Data Protection

evotwo

evotwo

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Paul
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Can someone please explain why everything these days is data protection :shake:

Just made a complaint to Carphone Warehouse about a product purchased over the counter which has been away for repair for 8 weeks. :rules: It was bought by my 14 year old daughter, so I took up the complaint. Now they are saying that they can't discus this with me without consent from my daughter :bang::bang:

I thought that the data protection act referred to data that was held on a person. They aren't holding any data on my daughter she purchased the goods over the counter, all they have is a repair ticket with her name and address on and I am not asking them to divulge where she lives and what her phone number is.

Anyone got any knowledge in this area, as they are seriously ticking me off now.

I think the world has gone totally mad :cuckoo::cuckoo:

Cheers
 
Firstly, she is under 18 and you are her parent.. she has no legal right to enter a contract without your permission. As such YOU hold any rights she has... Buying a phone on a PAYG contract is no exception.
Secondly any "personal" "information/ data" they hold is entirely yours as she is underage.
 
A bit of experience in DPA - the above is correct. If she is under 16, she can't enter into any contract, you have to on her behalf. 16-18 is a little more complex (can't get credit but can get a job for eg).

The reason people are so arsey about it, is cause if you break it, the company and the person who broke it from the company, can be sued for £5k each.
 
MagicMynx said:
The reason people are so arsey about it, is cause if you break it, the company and the person who broke it from the company, can be sued for £5k each.
Click to expand...


:agree:

I work in a big travel company and our policies are the same. No discussion with anyone other than the main passenger on the holidays. In fact any employee who doesnt adhere to it can get done for gross misconduct, hence the brick wall you may get at the end of the line.
 
Firstly, she is under 18 and you are her parent.. she has no legal right to enter a contract without your permission. As such YOU hold any rights she has... Buying a phone on a PAYG contract is no exception.
Secondly any "personal" "information/ data" they hold is entirely yours as she is underage.
Click to expand...

I told them that :bang::bang:

1 I was her parent

2 There are no personal details that are held on file and that this is a complaint about the repair of a laptop nothing else


Still get the same rubbish back, can't speak to you without her consent. How can I get them to talk to me without her consent. Its now got to a point of principal with them.

Thanks
 
I find the best route for any complaint to straight to the top. Look up detail on website, search for financial info. You may get lucky and find an email address. You may, as I have done, be able to work out their email addressing and guess the Chief Exec's email address. Failing that you will find an email address for the PR department, only to be used for media enquiries. If I use that, I add that I have emailed them as my next stage will be the media if it's not sorted.

You will be amazed how quick a response you can get.

Good luck.

Ken
 
Nikon Ken said:
I find the best route for any complaint to straight to the top. Look up detail on website, search for financial info. You may get lucky and find an email address. You may, as I have done, be able to work out their email addressing and guess the Chief Exec's email address. Failing that you will find an email address for the PR department, only to be used for media enquiries. If I use that, I add that I have emailed them as my next stage will be the media if it's not sorted.

You will be amazed how quick a response you can get.

Good luck.

Ken
Click to expand...

This is the response from sending the e-mail to the CEO Mr Charles Dunstone, obviously re routed to customer support. I also added that this was going to watchdog.

It's now got to a matter of principal, the letter to them clearly stated that I was the father and that my daughter was 14 so like others have stated it should not come to this. What happens with an 8 year old or 10 year old. Plus how does a child give an adult permission, whats that all about, or have we now got to the point where we have to ask our children if its alright to contact someone.

Ah well least you guys have let me get it off my chest :thumbs:
 
This all sounds quite ridiculous, but I'm not sure the points about minors and contracts are absolutely correct. The law has some practical flexibility, and young children enter into contracts every time they spend their pocket money on sweets, or whatever. I doubt if a 14 year old buying a PAYG mobile would be seen as an unlawful or unreasonable transaction. An airtime contract is another matter, because it involves credit.
 
I've no idea about the minor / contract thing but I can tell you that personal data is classed as:

data which relate to a living individual who can be identified -
(a)from those data, or
(b)from those data and other information which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller

so name and address definately counts. Have you asked to speak to their compliance officer (assuming they have one) - the problem is that the front line staff are given a set of guidelines re DPA that they will stick to religiously because as others have said - they can get done for it if they don't.
 
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