HFO Services now using e-consumerview reports to 'encourage' payment

[foxoidbox]

Hi

 

Please can you advise who exactly I need to complain too re HFO sending me a copy of my credit file? They also included a list of the names of the people currently on the electoral role at my old address which i havent been associated with for over 5 yrs

 

Many Thanks

[Bazooka Boo]

I would give the ICO a ring and see if they will take this on, if not they will advise who is best to deal with it, but as it is data, it should be the ICO.

http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx

[foxoidbox]

Thank you

[coledog]

Bazooka

 

Update to the complaint letter I have suggested to the last poster as ICO expect a complaint to Experian prior to a complaint to them - I would like anyone who gets one of these to register this complaint and then take it up with OFT and ICO

Important if you have one of these reports

 

Link below to the e-consumerview complaints page for anyone who has received one of these reports. I would suggest that you register a complaint along the lines of (amend to suit):

 

'I have received a letter (dated...) from a company called HFO Services Ltd who claim that I owe them money for a debt. This letter states that they will (expand on threats......) unless I contact them within 72 hours. Attached to this letter is a credit report on myself which HFO have obtained from your service.

 

I am not aware that I have any financial relationship with HFO or any obligation to them and they have not offered any proof of this. I wish to complain, in the strongest possible terms, about the actions of this company and their use of my data in this way.

 

Can you confirm to me that this company are eligable to obtain my data from your service and are abiding fully with your terms and conditions

and the Data Protection Act'

I am happy to forward you a copy of the letter and report for your inspection - I will be progressing this matter with the Information Commissioners Office and OFT

 

Link to web site

 

http://www.uk.experian.com/e-consume..._complain.html

[Bazooka Boo]

Yes agreed Cole, a complaint should be made to the CRA just to get the ball rolling, but I certainly condone openiong up a second line of complaint with the ICO at the same time, if for nothing else, than to give them a heads up and to obtain a ref number also.

I'm getting a letter together to complain to the CRA's as to how and why service agreements suddenly become credit agreements, ie, mobile phone disputes where these idiotic DCA's pay the CRA's to add adverse info on your CREDIT file??

[coledog]

Yes Bazooka - fully agree, CRAs are a nightmare, I am hoping that by complaints against this inapropriate use of Experian reports we can make some headway as it is a mass abuse of personal data to impose threats to extort money - IMO. In my case it was Equifax who keep insisting they have done nothing wrong in allowing a DCA to reproduce my data but the published T and C for these Experian reports suggest a different view which needs to be exposed.

 

When you contact ICO they say that you must complain to the instigator, so this has to be done and I agree that you have to insist that ICO register your complaint and you get a number. It is quite hard work to be taken seriously!

[Niteman33]

Hey guys I have recieved one of these today! I have complained to OFT,Experian and ICO regards this.

[247orbital]

Any updates on this?

[coledog]

There are a few more people who have received these from HFO so I give them this link.

 

Anyone receiving one of these atached to a threatening letter needs to report to OFT, Experian and possibly ICO

[hillards]

Just to note that the reports I've seen from HFO were obtained from Equifax (http://www.equifax.com), not Experian as stated above.

 

Complaints have been made to the relevant authorities of course.

[coledog]

Quite agree Hillards, any abuse of Equifax reports should also be reported.

 

The key thing about e-consumerview is that to use this service, the customer must agree to certain Term and Conditions and Data Protection rules which are stated on the website, HFO have clearly been breaking these

[bugsy123]

Subbing. I have three of these now and two lots of land registry documents on my home.

[coledog]

Make sure all this is reported to OFT - James Waldron

[coledog]

Bumping this one again - can ANYONE who has ever received a copy of their Credit Report, Experian or Equifax, from HFO attached to a letter threatening acton, PLEASE submit a complaint to OFT even if you have done this before - DO it again please.

 

 

http://www.oft.gov.uk/contactus for the attention of Polly Ashford

[foxoidbox]

Hi Ive emailed OFT again regarding the fact HFO sent me my credit report and that it detailed the names of the people currently on the electoral role of my old address where i havent lived for 5 yrs! I know they shouldnt be sending me the report in the first place but should they be sending me information that doesnt concern me??Thanks

[babybear39]

Hi Ive emailed OFT again regarding the fact HFO sent me my credit report and that it detailed the names of the people currently on the electoral role of my old address where i havent lived for 5 yrs! I know they shouldnt be sending me the report in the first place but should they be sending me information that doesnt concern me??Thanks

 

With regard to the other people's info, report them to the ICO

[coledog]

Good idea to 'remind' OFT of this little slip up but you can also report to the ICO! Did you also send a complaint to Experian at the time?

[foxoidbox]

I didnt complain at the time but I will do now.

[coledog]

Definately get an OFT complaint in ASAP, if nothing else. ..... http://www.oft.gov.uk/contactus for the attention of Polly Ashford

[coledog]

And that goes for anyone else who received one of these!