Anyone else getting text spam from D.I.D Electrical?

AARRRGH

Hello

I just got text spam from D.I.D Electrical there. I have no idea how they got my number. To "unsubscribe" I need to text a foreign mobile number.

Are companies allowed spam mobile phones in Ireland?

Doctor DooM

dublindude wrote: »

Hello

I just got text spam from D.I.D Electrical there. I have no idea how they got my number. To "unsubscribe" I need to text a foreign mobile number.

Are companies allowed spam mobile phones in Ireland?

To the best of my knowledge no, sending unsolicited texts is a no no in Ireland. You could ask Comreg!

Bluehair

I got it too. As per here;

The RegTel code of practice on SMS services says:

• Service providers, or any person or company acting on their behalf, must not send ‘unsolicited’ (spam) text messages

............

The Data Protection Commissioner enforces the European and Irish laws which ensure that your personal information is only used in the manner which you intended.

Use the online form for the Data Protection Commissioner found here and express your annoyance. I had to do it once last year and they were pretty prompt and helpful about following it up.

AARRRGH

Thanks for the replies lads.

penexpers

I got it too. I assume they got my number as I have recently bought items in DID and provided my mobile number as the contact number.

The Hill Billy

I got one too. I fired them off an email to help@did.ie as follows:

Sir/Madam:

I have just received a SPAM SMS message from your company from a UK mobile number (+447781482196). Up to now I had been a satisfied customer of your company, but find this as an abuse of the information you hold on me.

Please remove me from your distribution list immediately. Do not send further SMS messages to my number (see below). Should I receive any further messages I will take action with the Data Protection Commissioner.

Sincerely,

Xxx Xxxxxx

Mobile: +353 nn nnn nnnn

username123

I got it too. Am going to do pretty much what Hill Billy has done.

aniascor

Got one too. So annoying - it is two years since I purchased anything from them, and I certainly never knowingly gave permission for SPAM to my phone! I'm always really careful to refuse marketing permissions.

Sent the same email as Hill Billys.

Bluehair

Emailing DID is all fine and well but I strongly recommend those effected complain directly to the Data Protection Commissioner also via the link I posted (here). It only takes a few seconds and you can be damn sure DID will respond more quickly to the threat of fines and legal action from the Commissioner than any stroppy email from us. It was very effective when I used them last year. Response from the company before DPC involvement was "tough you must have given us your number", response after DPC pointed out they were in line for heavy fines was "Sincere apologies for technical error we never intended to contact you"

For what it's worth I've never been a customer of DID so have categorically never given them my number. It's spam pure and simple. Shoot it down early.

Guy:Incognito

Meh, I got one too, just deleted it.

maps and atlas

I got one too. I know the SMS says DID but it's coming from a UK number rather than a ROI number. I'm not 'unsubscribing' as it could be a scam and don't want to find out I've subscribed to some premium rate service in another country.

knighted_1

it is not illigal for did to contact there own customers -when you buy something there you give your mobile number so they can contact you by 'text' to tell you what time it will be delivered ,in doing so you are or have givin permission to be contacted -you had the option of ringing there store urself instead of giving your mobile details out -if you buy from there website this is clearly marked also

suck it up and be more careful in future

bambam

got the same spam myself

knighted_1

OUR PRIVACY POLICY
DID Electrical respects your right to privacy. As part of the e-store facility DID Electrical will retain certain information including your name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, IP address, billing address and shipping address and product selection.

This information will be retained in accordance with our obligations under the Data Protection Act 1988. DID Electrical may use your personal data for the following purposes:


to fulfill your order;

if there are any queries on your order or if there is a problem with
fulfilling your order;

to advise you of any promotional offers that may be of interest to you;

Your information will be held by DID Electrical and not passed on to any third parties. If you do not wish to receive information from DID Electrical about our promotional offers from time to time please email unsubscribe@did.ie

Danno

I get two a month from Corrib Oil in Portlaoise about their sister store "€urospar"

I just hit the delete button.

daheff

Not only did I get a text...I got 2 emails also!

pain in the arse....dont these things have to have an opt in clause now??

seagull

knighted_1 wrote: »

it is not illigal for did to contact there own customers -when you buy something there you give your mobile number so they can contact you by 'text' to tell you what time it will be delivered ,in doing so you are or have givin permission to be contacted -you had the option of ringing there store urself instead of giving your mobile details out -if you buy from there website this is clearly marked also

suck it up and be more careful in future

I was asked for a phone number in order to be contacted about the purchase I made. There was no mention of future promotions. On that basis, it is a breach of the data protection act.

TJM

This might be useful:
http://www.digitalrights.ie/2005/11/08/dealing-with-sms-spam/

I've also received one of these spams & would urge everyone affected to contact the Data Protection Commissioner.

Paulw

I got it as well. I've reported the issue to the data protection commissioners and have also emailed DID.

Should be interesting to see their response.

The Hill Billy

seagull wrote: »

I was asked for a phone number in order to be contacted about the purchase I made. There was no mention of future promotions. On that basis, it is a breach of the data protection act.

+1

FWIW - I've lodged my complaint with the commissioner.

podge018

I got it and was quite grateful to learn about their upcoming sale.

knighted_1

daheff wrote: »

Not only did I get a text...I got 2 emails also!

pain in the arse....dont these things have to have an opt in clause now??

but you had to physically type in your e mail address on there website and the terms are clearly laid out -so just cause you didnt read the conditions ,you are jumping on the bandwagon here slating them ,for something that is your fault - people should wake up to reality

311

I don't see any problem with this ,MODO do it aswell. I haven't got any from either for a long time though.
It's not like it's mcDonalds sending burger adds.

Sizzler

I got one too, this has just reminded me to fire off an email to the data protection commissioner for their take on it, standby for results!

JackieChan

My partner has received this also. The last item we got from them was two years ago and that was a contact number for delivery purposes.

Partner was going to unsubscribe but because it was a UK mobile number wasn't sure what was going on. She contacted Vodafone who advised her to talk to the data commisioners office.

Seemingly the data commissioner office have received numerous complaints about this.

You can say 'A sure I'll unsubscribe and leave it at that' but where did they get your number, why was it been sent from a UK mobile number,who was it been sent from? DID or some distribution channel? and did you give them permission to contact you?

the_syco

Is DID, DID? Or is there a DID Ireland? If the latter, any and all corrorspndence from the UK has broken the your Data rights, as they'll have then given it to a 3rd party...

knighted_1

the_syco wrote: »

Is DID, DID? Or is there a DID Ireland? If the latter, any and all corrorspndence from the UK has broken the your Data rights, as they'll have then given it to a 3rd party...

i dont think they have given it to a third party -they used a system to bulk send texts and the cheapest service was the uk providers ,it could have been china that provides it ,it makes no difference -
all a company does is link there system to the distributors system and type in the text that they want to send -nothing sinister goes on and i bet none of you have recieved any other texts from that uk number ,so until you do you shouldnt jump to conclusions -

if any one has had a reply or a ruling from the data commissioners could they post it here ro clarify matters

at the end of the day it is not illigal to contact your own customers ,and even if you havent purchased anything in a number of years ,you still remain a customer of that company while they hold your details on computer for the life of your appliance and warrentys

Sizzler

knighted_1 wrote: »

at the end of the day it is not illigal to contact your own customers ,and even if you havent purchased anything in a number of years ,you still remain a customer of that company while they hold your details on computer for the life of your appliance and warrentys

Eh. Bollix my friend. Rule 2 & 7 apply in this case.

http://www.dataprotection.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/responsibilities/3k.htm&CatID=55&m=y

If I buy a dishwasher from DID today I dont expect to get a poxy SMS 3 years later :rolleyes:

knighted_1

Sizzler wrote: »

Eh. Bollix my friend. Rule 2 & 7 apply in this case.

http://www.dataprotection.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/responsibilities/3k.htm&CatID=55&m=y

If I buy a dishwasher from DID today I dont expect to get a poxy SMS 3 years later :rolleyes:

number 1-please dont start a reply to me with the word "bollix"

number 2 -if you read thru rule 2 and 7



Rule 2: Purpose specification

• Are we clear about the purpose (or purposes) for which we keep personal information? (YES)

• Are the individuals on our database also clear about this purpose?(IF THEY READ THE TERMS THEY SHOULD BE )

• If we are required to register with the Data Protection Commissioner, does our register entry include a proper, comprehensive statement of our purpose? [Remember, if you are using personal data for a purpose not listed on your register entry, you may be committing an offence.] (CLEARLY STATED ON THERE WEBSITE )

• Has responsibility been assigned for maintaining a list of all data sets and the purpose associated with each? (I CAN ONLY ASSUME IT HAS )



Rule 7: Retention time

• Is there a clear statement on how long items of information are to be retained?(EUROPEAN CONSUMER LAW STATES INFORMATION RETENTION FOR LIFE OF PRODUCT (CURRENTLY 6 YEARS) )

• Are we clear about any legal requirements on us to retain data for a certain period? (NO THIRD PARTIES?)

• Do we regularly purge our databases of data which we no longer need, such as data relating to former customers or staff members? (?)

• Do we have a policy on deleting personal data as soon as the purpose for which we obtained the data has been completed? (?)

---

again its all assumption on your part ,or your interpretation of the rules

seagull

knighted_1 seems to be operating on the basis that everyone who received one of these texts made their purchase online. How obviously is it on their website that they may use your details for future promotions? Do they have any way of opting out?

How many people receiving texts made their purchase online, and how many bought in store? If you bought in store and received the spam text from DID, did whoever took your details make any mention that your phone details might be used to send you spam?

Poochie05

My father bought a TV in-store a few years ago and got this message. He gave them his phone number for delivery purposes and at no time was he told this could be used in future to inform him of promotional offers.