Information Commissioners Office

[Glenn UK]

Right all the letter above has been edited and emailed to the Information Commissioners Office this very minute, i have also printed out a hard copy and will post it monday, ill probably post it to their press dept too.

For those who contributed information thanks, if anyone has anything else in a similar vein id be pleased to hear about it and i can forward it to the Information Commissioners Office too.

Glenn

PS ill sort out a list of organisations that think fiche is a relevant system shortly.

[Glenn UK]

the 1st letter above sent by email yesterday and hard copy today by recorded.

it would be nice to think someone will read it, naive maybe, but i can live in hope.

ill keep you all posted and let you know if i get any feedback.

Glenn

[JonCris]

Suggest when writing to the Information Commissioners Office you include early on the term "you feel it is your Civic Duty to provide the information contained therein" etc

[Glenn UK]

I have just heard that the Abey use a system called Recall for the sotrage of data.

Its in effect a 3rd party sotrage company but at this stage i dont know much about abbeys use of Recall.

I have made a post in the Abbey forum asking for info, although if a od reads this can they make that post a sticky if possible.

Depending on what info we get it could be worth speaking to the Information Commissioners Office< i have aname now and will forward any info direct to the relevant person.

Cheers

Glenn

[Glenn UK]

Any thoughts or comments ?

The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

26th August 2006

Dear Mr.xxxxxx

Relevant Filing Systems and Customers Statements – RECALL UK.

I am a member of the internet forum ‘Consumer Action Group’ and understand that you are investigating the systems used for the storage and processing of customers data in the context of the Data protection Act. I also understand that you will be paying the Abbey National a visit to inspect their microfiche systems to determine if it is a relevant system as defined within the Data Protection Act.

Following my recent letter dated the 17th August 2006 I have uncovered some more evidence that may be of interest to you in your dealings with the Abbey national and Other Banks & Credit Card Companies.

As you are no doubt aware the Consumer Action Group and a host of other groups are spearheading campaigns aimed at assisting consumers to reclaim unlawfully imposed charges.

As part of this campaign many consumers are sending Subject Access Requests to their respective banks and credit card companies to obtain information held on them by these organisations.

The Abbey has taken the lead, followed by other banks claiming that they do not hold the required data on a relevant filing system or they do not hold data going back more than six years.

During my discussions with other consumers going through the same process as I am I have become aware that Abbey National, and I believe a number of other organisations in fact use a third party service to hold and process data on their behalf.
During my discussions, I spoke with Subject A, who had a telephone conversation with an Abbey National operator. They had served a Subject Access Request on Abbey and had not received the requested data and so rang them.

Subject A asked where the information was and the operator, Jonathan, informed him that they (the Abbey) did not hold the data but it was held by a company called RECALL.

The operator informed Subject A that he could speak directly with RECALL and would order any statements he wanted and they would be sent to him directly within two or three days. Subject A understood from the operator that he could request any amount of information relating to the period he has held an account with the Abbey. He has held an account with the Abbey for nineteen years!

To further validate this information I myself spoke to an Abbey operator, Sheena Small, who confirmed that the statements I had requested were not on the RECALL system.

This raises some issues in my mind, the first is ‘who are RECALL?’. I know form a brief search that there are two companies with the word recall in their names who have data controllers on your register.

I also know form a trawl of the internet that at least one of those on your register is a specialist company providing data storage services for clients.

They specialise in the storage and rapid retrieval of such data which seems interesting to say the least.

The second question in my mind is if they are holding data on me, then is it reasonable for me to be able to obtain copies of that data directly without having to go through the Abbey National or other banking organisation?

If this organisation hold data on a relevant filing systems and process that data then I believe I should be able to serve them with a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act and would appreciate your view on this matter.

I would be pleased to speak with you or any of your officers should you wish to know more. By way of confirmation the evidence provided by Subject A was during a telephone interview. The evidence from Subject A consisted of a telephone interview.
Please understand that this communication is not intended to be a compliant which I am requesting the Commissioners Office to investigate.

Instead it is evidence which can be supported that we feel as a consumer group the Commissioner should be made aware of prior to the Commissions well publicized visit in September 2006 to the Abbey Records Centre in Milton Keynes.

If you wish to discuss this information any further please feel free to write to me at my address as shown at the head of this letter, Alternatively you are welcome to contact me by telephone on xxxxxxxxxx.
Yours Faithfully

[JonCris]

Looks Fine to me..........in para 11 & 12 your spell from as form. I do it all the time.
Also as your letter is quite long may I suggest that you number the paras then should anyone want to discuss it with you it will make it so much easier

[noobrider]

Also in the 3rd from last paragraph you refer to a compliant instead of a complaint. Small details but make it look more professional.

[Glenn UK]

Cheers guys

ill make the changes,

Glenn

[Glenn UK]

Well the second letter was amended and sent off to the man at the Information Commissioners Office dealing with the Abbey, tomorrow ill fax them from the offcie and try to ring him too.

GLenn

[dave]

Being picky, but no capital "F" on faithfully....and if you are addressing a known person by name it should be 'sincerely'.

[Glenn UK]

Just an update in case you thought id sent the letters and forgotten them.

I have now spoken to the Information Commissioners Office three times conversations totalling around 1 1/2 hours, its amazing how long you can talk to an answering machine!!

Seriousely I have managed to speak with a guy in the abbey investigation section about the letters at some length.

I know they have received them but they are so snowed under that im not sure as of yet he has actually seen them directly.

I have arranged to ring him tomorrow and will check that he actually has them availlable directly.

We tried if nothing else.

Glenn

[Glenn UK]

Well I know the Abbey investigation team were visitng Abbey today and the good news is they had our letters in front of them as of yesterday AM.

I dont know if it will ultimately influence the decision by the OFT, lets just say we at least tried to influence the outcome in as fair and just way as we could.

Thanks to all who contributed and keeping my fingers crossed for the right result.

Glenn

[Karnevil]

Excellent work Glenn - roll on the 11th .....

[pugsley]

well done Glenn

[Karnevil]

its so exciting - I wish I was a fly on the wall in the microfiche department today !