Wescot - Looking for neighbour

[mark13]

Just had a call from a random number asking if Mr xxxx lived at number xx. Being the naturally suspicious type I told them I had no idea. After a quick check the number belongs to Wescot or one of their bottom feeding offshoots. Two questions really:

 

1) Are they breaking any guidelines by doing this? I'd be more than happy to return even a small percentage of the inconvenience they have caused me in the past should there be an opportunity to do so.

 

2) Where do they get my number from? No doubt they've rung me as by house number you would assume the house they think the person they are looking for lives at is next door to mine( it isn't but not really relevant). How easy is it for them to find the phone number of an address(mine) if they don't have the name of the occupant, or is it more likely that they still retain and process my data despite a promise not to?

 

Thanks in advance.

[debt4get]

you could start by reporting them to the oft...they certainly should not be contacting yourself looking for someone who lives at another address...they probably got your number from directory enquiries...or looking at the electoral roll and then cross referencing...otherwise you could have asked them how they obtained your number and why they think they have the right to ring and bother you....you would also be surprised by how much they can find out from a simple internet search using an address or name

[unclebulgaria67]

 

1) Are they breaking any guidelines by doing this? I'd be more than happy to return even a small percentage of the inconvenience they have caused me in the past should there be an opportunity to do so.

 

2) Where do they get my number from? No doubt they've rung me as by house number you would assume the house they think the person they are looking for lives at is next door to mine( it isn't but not really relevant). How easy is it for them to find the phone number of an address(mine) if they don't have the name of the occupant, or is it more likely that they still retain and process my data despite a promise not to?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

1). They are allowed to conduct tracing this way, but they cannot either say what the nature of the call is or ask for any message to be passed on. If they breach either part of this then they have broken OFT rules and you should report to Consumer Direct.

 

2) I think they get telephone numbers from a variety of sources.

 

It is up to you whether you want to make any complaint about this. Personally I don't like this way of operating. My address was used for correspondence of an in debt relative gone abroad and after telling a DCA that they were abroad, an offshoot of Mackenzie Hall phoned a neighbour who lived down the road, who I didn't even know, so they would not have been helpful.

 

I have a feeling that if you complain it will just go on the OFT's files and you won't receive any meaningfull response.

[mark13]

Ok folks, thanks for the replies. Won't waste my time if they are within their rights to do this. That's not to say I won't do my very best to waste their time if they try again.

[harrassed senior]

Just a suggestion, if they call again, ask if it is an emergency, and if so offer to take a message and 'run down with it'. Then report away to everyone you can think of.

[Bazooka Boo]

You should still make a complaint about this to the OFT, it is a very dirty underhand tracing technique which has it's cards marked, the more complaints the better, go through http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/contact

They will pass it direct to the OFT and TS for you.