Emobile data protection issues, complaints

finnegan101

I would be interested to know...

Over the past few months and more so over last couple of weeks, their agents are using the guise of account verification to obtain email address for the purposes of surveys etc.

Is this permissible?

The agents are gathering the information in the middle of the account verification process misleading the consumer into thinking that they have to supply the information.

Their customer service managers have apologised on numerous occasions over the past few months but nothing seems to be happening on floor level.
The managers and agents have now all confirmed that the purposes of obtaining the information is for building a data bank to be used for marketing and surveys.

What is worrying is that ( we will call him GOD ) GD, their data protection officer, has confirmed in the strongest possible way that under no circumstances are agents seeking email addresses for the purposes of surveys etc. He has stated over and over again, that the sole purpose of asking for the email addresses is for account verification.!!!

I am confused as to how two departments of the same company can be stating completely different uses of the information obtained! and both be in compliance with the data protection acts. But perhaps you can

I was under the impression that when seeking to obtain personal information that it had to be explained why the information was being asked for, and how the information was to be used?

If so, would each case whereby the information was obtained and used under false pretences, be subject to individual fines or can they carry on and just get the one fine!

anyone know the answer to that.....
Has anyone else been asked for email addresses????

eMobile: Grainne

finnegan101 wrote: »

I would be interested to know...

Over the past few months and more so over last couple of weeks, their agents are using the guise of account verification to obtain email address for the purposes of surveys etc.

Is this permissible?

The agents are gathering the information in the middle of the account verification process misleading the consumer into thinking that they have to supply the information.

Their customer service managers have apologised on numerous occasions over the past few months but nothing seems to be happening on floor level.
The managers and agents have now all confirmed that the purposes of obtaining the information is for building a data bank to be used for marketing and surveys.

What is worrying is that ( we will call him GOD ) GD, their data protection officer, has confirmed in the strongest possible way that under no circumstances are agents seeking email addresses for the purposes of surveys etc. He has stated over and over again, that the sole purpose of asking for the email addresses is for account verification.!!!

I am confused as to how two departments of the same company can be stating completely different uses of the information obtained! and both be in compliance with the data protection acts. But perhaps you can

I was under the impression that when seeking to obtain personal information that it had to be explained why the information was being asked for, and how the information was to be used?

If so, would each case whereby the information was obtained and used under false pretences, be subject to individual fines or can they carry on and just get the one fine!

anyone know the answer to that.....
Has anyone else been asked for email addresses????

Hi finnegan101,

I appreciate your point. However as I am sure you are aware the growth of online services and support is expanding across all companies including telecommunications. So yes we ask for the e-mail address along with standard details when processing any order / account to try and capture as much information relevant to the customer to try and improve the customers Journey and service while with us.

Yes part of the data capture will include sales and marketing which would include calls & e-mail. Which is common practice with a lot of companies.

* Customers are free to opt out of e-mail & marketing calls at any stage on mobile online account.

- Click on ‘Change my details’
- They’re given the option below.
Would you like to be contacted...Yes or No and How...

Grainne

finnegan101

eMobile: Grainne wrote: »

Hi finnegan101,

I appreciate your point. However as I am sure you are aware the growth of online services and support is expanding across all companies including telecommunications. So yes we ask for the e-mail address along with standard details when processing any order / account to try and capture as much information relevant to the customer to try and improve the customers Journey and service while with us.

Yes part of the data capture will include sales and marketing which would include calls & e-mail. Which is common practice with a lot of companies.

* Customers are free to opt out of e-mail & marketing calls at any stage on mobile online account.

- Click on ‘Change my details’
- They’re given the option below.
Would you like to be contacted...Yes or No and How...

Grainne

Grainne... i really dont think you could have mis understood the post any more if you tried....

Are you seriously suggesting that the Obtaining the information under false pretences is acceptable?????

Ar you seriously suggesting that it is acceptable for your company to ask for information for the purposes of account verification, and then use that information for surveys?????

Even though your internal data protection officer agrees that in doing so would result in a €5000 fine, He is even supplying me written confirmation that under no circumstances are your staff requesting email addresses for any purpose other then account verification...

With regards to opting out, This has been done numerous times with yourselves, both written and verbally.

Yet you still saw fit to give my personal details to companies even outside of the Eircom group.
Having again complained about this you informed me that
A. That you had no proof the company contacted me.
B. That you had no proof that Emobile supplied them my information.
C. That it was impossible for me to have received the said calls because your computers said no...

Roll on a further 6 weeks and the exact same thing again...

This time I received both verbal and written apology from the Managing Director of the said 3rd pat company, confirming the dates and times of the calls, and his assurance that his company would not contact me again.

On phoning yourselves on this matter, even having received the letter confirming everything, guess what emobile had to say about it... yip...

A. That you had no proof the company contacted me.
B. That you had no proof that Emobile supplied them my information.
C. That it was impossible for me to have received the said calls because your computers said no...

At present i am awaiting the written confirmations that i have been promised from your customer services department confirming that the emails are not part of account verification and to be used for surveys and marketing,
and from GD the data protection officer, confirming that the email addresses are begin used for account verification only and never used for surveys.

I can only presume that your response was sent without actually reading the post... as i really cant fathom how your response could have been directly related to mine.

But if you can put your reply into context to the post that would be great.
Maybe i didnt clarify the post correctly the first time, the issues are in relation to contacting customer services , not for new orders... i apologise if this caused any confusion.

thanks a million for your attempted help anyway...