. If I am unsure about the caller, I hang up and call them myself.

The worst examples in these cases are catalogues, who seem to feel that simply asking "Is that Mr *******? Can you confirm your address to me?" is good enough. Yeah right, 'cos I'm gonna give my address out to someone who has my phone number without them being able to prove who they are! That way, they can call it, if no answer, know the house is empty and waiting to be robbed!!! With these people I have begun asking them security questions...like "What was the last item I purchased? How much did I pay on my last statement?" Funnily enough they can't tell me (data protection), so cannot prove who they are.

Shiesh, I am glad your company sends out letters first. Yours must be the only one, as I know from experience that Barclaycard, CITI, Alliance and Leicester, Lloyds TSB, HSBC, and Morgan Stanley don't, and never have until 7 days AFTER the call (the date on the top of the letter, not the arrival date of the mailing).

Originally posted by Beakerzoid
Personally, in this day and age of scams, I prefer not to discuss any financial dealings with 'cold calls' from financial institutions unless I am convinced that their security measures are good. If I am unsure about the caller, I hang up and call them myself.

The worst examples in these cases are catalogues, who seem to feel that simply asking "Is that Mr *******? Can you confirm your address to me?" is good enough.

I've had these cold calls from Natwest. They ask to speak to a particular person (me), tell me they're from Natwest and that I need to confirm my address inc. postcode, date of birth and account password?!? The last time they did this I flatly refused, and the person on the other end started proving that they are who they said they were by reading my information out to me. Nice.

Shiesh, I am glad your company sends out letters first. Yours must be the only one, as I know from experience that Barclaycard, CITI, Alliance and Leicester, Lloyds TSB, HSBC, and Morgan Stanley don't, and never have until 7 days AFTER the call (the date on the top of the letter, not the arrival date of the mailing).

To be honest, if it is something of particular security importance then I would rather a letter addressed to me, or a phone call asking me to call back about a matter relating to my account. Just like never clicking links in emails, I never respond to cold calls from financial institutions. It's just not sensible. I feel sorry for the operators who have to put up with customers refusing to speak to them, but I'm afraid that I'm not compromising my personal security just to make your day easier :(

For about two weeks recently we received a number of strange calls, typically when I was at work.

No messages left on the answering machine, and when answered by Mrs P. the line went dead.

We took the number using 1471 - Glasgow - and also noted that it showed up on the Caller Identity Display of the phone.

When I rang it back - it was reported as no such number.

Being a devious so and so I dialled the numbers in a block around that number - no such number, even when I went to BT.

Eventually I answered it and it was my bank, cold calling. All the 'financial review' guff which usually means they want to sell me something.

It served to remind me why I felt like a corporate IT whore when working for the banks... :)

Joe

Dear all, thank you for your responses and I shall be making a complaint. My mother has not got a manly voice :hihi: She even told them she was my mother and demanded to know what it was about, the person on the other end just seemed to crumble and tell her whatever she wanted to know.

The CC company was Capital One and I was not there when they rang. I have since payed off all my balance and when that goes through which should be tomorrow I am complianing and shutting the account. They are not getting one more penny of interest off me.

I don't think the fact that they broke the data protection act somehow absolves you of the responsability to pay the interest on the balance.

The reason I'm not paying any more interest is becuase I no longer owe them any money as I payed off my entire balance, not becuase they broke the Data Protection Act.

Originally posted by Cyclone
I don't think the fact that they broke the data protection act somehow absolves you of the responsability to pay the interest on the balance.

No, but the fact this person is ****** off that they broke the data protection act and has since cleared the balance means it does absolve them of them paying interest.

Originally posted by adlinds
Last month I forgot to pay my credit card balance, yesterday the company rang my house and my mum answered. They told her how much I owed them and lots of other stuff. I'm now getting lots of grief from my mum which I can really do without.

I thought it would be against the data protection act for them to tell her this information, am I right?

They were certainly acting irresponsibly by handing out information regarding your spending habits, amount payable etc. To avoid it in the future, Direct Debit it - much much easier.

Originally posted by adlinds
The reason I'm not paying any more interest is becuase I no longer owe them any money as I payed off my entire balance, not becuase they broke the Data Protection Act.

You MAY find that there is still some interest to be applied between the last time interest was applied to the account and the date that you paid the account up.

A sort of 'catch up' that is frequently applied.

Joe

adlinds - don't tell them you're cancelling the card. If they think there's a chance they may keep you as a customer, they're more likely to offer some form of compensation.

If you're not happy with their reply you can ultimatly complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service - ask for a copy of their complaint procedure.

Originally posted by Beakerzoid
Shiesh, I am glad your company sends out letters first. Yours must be the only one, as I know from experience that Barclaycard, CITI, Alliance and Leicester, Lloyds TSB, HSBC, and Morgan Stanley don't, and never have until 7 days AFTER the call (the date on the top of the letter, not the arrival date of the mailing).

I work for Abbey...the only time we may call before the issue of a letter is if the mortgage is paid by direct debit. If the direct debit fails and the account is on 'daily interest' we will most probably call before a letter to advise of the 'effect' of additional daily interest and a date for the direct debit to try again...usually 7 days later!

We never 'cold call' for business - usually that stems from intermediaries.

:thumbsup:

Good Luck with the complaint Adlinds...that WAS completely 'out of order'!

:)

Cheers...I know who to chose in future if I ever want a loan or credit card. ;)