Ranting about Insurance Company and Data Protection
Discussion
Like some of you probably we have been receiving calls from people called ‘Jim’ or ‘Stewart’ asking about an alleged accident that may or may not have taken place weeks/months/years ago and about which they would like to discuss to see if they can help us claim and make (more) money.
The only motoring ‘accident’ that ever took place in our household was over two years ago when the wife misjudged the turning circle of her car and customized its front bumper against some road railings. Nobody else was involved. She nonetheless decided to go the Insurance way to have the car repaired.
In the meantime, we keep getting calls from these companies, calls that are at best massively irritating. But there is a limit to the number of times you can explain to the person on the phone that no, there has not been an accident and yes we are sure and no, nobody was ever hurt or died as a result of using a motorized vehicle in our house.
Fast forward to yesterday and my wife tells me that she has received a letter from her previous Insurance company saying that they have identified incidents where information regarding a motor claim or accident she was involved in may have been accessed and disclosed to a third party without their consent by an employee who has since been dismissed.
Well, that would explain a lot. Thank you very much for explaining to us how these people targeted us in the first place but
• that does not resolve anything as far as we are concerned. Unless we change our phone number they will keep calling,
• what is the Insurance company going to do to make sure that this data is not passed on to other?
I am not after claiming any form of compensation for the 'stress' endured (they are just phone calls and when I am not in the mood I just hang up) but knowing that the person responsible has been fired does not fill me with joy.
How unprofessional for a corporation to put the blame on one individual rather than to admit its failures and a) try to rectify them and b) make it right with the people that are paying the consequences.
For all I know the individual that has been dismissed may well be an entire department or a broken process within the company.
Is there anything reasonable I am in a position to demand from the Insurance company to make sure I don't get these calls anymore and to get reassurance that my data is now safe?
Mild rant over.
The only motoring ‘accident’ that ever took place in our household was over two years ago when the wife misjudged the turning circle of her car and customized its front bumper against some road railings. Nobody else was involved. She nonetheless decided to go the Insurance way to have the car repaired.
In the meantime, we keep getting calls from these companies, calls that are at best massively irritating. But there is a limit to the number of times you can explain to the person on the phone that no, there has not been an accident and yes we are sure and no, nobody was ever hurt or died as a result of using a motorized vehicle in our house.
Fast forward to yesterday and my wife tells me that she has received a letter from her previous Insurance company saying that they have identified incidents where information regarding a motor claim or accident she was involved in may have been accessed and disclosed to a third party without their consent by an employee who has since been dismissed.
Well, that would explain a lot. Thank you very much for explaining to us how these people targeted us in the first place but
• that does not resolve anything as far as we are concerned. Unless we change our phone number they will keep calling,
• what is the Insurance company going to do to make sure that this data is not passed on to other?
I am not after claiming any form of compensation for the 'stress' endured (they are just phone calls and when I am not in the mood I just hang up) but knowing that the person responsible has been fired does not fill me with joy.
How unprofessional for a corporation to put the blame on one individual rather than to admit its failures and a) try to rectify them and b) make it right with the people that are paying the consequences.
For all I know the individual that has been dismissed may well be an entire department or a broken process within the company.
Is there anything reasonable I am in a position to demand from the Insurance company to make sure I don't get these calls anymore and to get reassurance that my data is now safe?
Mild rant over.
I don't think it'll get very far in my honest opinion.
Watched a BBC TV show a while ago, how these people buy a log of 100,000's of mobile numbers and send them texts with either an insurance claim or PPI. The chances of any UK citizen to have even been involved in an accident or even hold a credit card are very high, so they ride there luck on people replying back and somewhere along the line scamming them.
They could have got hold of your number in a variety if ways, so worth checking with the insurance company but think they'll just fob you off...
Watched a BBC TV show a while ago, how these people buy a log of 100,000's of mobile numbers and send them texts with either an insurance claim or PPI. The chances of any UK citizen to have even been involved in an accident or even hold a credit card are very high, so they ride there luck on people replying back and somewhere along the line scamming them.
They could have got hold of your number in a variety if ways, so worth checking with the insurance company but think they'll just fob you off...
Complain to the data commissioner: http://ico.org.uk/complaints/handling
They have the power to fine the company. Won't do anything for you, but may make the company think twice about 'losing' data...
They have the power to fine the company. Won't do anything for you, but may make the company think twice about 'losing' data...
almost everyone gets these calls
some or all of them may have had nothing to do with the insurance company's data breach
these people call anyone and everyone, usually they get the reaction of don't know what your talking about or get lost etc, but some times they get a response a little different, someone saying something like oh no that was all been settled so no thank you i'm not interested, easily done when you have recently been dealing with calls to do with a real claim, but you have given away you've had a recent claim, and your name goes on a list, and the harassment starts
some or all of them may have had nothing to do with the insurance company's data breach
these people call anyone and everyone, usually they get the reaction of don't know what your talking about or get lost etc, but some times they get a response a little different, someone saying something like oh no that was all been settled so no thank you i'm not interested, easily done when you have recently been dealing with calls to do with a real claim, but you have given away you've had a recent claim, and your name goes on a list, and the harassment starts
Quinten said:
Complain to the data commissioner: http://ico.org.uk/complaints/handling
They have the power to fine the company. Won't do anything for you, but may make the company think twice about 'losing' data...
If they've written to customers then they'll have reported themselves.They have the power to fine the company. Won't do anything for you, but may make the company think twice about 'losing' data...
I work from home and get these calls all the time, both about accidents and PPI.
Touch wood, not had an accident for 25yrs years and I've never taken PPI.
Sometimes they even talk about a scenario with utter conviction - "that accident you had at the cross-roads" or "that loan that you took out for a car" etc.
I can deal with it, but they really bother my elderly father-in-law, and it seems convincing to him as he's always having accidents. However they're always his fault so the callers rapidly lose interest!
I use 'Mr Number' (available on Google Play store for free, other Android call blockers are available) to block these calls. It checks the number against its own Spam database, it's then up to you to answer/permanently block or you can manually block existing numbers in your call log.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Thanks for the advice guys.
I have developped an ear to detect the second or so it takes their switchboard to connect the call to one of the operators and I usually hang up before they start talking.
The problem is that they know that you picked up and when. They will therefore try again and again until you tell them in a stern way that they are wrong and that they must update their files.
I hope it does deter some.
I have developped an ear to detect the second or so it takes their switchboard to connect the call to one of the operators and I usually hang up before they start talking.
The problem is that they know that you picked up and when. They will therefore try again and again until you tell them in a stern way that they are wrong and that they must update their files.
I hope it does deter some.
Redgate - that's one way to play it. other way ( and it might help if more folks did this ,as ICO looks at volume of calls) is to register for no calls at TPS, and if called complain to TPS and also complain to the folks with teeth -ICO .ICO is only place to complain about texts . I mist admit that if I don't recognise the number, I don't answer ,but check out the number on www.whocallsme.com. Lots of other folks do this and a list of numbers soon builds up. I simply add the post address to any ICO complaint. They never call again .
wibble cb said:
If it's your mobile phone, take a note of the number, make up a contact list called IGNORE, and add the number to it, if they call again you'll know to not pick it up(I have about 6 numbers on mine now from various pests I don't want to talk to).
Everytime I get one of these I do the same thing, I use the block function on my iPhone.Regarding TPS, I registered with them some time ago, but it never prevented me from getting 3-4 cold calls every single day. I complained about it to TPS, too, and they never did anything to help.
The only thing that has stopped them is a device called Truecaller, which I bought last year, and which has almost completely eliminated all cold calls. I know this makes me sound like a sales rep for the company, but I'm not: the product actually worked.
Osito
The only thing that has stopped them is a device called Truecaller, which I bought last year, and which has almost completely eliminated all cold calls. I know this makes me sound like a sales rep for the company, but I'm not: the product actually worked.
Osito
My OH had exactly the same problem (are the Insurance Company based in East Anglia?).
on the last one he asked for the Company name as the Insurance Company were looking for evidence to prosecute for illegaly gained personal information. They immediately hung up and not had a single call since.
This may be coincidence but he was getting about 1 or 2 a day.
on the last one he asked for the Company name as the Insurance Company were looking for evidence to prosecute for illegaly gained personal information. They immediately hung up and not had a single call since.
This may be coincidence but he was getting about 1 or 2 a day.
The last (and only) time I have claimed on a motor insurance was in 1973 but I still get these calls asking about my "recent accident". I am therefore fairly sure that, certainly in a lot of cases, they're taking pot luck with the numbers that they dial.
Many of the calls emanate from overseas where the TPS has no authority; actually, I think the TPS is generally toothless anyway. Anyone know how many successful prosecutions they have brought?
Many of the calls emanate from overseas where the TPS has no authority; actually, I think the TPS is generally toothless anyway. Anyone know how many successful prosecutions they have brought?
[quote=NPI]
"If they've written to customers then they'll have reported themselves.
I work from home and get these calls all the time, both about accidents and PPI.
Touch wood, not had an accident for 25yrs years and I've never taken PPI."
The reason why all these PPI claims have gone through is because although people have not taken out the payment protection somebody at the bank or credit card company or whatever has decided to tick the box for you.
"If they've written to customers then they'll have reported themselves.
I work from home and get these calls all the time, both about accidents and PPI.
Touch wood, not had an accident for 25yrs years and I've never taken PPI."
The reason why all these PPI claims have gone through is because although people have not taken out the payment protection somebody at the bank or credit card company or whatever has decided to tick the box for you.
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