Retailers: We don’t sell your information

[rpm]

Retailers: We don’t sell your information

Consumers who get swamped with marketing are concerned about where companies are getting their information from - and retail credit providers are saying "don't look at us". more

[Kosmik]

When you receive the same spelling mistakes in spam as the details on your statements, come again how they don't sell your details?

[DrYes]

Ironically its the banks and stores themselves that are continuosly trying to push their add on products.

[House]

Well, if the retailers don't do it and the banks don't do it - then who does it?

[DJ...]

Well, if the retailers don't do it and the banks don't do it - then who does it?

I know for a fact that my details were sold by Standard Bank, Vodacom and MTN. This was 3 years ago though...

[House]

I know for a fact that my details were sold by Standard Bank, Vodacom and MTN. This was 3 years ago though...

I was just being sarcastic.

I do know for a fact that banks and retailers are selling customer information between one another. In recent years some banks have started making use of a 'Don't Call' system on their clients where they do not sell the info of those clients.

But, there are big money changing hands in the retail, banking and insurance industries when it comes to selling customer information - despite what any of them are saying to the media now.

[DJ...]

Here's how it happened with me - registered a cell account with both MTN and Vodacom - this was for data only, so never used the numbers. Didn't even know the respective numbers. Within days I'd received spam marketing, in my name to both the numbers from various retailers offering me store credit and credit cards.

With Standard Bank, they stuffed up the spelling of my surname. I started receiving spam on my cell immediately afterwards addressed to the incorrectly spelled name. Even after they changed it, I still received the incorrectly addressed spam, even by physical mail at one point. So it is quite obvious that the moment they have your details, they sell them off to third parties...

[FNfal]

I would realy like proof of who is selling my information because the spam seems to be increasing ,getting spam SMSs and email .
Used to get the viagra spam until i accessed their network and made sure that will never happen again .

[biometrics]

But did you tick the box that said don't contact me ...

[DJ...]

But did you tick the box that said don't contact me ...

Shouldn't exist in the first place. When I open a bank account, I shouldn't have to be on the lookout for devious clauses intended to sell my information off to other companies. My contract should relate to my bank account...

[House]

Shouldn't exist in the first place...

Totally agreed, but I do not think they will ever tell the public how much money they make in selling client info. It amounts to hundreds of millions of Rands on an annual basis. That is business they would not want to loose.

[chrisc4290]

ADT in their contracts state quite openly that they can sell your information to any third party and you consent to this by signing the form. Some people cross out the clause and then ADT refuse to provide service.

When I applied for a TV licence, I deliberately mis-spelled my name on the form. Within 6 months I was receiving unsolicited post with the same spelling mistake. Yet they deny they sell the info. When I asked the lady how a deliberate spelling mistake could have transferred by itself to a direct marketing service, she put down the phone. So I contacted the direct marketing co and complained and they took it off.

[House]

I am speaking out of experience, trading in personal information of clients amongst the banking and retail industries are huge. None of the comments above are surprising. This industry is huge, and when I refer to annual income of hundreds of millions of Rands I am only referring to one company selling - not even to the whole industry.

[DJ...]

I know that this company - http://www.oks.co.za/ O'Keeffe & Swartz are responsible for a significant amount of unwanted incoming bullschit directed our way. You can't blame them necessarily. They're simply taking advantage of there being too few laws to protect the consumer in this respect. And take advantage they do...