Amazon giving away Customer Details

Blisterman

Last month, I purchased a TV from Amazon.co.uk. It was broken when I got it, so I returned it, and got a refund.

But that's not my issue.
I got a letter in the post from the TV Licensing people saying something along the lines of "We have word, that you purchased a TV from Amazon.co.uk, and do not have a TV licence."

I don't know how they'd know this, unless Amazon themselves told them. I fully intend to get a TV Licence, as soon as I get a TV, but I'm wondering, who else Amazon are informing about my purchases. Will I get a letter from Illy, saying "You bought a coffee machine, why not buy some of our coffee"?

Are amazon allowed to give out your details to third parties? I don't remember ticking any boxes saying they could. Is this a common occurance?

delly

Hmm, thats a strange one. Could it also be An Post or Royal Mail who gave them the nod?

seamus

Did you get the notice from An post or from the UK?

This is the second similar thread that's appeared recently - perhaps some new rules have been implemented that require TV equipment and service suppliers to notify An Post when they perform a delivery/install.

However in this case, if An Post handled the delivery, it's possible that they basically noted the fact that they were delivering a TV to you from Amazon.co.uk and cross-referenced that against the TV licence database. Since the package essentially become's An Post's property while they're delivering it, they're well within their rights to do this.

Perhaps in the case of the guy who had the Sky install, an post saw bills coming through and checked that against the TV licence database?

MOH

Not sure where the Sky install comes in, but wasn't there something mentioned last year about Sky/NTL having to give subscriber details to the TV license people from November or something?

mydarkstar

about 8 years ago I was living in a flat and after 9 months my tv broke so I went to Dixons and bought a new one. 2 weeks later I got a letter from An Post saying they had "detected" a tv at the flat. Now I know I should've bought a license in the previous months but the point is An Post's tv detection skills seem to come from sharing sales records than some super-dooper electronic gadgetry

chuckles30

as far as I know, all tv retailers have to supply this kind of information to the tv licencing people.......whether they do or not I don't know.

Blisterman

I should have made clear, that this was in the UK, not Ireland.

seamus

Blisterman wrote: »

I should have made clear, that this was in the UK, not Ireland.

In the UK, retailers are obliged to notify the licencing authority of all tv equipment sold or rented.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/tvdealers.jsp

Seems like a good way of keeping tabs.

RadioCity

Many moons ago when I worked in Tesco, if you bought a TV, a message came up on the checkout telling the operator to get the customer to fill out a form at customer services.

Every TV was accounted for and therefore as previously said, cross referenced with a database of purchased licences.

But its not just Tesco who did that, Currys and other retailers also asked for your address, most thinking it was something to do with the guarantee or the like...

foggy_lad

seamus wrote: »

In the UK, retailers are obliged to notify the licencing authority of all tv equipment sold or rented.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/tvdealers.jsp

Seems like a good way of keeping tabs.

this is the same in ireland for retailers and those renting tv and video equipment and afaik has been the case for a long time, possibly since licensing was introduced?

gerryo

foggy_lad wrote: »

this is the same in ireland for retailers and those renting tv and video equipment and afaik has been the case for a long time, possibly since licensing was introduced?

Yes, this is how it's done, the detector vans are a really just for show, the retailers tell An Post when a TV is sold.

I'd be very very surprised if (as in a previous post) An Post delivery people noticed that a TV was being delivered & reported it - it would be a proactive action in a company not really known for super efficiency.