Virgin Media's Marketing Database

[Charlie_Bubble]

How old is the data in VMs marketing database? Surely some of the data should be dumped after x number of years.

I get about 1 letter a month, sometimes more from VM asking me to be a customer and offering me all kinds of deals. I stopped using VM about 2 or 3 years ago.

Normally all the junk coming through my door from VM has no particular name on it. Yesterday I got some marketing gumph through the door from them addressed to the people who used to own my flat before I did. Now, I've owned my flat for 10 years and about 2 months, so they are working from data that is about 10.5 years old.

Surely they can do better than data 10 years old. I mean, I was a customer myself for about 5 or 6 years during this period, so surely they should have at least my name in there to use, rather than the last but one.

[Andrewcrawford23]

I suspect they have got the data from somewher eelse and there system are out of date.

But regardless who ever has the data that old should delete it they can only keep it for a maximum of 6 years, there is some things that are exempt from that ie NHS for obvious reasons.

[Stuart]

They aren't the only company. Abbey are still writing to my father despite the fact he died ten years ago and we have notified them multiple times that he died..

[rogerdraig]

Originally Posted by Andrewcrawford23

I suspect they have got the data from somewher eelse and there system are out of date.

But regardless who ever has the data that old should delete it they can only keep it for a maximum of 6 years, there is some things that are exempt from that ie NHS for obvious reasons.

hmm they need billing information for at least 7 for tax inquires

some other information most likely should either be dumped when you leave or after a year tough that's based on a voluntry agreement with government

then they also are supposed to keep other information on billing under ec directive for up to 2 years

whether they can access this to send you letters seems debatable though all these below can if they feel like it

• Police forces (as defined in section 81(1) of RIPA)
• National Criminal Intelligence Service
• National Crime Squad
• HM Customs and Excise
• Inland Revenue
• Security Service
• Secret Intelligence Service
• Government Communications Headquarters

plus your local council and a few others

if you are really interested you should be able to see it all to for £10 from them

[daveetwo]

The age of a database seems to get ignored. I get comms companies calling from god knows where telling me they can save my money on my phone bill thinking im a BT customer. The last time i was a bt customer was more than 10 years ago.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

They aren't the only company. Abbey are still writing to my father despite the fact he died ten years ago and we have notified them multiple times that he died..

And I should make clear that we have notified them (even to the point of taking the Death certificate to our local branch who informed Head Office).

[rogerdraig]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

And I should make clear that we have notified them (even to the point of taking the Death certificate to our local branch who informed Head Office).

not absolutely sure on the legality of this suggestion as your father is dead

but you could try paying the £10 for a complete list of data held on him then require them to alter it to reflect his current state

though i know from recent experience dealing with another company who refused point blank to talk to anyone but the deceased ! (data protection act according to them ) though they did eventually listen to the police liaison officer ( long story )