what about the banking code...

[scratcher]

I just thought it is interesting that all the banks have to abide by the banking code - but this seems to be of the opinion that unless you have given permission, it looks hard for the banks to keep on processing your information... Here is an excerpt from the banking code about personal information...

11 Your personal

information

Confidentiality

11.1 We will treat all your personal information as private and

confidential (even when you are no longer a customer).

We will not make your name and address or details about

your accounts known to anyone, including other

companies in our group, other than in the following four

exceptional cases when we are allowed to do this by law.

• If we have to give the information by law.

• If there is a duty to the public to make the

information known.

• If our interests mean we must give the information

(for example, to prevent fraud). However, we will not

use this as a reason for giving information about you

or your accounts (including your name and address)

to anyone else, including other companies in our

group for marketing purposes.

• If you ask us to make the information known, or if

we have your permission.

 

also a section on CRAs:

 

Credit reference agencies

13.5 When you open your account or apply for a card, we will

tell you when we may pass your details to credit reference

agencies and the checks we may make with them.

13.6 We may give information to credit reference agencies

about the personal debts you owe us if:

• you have fallen behind with your payments;

• the amount owed is not being disputed; and

• you have not made proposals we are satisfied with

for repaying your debt, following our formal demand.

13.7 In these cases, we will give you at least 28 days’ notice

that we plan to give information about the debts you

owe us to credit reference agencies. At the same

time, we will explain the role of credit reference

agencies to you and the effect the information they

provide can have on your ability to get credit.

13.8 We will give credit reference agencies other

information about the day-to-day running of your

account if you have given us your permission to do so.

13.9 If you ask, we will tell you how to get a copy of the

information that credit reference agencies have about

you, or their leaflets that explain how credit referencing

works. You should contact the customer service teams at

the following organisations:

Experian Ltd Equifax Credit File

PO Box 9000 Advice Centre

Nottingham PO Box 1140

NG80 7WF Bradford

Check your credit report - Experian UK and Ireland - the information services company BD1 5US

Online Credit Report and Credit Check Services - Equifax

Callcredit Plc

PO Box 491

Leeds

LS1 1WX

Callcredit

We may also ask you to give your permission to use

the information held by credit reference agencies to

check identity for anti-money-laundering and fraud

purposes – this does not affect your credit history.