Re: British Gas harvesting phone numbers by duplicity

On 21:32  29 Oct 2009, Scott wrote:
> On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:17:31 +0000, Rupert Moss-Eccardt
> <r.moss-eccardt@computer.org> wrote:
>
>>gasso wrote:
>>> On 11:24  28 Oct 2009, Bob Ferguson wrote:
>>>
>>>> "gasso" <invalid@mail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> (1) British Gas obtains my number in a sneaky way.
>>>>> (2) They make it hard for me to request a removal of my
>>>>> number (3) When I manage to request it, they don't actually
>>>>> remove it (4) I find my number may be with other
>>>>> subcontractors.
>>>>>
>>>>> Is there an action group anywhere which is trying to stop
>>>>> practises like that by British Gas?
>>>>>
>>>>> Here are the details:
>>>>>
>>>>> I once rang British Gas and they ended my identity
>>>>> verification by asking for my phone number. It was doen
>>>>> very smoothly and I provided my number because I thought it
>>>>> was needed as part of the identity verification.
>>>>>
>>>>>   "What's your name?"  "John Smith"
>>>>>   "What's your address"  "99 The High Street"
>>>>>   [ID verification is now complete]
>>>>>   "What's your phone number?"  "020 7777 0000"
>>>>>
>>>>> On a subsequent call to British Gas I noticed what was
>>>>> happening and questioned if it was actually necessary to
>>>>> give my number for identity verification. This time,
>>>>> British Gas said "No" and that my number was requested in
>>>>> case there were emergency works in the area or something
>>>>> like that and I needed to be contacted.
>>>>>
>>>>> I didn't feel that was a good reason to let British have my
>>>>> phone number on file so I asked for it to be removed.
>>>>>
>>>>> All sorts of obstacles were then put in the way. I made
>>>>> several calls and was told: it wasn't possible. Or write
>>>>> in. Or it had to wait until I had received the next bill.
>>>>> Or it would take 10 weeks. Etc. Etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> Eventually I got through to someone who said they actually
>>>>> could remove my number and I was happy.  A few months later
>>>>> during a call to British Gas, I find British Gas still have
>>>>> my number.
>>>>>
>>>>> From the conversation with them it appears BG may have
>>>>> provided my phone number to various subcontractors which
>>>>> they use for road works, issuing statements, receiving
>>>>> payments, etc.  British Gas couldn't be certain my phone
>>>>> number would be erased from the subcontractor's systems.
>>>>>
>>>>> What the heck is all this about???
>>>>>
>>>>> (1) British Gas obtains my number in a very sneaky way.
>>>>> (2) They make it hard for me to remove my number.
>>>>> (3) Someone accepts my removal request but then ignores it.
>>>>> (4) I discover my number may now be with other
>>>>> subcontractors.
>>>>>
>>>>> Is there any action group to stop this happening? I guess
>>>>> British Gas is probably not the only company doing this.
>>>> I understand that an organisation *must* remove your phone
>>>> number from their database should you request that they do
>>>> so. I believe that under the Privacy and Electronic (EC
>>>> Directive) Regulations 2003, it is a specific offence not to
>>>> do so.
>>>
>>> British Gas refuses to abide by those regulations.  What
>>> reasonable options are there which force them to comply?
>>>
>>> Is the offence you refer to one which an official body will
>>> pursue or is it left to the individual to (improbably) chase
>>> this matter through the courts?
>>>
>>> I'm sure I not the only person who has had this experience
>>> from British Gas;  there must be a growing pool of unhappy
>>> customers.
>>
>>I would use the complaint form on the Information
>>Commissioner's web site to complain about a Data Protection Act
>>breach in that they did not collect the telephone number
>>'fairly' and certainly you provided it in the belief it would
>>be used for a different purpose.
>
> I had a problem with a breach of the Data Protection Act a few
> years ago and contacted the Information Commissioner's website.
>  They basically told me that I would have to take civil action,
> that they may be able to provide some assistance but it was not
> their job to take enforcement action to deal with beaches of
> the data protection rules.

I thought the Info Commissioner took up cases and (after some
time) would write to the offender pointing out what was wrong.
Don't they escalate it beyond that?
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