Tesco car insurance passing on our unlisted number

[angeljs]

While insured with Tesco motor insurance, we've had 2 bumps. Both times, within months of the accidents, we've had accident and injury claim companies telephoning us on our unlisted landline number asking if we want to make an injury claim. Both times they knew every detail of the accident and our full names, address and all contact details.

 

Do insurance companies have the right to pass on our private information to other companies, and if not, do we have a claim against them?

[Bazooka Boo]

Contact the ICO regarding this, I do believe it was frowned upon when Ins coys employed this tactic a few years back, as they get paid commission for every driver that takes them up on it.

 

Start their complaints procedure too.

[citizenB]

This happened to my husband after an accident. The Claims management company that made contact actually said they were from our Insurers, which we later discovered to be untrue. Apparently there is some kind of data base where details of the accident are posted.. from then on it is a free for all.

[angeljs]

Thanks for your replies. I'm shocked that our personal information that we trusted Tesco with has been used in this way, and it seems to be a common practice amongst insurance companies judging by the little research I've done. Surely it has to be against data protection laws?

 

I've found an address for Tesco car insurance complaints procedure and have drafted a letter from a template I found online. Here's hoping!

[BazzaS]

This happened to my husband after an accident. The Claims management company that made contact actually said they were from our Insurers, which we later discovered to be untrue. Apparently there is some kind of data base where details of the accident are posted.. from then on it is a free for all.

 

I got a text about "an accident I'd had"

Being an inquisitive type I clicked on the link.

It must have been of the type where it registered a "hit" on an individualised page as I then got a few calls about "the accident". (They create a mass of similar pages asking for your details, but can match the specific URL to the specific URL they sent to a certain number. I didn't put my number into their webpage but they could backtrack by asking themselves "which number did we send that particular URL to?"

 

If I'm busy or recognise it as a spam number I just hang up.

If I answer & want rid of them quickly ... because they all claim "you gave your details".... I ask them to confirm my name .... One even said "you've caught me out!" Before hanging up.

 

If I have time on my hands I reckon while they are on the phone to me they aren't pestering anyone else......

Best for wasting their time was claiming I'd had a head injury that affected my memory ...... After a while I ask them who they are and why they are calling ... Because I've forgotten who was calling ...... That is usually good for one or two iterations before they realise I'm pulling their chain.

 

One (when I needed to finish off but had more time than just hanging up) I noted that the rehab from my accident was extensive ..... and noted I'd lost the use of both arms ..... It was when I wanted to end the call and said that they had had to be amputated that they saw pound signs ..... When I said "yup, both amputated, at the level of the neck" that there was a pause before they realised the significance .... And hung up.

 

They've mostly given up now, so perhaps word has spread?

[BazzaS]

Thanks for your replies. I'm shocked that our personal information that we trusted Tesco with has been used in this way, and it seems to be a common practice amongst insurance companies judging by the little research I've done. Surely it has to be against data protection laws?

 

I've found an address for Tesco car insurance complaints procedure and have drafted a letter from a template I found online. Here's hoping!

 

Expect Tesco to deny passing your details on.

They'll likely say you've been called at random & it is mere coincidence, or that they have been victims of an "inside job" but they'll never be able to trace who it was....

[angeljs]

Some coincidence! The company that phoned today said they were ACA, but didn't elaborate and I can't find anything about them online, just a silly Wordpress site that looks unprofessional and unfinished. The company that called after the first accident tried to get my husband to lie and say he was injured when he wasn't!

 

I'm not sure how Tesco can deny it when they were the only ones who had details of the accident as well as our unlisted number, and my husband's mobile number, which he never gives out!

[unclebulgaria67]

Could be an employee of Tesco Insurance trying to make money by offering data illegally. Ther have been cases of Insuers staff doing this.

 

You need to report to Tesco Insurance Head of compliance and Data Protection at their head office.