Crazy Diamond Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 Last week I received an email from 'giffgaff', a company some of you may be familiar with. It told me I had placed an order for a SIM card. I assumed it was spam and thought no more about it since I had never heard of giffgaff or placed an order. A few hours later, I received an email to tell me my order had been dispatched. I was curious as to what that was about and decided to try and ask. I found that the company was genuine and tried to contact them, but they do not have a phone number. I did not want to sign up to them or their 'community' which deals with problems and instead used Twitter and Facebook to get in touch. On Twitter I was ignored, but on Facebook I was contacted by what I assume is a man who runs the Facebook page, as he seemed to be representing the company but from his own Facebook profile. My main point of concern was how they had obtained my details, because they had found my email address and apparently my home address too. I had never given these details out to them, yet in both emails it said something along the lines of 'by placing an order with us, you have given your consent to be contacted.' I find that quite shocking. Anyway, the Facebook person told me that it is likely that a friend of mine had passed my details on to them, but that friend cannot be named for 'data protection reasons.' When I asked more, I was fobbed off with various different things and told to calm down, it wasn't giffgaff's fault. By that stage, I'd had enough and was quite ****ed off at the whole situation. I never distribute my home address. Ever. I don't know how my friends would have got it, or thought it would be appropriate to give them to a company - frankly I just don't believe any of that. I began bombarding their Twitter account for answers. Eventually I was given an email address to complain to and did just that, emphasising that I had never placed an order, never given out my details, never given my consent to be contacted - and as for data protection, where was my entitlement to that? The reply was 'we'll have a look at what has happened.' I'm still waiting, and today received the SIM card I never asked for. I am told they do not buy personal information from anyone, but I have a feeling this might be the case. I'm unsatisfied with their response and do not like the fact that instead of an actual presence, they have a 'community' of people that run a forum and a Facebook page to deal with issues. What can I do? I want to complain to a higher authority, I want to know how they got my details and I want them to stop sending me things. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 My suspicions : A mate of yours passed on your details - probably in order to get a discount on his/her own mobile, sort of friends and family discount. That is the most likely way they got your details. Even if you are successful in your complaints, Giff Gaff will have nothing to answer for if that is how they got your details. With regards to the sim card itself, my advice would be to bin it if you don't want it! I have had a sim card from them in the past - one that wasn't eventually used anyway - and not once did they contact me or send spam emails or junk mail after I received the sim. The sim is completely meaningless until you log on to their website key in your card details, add money to the sim and activate it, so I wouldn't worry about it! I also ordered a sim from them in August this year for my daughter to put in her phone. Once the registration was carried out, even as an existing 'customer' they have left us alone completely - no email, no marketing, no phone calls etc etc, just a polite reminder once the 'goody bag' is running out. I appreciate your point that you have never given them your details, hence my suspicion one of your mates did - maybe they even did it to wind you up? My advice would be to let it drop! After all, even if you do manage to get a complaint registered, what exactly do you expect the outcome to be? At best you will receive a letter from them confirming that your details have been removed from their database - which in itself would be ironic as how would they know what address to send the letter to if they'd removed your details You've told them you're not interested in their sim or their company and requested not to be contacted. I'd leave it at that if I were you and make a complaint if they do contact you - in my experience they won't anyway - but if they do, you may have a small complaint then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 27 October, 2012 Author Share Posted 27 October, 2012 My suspicions : A mate of yours passed on your details - probably in order to get a discount on his/her own mobile, sort of friends and family discount. That is the most likely way they got your details. Even if you are successful in your complaints, Giff Gaff will have nothing to answer for if that is how they got your details. With regards to the sim card itself, my advice would be to bin it if you don't want it! I have had a sim card from them in the past - one that wasn't eventually used anyway - and not once did they contact me or send spam emails or junk mail after I received the sim. The sim is completely meaningless until you log on to their website key in your card details, add money to the sim and activate it, so I wouldn't worry about it! I also ordered a sim from them in August this year for my daughter to put in her phone. Once the registration was carried out, even as an existing 'customer' they have left us alone completely - no email, no marketing, no phone calls etc etc, just a polite reminder once the 'goody bag' is running out. I appreciate your point that you have never given them your details, hence my suspicion one of your mates did - maybe they even did it to wind you up? My advice would be to let it drop! After all, even if you do manage to get a complaint registered, what exactly do you expect the outcome to be? At best you will receive a letter from them confirming that your details have been removed from their database - which in itself would be ironic as how would they know what address to send the letter to if they'd removed your details You've told them you're not interested in their sim or their company and requested not to be contacted. I'd leave it at that if I were you and make a complaint if they do contact you - in my experience they won't anyway - but if they do, you may have a small complaint then. I agree with what you're saying, but it assumes that one of my friends did indeed pass my details. I honestly do not believe they have my address. I really do suspect it's been passed on by another company. I'm going to give them one week to respond to my complaint, which was issued on Wednesday, then I go further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint si Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 They are owned by O2. Do you have an O2 account? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 Calm down. I'm on giffgaff and they don't send you spam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spudders Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 Calm down. I'm on giffgaff and they don't send you spam Surely if he's recieved emails and post from them without making any request from them, then they DO send spam! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spudders Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 but it assumes that one of my friends did indeed pass my details. I honestly do not believe they have my address. Your friends wouldn't have your address??? Are these friends in a 'facebook friends' kind of way rather than real life friends who you visit and who visit you then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 Surely if he's recieved emails and post from them without making any request from them, then they DO send spam! Quite obviously someone has requested it to his address. They don't send to just anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spudders Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 ah yeah sorry, I see what you mean! This reminds me of when I received a massive ladies lingerie catalogue in the post one day when I was at school. I got home and my parents were asking why I’d ordered it? I eventually found out it was a guy at school thinking he was funny, about half our class got one in the post that week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 27 October, 2012 Author Share Posted 27 October, 2012 Your friends wouldn't have your address??? Are these friends in a 'facebook friends' kind of way rather than real life friends who you visit and who visit you then? They know where I live but they wouldn't know my address. It's complicated, take my word for it! They are owned by O2. Do you have an O2 account? Yes I do as it happens, and have recently got a new contract and upgraded my phone... So if O2 are behind it, why are they trying to get me to save money now they've actually got me to fork out more for a new contract? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 27 October, 2012 Share Posted 27 October, 2012 They know where I live but they wouldn't know my address. It's complicated, take my word for it! Yes I do as it happens, and have recently got a new contract and upgraded my phone... So if O2 are behind it, why are they trying to get me to save money now they've actually got me to fork out more for a new contract?my new contract is with O2...and I had to specify that I did NOT want them to share my details with their 'partners' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 27 October, 2012 Author Share Posted 27 October, 2012 my new contract is with O2...and I had to specify that I did NOT want them to share my details with their 'partners' Hmm, if I had that option, I would have definitely said the same. Can't remember if I did have that option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 28 October, 2012 Share Posted 28 October, 2012 If they sent you a sim then someone somewhere will have requested it. If they sent a sim to anyone randomly then it would be costing them money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give it to Ron Posted 28 October, 2012 Share Posted 28 October, 2012 They are owned by O2. Do you have an O2 account? Not quite true...they are not owned by O2 but use their network. Similar to Tesco's using it as well - they pay a 'premium' to O2 for it. I have a SIM from GiffGaff for my lads phone they offer far better packages to suit us than any other High St one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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