Dr Nick

Hi Everybody!

I am getting a new car (in addition to the scoob) and it comes with free insurance. I have never had free insurance before so I have been reading the small print carefully. Yes I will look a gift horse in the mouth because I belive nothing in life is free.

Part of the declaration states that by signing the form I agree to their "data privacy policy", so I read it. It basically says they can do what the **** they like with my details and makes it pretty clear that I will be receiving lots of junk mail. I have to sign the form to get the insurance.

Now I know there's a lot of people here into IT and IT systems nowadays have to comply with "the data protection act". Furthermore, and this is my main issue, didn't the EU recently introduce laws that state you have to "opt in" to junk mail schemes? I think this was aimed at spam e-mail but does it apply to snail mail too? Or is this law still on the drawing board or just something the Eurocrats are talking about getting round to, one day, maybe, perhaps...?

Forcing someone to agree to being deluged with junk mail as part of an insurance policy can't be legal surely?

Any comments?

David Lock

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/offmailinglist.html

Dr Nick

I am already with the Mailing Preference Service, but I did not know they had a web site so thanks for that

BMWhere?

Not sure if the opt-in law applies to snail-mail, but I think that was already regulated (they had opt-out tick boxes before even before email existed!). Although their T&C's clearly state that by signing the form your opting-in!

rik1471

just put down a blag email address, or create one specifically which you don't mind giving out.