This is definitely not unaddressed junk mail, pushed through everyones' door?

Edited by Oliver341 (Wed 10-Jun-15 13:27:20)

No, it is addressed to a correct name not to an occupier, for example. I am keeping the latest letter for now.

I am guessing my call triggered a check through their database that revealed that I have left BT 20 months ago or so, and therefore the latest envelope has words "Reconnect with BT" on it. The thing is, should they have kept my details that long after I left? I don't think so.

Edited by deleted (Wed 10-Jun-15 13:16:34)

A simple enquiry phone call does not constitute a legal relationship.

Otherwise every phone call we make to a firm or walk in a shop, leaving our contact details, would leave us liable to receiving junk mail.

And here is the second principle of the Data Protection Act taken from this guidance, page 5, that is applicable to my situation I believe:

Organisations must only collect personal data for specified purposes, and cannot later decide to use it for other �incompatible� purposes. So they cannot use people�s details for marketing purposes if they originally collected them for an entirely different purpose.

I am sure there are plenty of other principles that can be applied here too.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

A simple enquiry phone call does not constitute a legal relationship.

It is not possible to make such a sweeping statement. It depends on the context of the call and what sort of permission is sought by the company for following up after the call.

Agree, but no permission was sought at any time and no warning was given that they might use my details for marketing.

From the guidance above:

Organisations will need to be able to demonstrate that consent was knowingly
given, clear and specific, and should keep clear records of consent.

They wouldn't have a record of my consent.

They asked for my details in order to establish, allegedly, what price I would get for broadband only deal.

Edited by deleted (Wed 10-Jun-15 18:45:29)

Have you previously had any dealings with BT Retail? If so, they might have taken your request for a price as an indication that they could reactivate an old marketing permission they had on file for you.

If you have had no previous dealings with BT Retail and merely asked for a price, I would consider complaining to the Information Commissioner on the basis that you were opted into marketing communications without your permission.

Ok, an update. Received an email from BT Residential Services and I have no idea what to make of it.

The CS adviser either misread my email or didn't read it at all but she said that she requested to stop all marketing CALLS. For goodness sake. I have asked to stop MAIL, although I am guessing it's better to stop something then nothing. A reply now has been sent.

Overall, the email was written in a way to is impossible to understand with a substantial number of spelling mistakes.

Additionally, she managed to include a reply to another person with a different problem in my email as well, so now I have two replies for the price of one.

I think I've got now a good understanding of the BT customer service. Dear me!

Oh, yes, it is. How often do firms say 'If you leave your name & phone no, we'll call you back when the item's in stock and, by the way, we'll use your details to also call you with attractive marketing offers that we think you may like'?

And if they don't say the latter, then they have no right at all to call you with them.