Would you trust them?

[Rodinal]

A sealed envelope popped through my door today from a company called Kantar. The letter in the envelope had just my address, no name mentioned at all. Normally I would just consign these letters to the shredder but it looked like another Estate agents letter offering to buy my house so I decided to open it. I usually send it back to them in an unstamped envelope so they have to pay double.

I had never heard of Kantar before before, but a quick search on line shows that they are involved with collecting information about peoples Television 'viewing habits!'........ Oh really! They are working with Google, (alarm bells sounding) so the letter advises me.... to help them, (Google) learn more than enough about peoples media habits by devious means so I am not handing it to them on a plate! The idea is apparently, so they claim, to develop new and improved opportunities for the users. Which I would suggest is another way if prying into what we do?

I would hazard a guess that, providing Google with more information than they already have, is tantamount to giving Vladimir Putin the codes to all the US defence information! In fact I trust Putin more than Google. They call those who have received this letter the ' panel' (I assume meaning us mugs - I think not) WE are specially selected to make sure they hear from a representative group of people which represents a usage patterns of the entire population.

If I am specially selected, why did they not use my name on the envelope? We are supposed to log in using a reference number provided, followed by a password, also provided. Somewhere along the line they would have got around to asking for your name etc plus an address where they can compare the reference number to. Well they are getting nothing from me!

The letter continues:- To thank us for our time, every household who agrees to join the panel will receive a gift voucher for £5! WHOOPEE! And consequently will receive 'points' towards vouchers for every month they remain on the panel. Again I think not!

Your comments please - keep 'em clean!

 

[g4aaw]

Everything I receive with my address but no name is always shredded here - no exceptions.

 

[Dave Canon]

I would not have wasted so much effort on this or even read it before shredding.

Dave

 

[gramps]

Your comments please

What’s it got to do with ‘Talk film & conventional’?

 

[Cobra]

What’s it got to do with ‘Talk film & conventional’?

I don't think the OP knows about the lounge,
they will now

 

[Rodinal]

I would not have wasted so much effort on this or even read it before shredding.

Dave

With being someone with more than a passing interest in Data Protection it is full of glaring holes and should be brought to the attention of the Data Protection Registrar. (I.C.O.'s office. It is simply a scammers charter if the data provided is miss-used and there is no guarantee that it won't be. That is why I read it in depth.

And no, I didn't know about the lounge. I do now, thank you for pointing it out.

 

[LeeRatters]

Trust no-one......

We had something through the other week. I can't recall exactly what it was, but if we "acted on it" we could claim a free Costa voucher If we claimed before the 31/12/2023

 

[Rodinal]

Trust no-one......

We had something through the other week. I can't recall exactly what it was, but if we "acted on it" we could claim a free Costa voucher If we claimed before the 31/12/2023

I have since the last post drafted out a letter of complaint to the ICO's office which will be posted on Monday.

 

[Tori_T]

It seems an address is only classed as personal information if it's tied to a name.
Marketing companies aren't breaching any privacy laws if they spam property.

 

[Rodinal]

It seems an address is only classed as personal information if it's tied to a name.
Marketing companies aren't breaching any privacy laws if they spam property.

It is not that which concerns me, it is the fact I know nothing about the company who contacted me out of the blue claiming to be working on behalf of Google, (Where is the proof) As sure as God made little apples they will be asking for personal information - even just a name and then where does it go to? The whole letter could be fabricated by someone unconnected with either Kantar or Google and be part of a made up attempt for a scam; you or I just don't know! I am not playing their stupid games. The ICO's office can play them at their survey and hopefully Google whatever will realise what they are involved in that is not a game anymore.

We have had advertisements recently on television warning us of attempted scams being possible by unknown callers, So just when will the general public wake of and realise there are some exceedingly nasty people out there who will happily relieve them of as much cash as they can given half an opportunity.

The password and reference number quoted on the letter could quite easily be a 'link' to who knows where? Just because it is not blue or called a 'link' does not make it safe. If Google had contacted me before this company had sent out these letters out of the blue I may have thought differently about it, but still have been suspicious. (I still would not have helped though) But operating this way is not good business practise and to be honest, quite rude considering I have nothing to do with Google directly..

 

[mj4456]

Any unsolicited mail I get that includes a SAE gets filled with the contents of their envelope* and returned, this prepaid stuff is not paid for until used, so they pay for the mail and get nothing back, not what they want.
* Sometimes I’ll hand to it for a few days till I get some other drivel then mix n match.

 

[Nod]

Any unsolicited mail I get that includes a SAE gets filled with the contents of their envelope* and returned, this prepaid stuff is not paid for until used, so they pay for the mail and get nothing back, not what they want.
* Sometimes I’ll hand to it for a few days till I get some other drivel then mix n match.

I stuff the envelopes to make them fat enough to be "large letters" before sending them back.

 

[f/2.8]

A sealed envelope popped through my door today from a company called Kantar. The letter in the envelope had just my address, no name mentioned at all. Normally I would just consign these letters to the shredder but it looked like another Estate agents letter offering to buy my house so I decided to open it. I usually send it back to them in an unstamped envelope so they have to pay double.

I had never heard of Kantar before before, but a quick search on line shows that they are involved with collecting information about peoples Television 'viewing habits!'........ Oh really! They are working with Google, (alarm bells sounding) so the letter advises me.... to help them, (Google) learn more than enough about peoples media habits by devious means so I am not handing it to them on a plate! The idea is apparently, so they claim, to develop new and improved opportunities for the users. Which I would suggest is another way if prying into what we do?

I would hazard a guess that, providing Google with more information than they already have, is tantamount to giving Vladimir Putin the codes to all the US defence information! In fact I trust Putin more than Google. They call those who have received this letter the ' panel' (I assume meaning us mugs - I think not) WE are specially selected to make sure they hear from a representative group of people which represents a usage patterns of the entire population.

If I am specially selected, why did they not use my name on the envelope? We are supposed to log in using a reference number provided, followed by a password, also provided. Somewhere along the line they would have got around to asking for your name etc plus an address where they can compare the reference number to. Well they are getting nothing from me!

The letter continues:- To thank us for our time, every household who agrees to join the panel will receive a gift voucher for £5! WHOOPEE! And consequently will receive 'points' towards vouchers for every month they remain on the panel. Again I think not!

Your comments please - keep 'em clean!

Dude wear you wearing your tin foil hat at the time?

 

[Rodinal]

Dude wear you wearing your tin foil hat at the time?

I don't think there is any need for sarcasm!
If you are not aware of the threat posed by the attempts of potential scammers heaven help you! If that leaflet sent to my address is genuine then it is a stupid, idiotic and thoughtless way of trying to drum up interest in what they are doing and they need to be advised of such. Would you provide personal information on the strength of an unsolicited mail drop claiming to be acting for an internet company. Think of the ancient proverb 'A fool and his money are soon parted'

 

[Tori_T]

It may be stupid, idiotic, and thoughtless, but if they're actually who they say, and doing what they clam, it's not illegal.
Also, if enough people respond to make it worthwhile, it's good business.

 

[Rodinal]

It may be stupid, idiotic, and thoughtless, but if they're actually who they say, and doing what they clam, it's not illegal.
Also, if enough people respond to make it worthwhile, it's good business.

On line fraud is the most frequently committed offence in UK and a lot of it is fuelled by the information given out by unwitting individuals who think they are helping. It is the 3rd parties lurking in the shadows gleaning this information (And before you say unlikely) you could do a lot worse than research the background into how information gets out there. For instance I have never ever had any direct contact with google on any device, computer programme, E Mail address or for that fact anything else so why did they send me the original letter?

 

[Tori_T]

That's just it. They didn't send you the letter, they sent it to your address (and likely every other address in your street/district/town) in the hope that the humans that happen to occupy those addresses would respond.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Dude wear you wearing your tin foil hat at the time?

I can't help but feel that, colourfully as you put it, you have a point. Unwanted communication? Drop it in the shredder.