Data Protection Act

[Maggoty]

Hi guys

I was mailed a catalogue from a random company the other day. I emailed them to ask them where they got my name from (as I hadn't contacted them) but they emailed back to say that they didn't know. To Quote them :

"I’m really sorry, but we do not have this information.

All data received by the mailing houses are pooled and then sold on to companies who have requested a list for prospective new customers.

As far as I am aware the information supplied to us from the mailing houses is forwarded to us from an anonymous source."

Now I am not on MPS so I am not arguing that I am an opt out/do not contact. I just want to know who sold them my name. I thought that under the DPA they had to know the provenance of the data. or am I getting muddled?

Alison

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[Graham-W]

I don't know your answer but registering with "Mailing Preference Service" may reduce the amount of junk you receive. You can also make complaints from there about unsolicited mail.
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

[Maggoty]

Thanks Graham W - as my post shows I am aware of MPS - but my question is to the provenance of the data.

Anyone know my standing pse as to the company needing to tell me who they bought the data off?

Ta

xx

x

[MallyJ]

When I asked where a company had got my phone number from, after a lot of arguing and speaking to the supervisor, I was told that they cannot tell me as this would contravene the data protection act. I asked if that meant I was exempt from having my data protected but big companies were not exempt. Sadly there was no answer to this. I was removed from their lists tho'!!!

[Peter Pedant]

I am not sure if you have any standing quite honestly
but why take my word for it.

start here: http://ico.org.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/dealing-with-complaints

and one click you get here:
http://ico.org.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/~/media/documents/library/Data_Protection/Practical_application/how-we-deal-with-complaints-and-concerns-a-guide-for-data-controllers.pdf

and altho it hopefully says you should be told how the firm processes your data..... it is clear they think they have told you.

I am not aware that there is a reqt for people processing your data to keep an audit trail.