Today I received a direct marketing letter from GE Money advertising a personal loan. So I ask myself, "how did GE Money get my address?". It surely wasn't from the time I did enquire about a loan with GE Money, that was several years ago and from a different address. Luckily for me, the answer was down the bottom of the letter. "For this mailing, your details were obtained from Veda Advantage Solutions Group Ltd. and have not been disclosed to GE Money." It then goes on to explain how I can opt out of future direct marketing campaigns. But what a relief! My privacy hadn't been invaded by GE Money. And I didn't need to worry, GE didn't have my details. Hang on, who does? And isn't this letter from GE? I got into investigation mode. Veda Advantage Solutions Group, or VSG as they abbreviate it to, is part of Veda Advantage(VA), a credit reporting agency. VSG is the company set up to utilise the data VA has collected and send out personalised mail to people whose details they have on file. RED FLAG! Well at least for me. While my details aren't being sold to a company, the company is able to ask for letters to be mailed to people who have previously applied for a loan. Is that a step into my privacy? So I check out their privacy policy. Turns out the following details about me are available from other sources free to the public: - full name - address - date of birth - driver's licence - court judgements and bankruptcies - current, previous and disqualified directorships - proprietorships - company secretary details - public number database Since when was my drivers licence number freely available? I would be fine if GE was only getting that info, but someone is profiting off my details without my knowledge. White Pages do profit from my details too, but I know my details are being used by them, and I CHOSE for them to use my details. Chose being the appropriate word. I got no choice with VA. I follow the credit reporting process. I know that if I apply for a loan etc the company I'm applying with has my permission to access my file. But does the company who holds that file have the right to sell access to my details behind my back, considering they never asked me? RED FLAG! "your details were obtained from (VSG) and have not been disclosed to GE Money" There is a third party in this? Who has VSG given my details to? If not GE Money then who? I follow the disclosure down the bottom, but who is the middle man? It disturbs me that VA has in their privacy policy that it's ok to provide third partys, or they prefer to call them "secondary parties", with any of my details freely available to anyone. If that's true, why didn't Brett receive the same letter? Or is it because he's only ever applied for a home loan and not any other type of credit? I'm not pleased to have someone selling access to me, with out my permission, and I don't like the inference that I can opt out. I never opted in and I can assure you that whenever I applied for a loan I never granted a credit agency access to on-sell my information to be marketed to. So really, I'm annoyed my credit history is being accessed to junk mail me, and the company that is accessing it can not name themselves, just hides behind GE Money. I intend to get to the bottom of this, I'll keep things updated.
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