Requesting a DSAR from Npower?

[nicky1982]

Looking to send a DSAR to Npower after not being billed correctly for nearly 1.5 years after having a new electric meter installed in August 2014. Have made official complaints to Npower direct & the Ombudsman but still not any further forward with getting a correct bill as basic maths seems impossible for Npower staff. Am now dealing with Npower via letter/email only as fed up with being lied to/pasted from pillar to post/having the phone hung up on me. New development is that Npower haven't taken Jan 2016 direct debit payment, my bank states that Npower never put the request through! So now I want to view what records Npower has to compare them to mine, think should make for interesting reading.

 

But am unsure which Npower department/address to I send the DSAR request & cheque to? Plus who do I make the cheque payable to? Planning on sending the request (using the fab template on this board) & the cheque recorded delivery but is there anything else I should do/be aware of?

Edited January 19, 2016 by citizenB

[maroondevo52]

Hello and Welcome nicky1982,

 

This is the address their 'live chat' gave for a SAR request...

 

npower

PO Box 177

Houghton le Spring

DH4 9AQ

 

I'd make the cheque out to npower, send your request with a £10 fee in the form of a cheque because this will help you to keep tabs on your request more easily. Check with your bank every two or three days to see whether the cheque has been cashed.

 

In the meantime, make sure that all your paperwork is in good order so that you have access to everything in date order than that you understand the story completely.

 

Read up the rules on back billing. Check your credit file. When you get the subject access request disclosure then go through it very carefully and try to understand if anything is missing – but also what interesting revelations there are because it is highly likely that the SAR will disclose a lot of errors that they have made.

 

Regards,

 

Scott.

[citizenB]

I would send your DSAR to their Head/Registered office - they are obliged to pass it on to their Data Controller.

 

I think you should make your cheque payable to "npower"

[citizenB]

They have 40 calendar days in which to respond.

[Ford]

according to npowers privacy terms this is their formal dsar address.

'When we receive your request we will send you a form to fill in and you will have to pay a fee of £10. If you do not return the form or pay the £10 fee, we will not be able to deal with your request....'

Data Protection SARs Team, npower, Rainton House, Hougton-Le-Spring, Cygnet Way, Sunderland, DH4 5QZ.

slightly different postcode, but no doubt the same building as the po box, so it shld get there whichever.

[BankFodder]

Of course, npower are acting unlawfully by imposing these conditions on the subject access request. I'm quite sure they do it to provide an extra stumbling block for customers who are having problems with them.

 

There should be no problem satisfying an ordinary subject access request which is asking for the data to be sent to the account address which also receives all the bills.

 

Npower are a highly disreputable and devious and manipulative company and of course, they are well assisted by their so-called legal department and their so-called legal assistant who seems to say anything in statements of truth – regardless of the truth.

 

The first step is absolutely to send the subject access request as you have been advised above. If you have any further dealings with npower on the telephone then make sure that you have read our customer services guide first and the implement the advice there.

 

The npower staff are so poorly trained and so careless about what they do that every recording of any telephone call with them is capable of containing extremely valuable evidence.

 

We will be happy to help you all the way. Please keep in close contact with the thread and let us know what you are doing

[Ford]

yeah, it does seem odd requiring a 'form' before compliance. does the act say that one has to be fulfilled, if requested, prior to compliance?

[nicky1982]

Thank you all, they signed on delivery this morning so roll on 40 days!

[citizenB]

according to npowers privacy terms this is their formal dsar address.

'When we receive your request we will send you a form to fill in and you will have to pay a fee of £10. If you do not return the form or pay the £10 fee, we will not be able to deal with your request....'

Data Protection SARs Team, npower, Rainton House, Hougton-Le-Spring, Cygnet Way, Sunderland, DH4 5QZ.

slightly different postcode, but no doubt the same building as the po box, so it shld get there whichever.

 

Please see below. As long as you send a request that properly identifies itself as a DSAR and enclose the £10.00 they cannot insist you fill in any other form.

 

it would appear that a company CANNOT require you to complete a special form.

 

 

The following from the Q & A's on the Information Commissioner's website regarding DSARs.

 

Can I require individuals to use a specially designed form when making subject access requests?

 

No. Many organisations produce Subject access request forms, and you may invite individuals to use such a form as long as you make it clear that this is not compulsory and you do not try to use this as a way of extending the 40-day time limit for responding. Standard forms can make it easier for you to recognise a subject access request and make it easier for the individual to include all the details you might need to locate the information they want.

 

However, any request in writing must be considered as a valid request, whatever the format.

 

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/principle-6-rights/subject-access-request/

 

I imagine as long as the request is properly identified/headed "Data Subject Access Request", then it shouldn't be too difficult for even the most stupidest of people to understand what is required !

[Ford]

cheers for that citb

wonder if npower have actually tried to insist on a form or refused to comply without one, and whether their 'unlawful' term there has been pointed out to them.

[silverfox1961]

Hi

Around 30-35 days they may try to insist on your filling out one of their forms. This would be immediate grounds for complaint to the ICO as they would be in breach of their statutory obligations

 

Other companies have tried this with me and got very short shrift. One, Citi sent me a letter dated the 39th day of the 40 they have requesting more ID before they would release the data even though I had provided everything asked for. The ICO gave them a slapped wrist. This was before the days when the ICO could fine them

[nicky1982]

Received a letter this morning from Npower saying they are processing my DSAR request! Seems they are planning on sending an encrypted CD with the data on which I will only be able to access via a password (being sent separately to the CD) & that I also need to download a programme to be able to read the files contained on the CD. Is this right???? I know they need to make sure that no-one can access the data contained on the CD apart from me but this seems a little much, almost like I'll think its too much hassle & cancel the request?!?!?

[citizenB]

You might need to have a word with the Information Commissioner, I am pretty certain the company needs to provide the information in a format that is suitable for you.

[Ford]

could that be re a recorded telephone call? loyds did that re, just a tel call on the cd, playable via a media player. the rest was on paper.

maybe though now they can copy the whole lot onto cd instead of paper?

[silverfox1961]

Vodafone have sent me a SAR on disk before. It is a more effective (and cheaper) for them and it is easy for you so long as your computer can handle it. The program they are talking about is likely to be just a pdf reader.

 

If a CD SAR is unsuitable then they should make alternative arrangements.