Who sold my details to marketing database? Caught!

So the other day I received a letter fully addressed to me. Opened it up, was a 'you have won' type thing from www.pieroth.com.au saying that by filling in a survey they would give me free whiskey tumblers and wines.
Turns out that to claim your prize you have to have the man come and let you taste his wines in your home and pressure you into buying some.

Now the funny thing is that I'm not on any marketing databases. This is the one and only marketing letter with my full name, address, and knowledge of my age. Wonder how they got my details?

Sent them a complaint/threat. Response below.

Dear David,
In response to your query, we received your address details from Acxiom, a third party data supplier.
Their contact details if you would like to follow up with them are:

Phone: 02 9032 3200
Email: [email protected]

Regards
------
Pieroth
Unit 14, 12 Mars Road
Lane Cove NSW 2066

Hmm turns out acxiom is a big nasty, a shadowy data mining company that collects info about everyone from everywhere (and won't explain where/how the data is collected)
theweek.com/articles/474509/acxiom-corp-faceless-organization-that-knows-everything-about

So I sent Acxiom a complaint/threat as before:
Hi,
I have recently been informed that my details have been sold to 3rd parties by your company.
I don't believe I am currently on any other promotional databases.
Please let me know:
1. Who provided my details to your company?
and
2. How to do got off your database?

I believe I have a right to both of these answers under Australian consumer law, and I will certainly be researching this area, and the appropriate forums to take further action and/or raise awareness, while waiting for you reply.

Finally after 3 reminders and waiting 2 months for me to forget about it, they came back with this.

Dear Mr .-----
Sorry not to have got back to you earlier.
We sourced your information from following details
Originally sourced by historical issues of the QLD ER and also from National Change of Address details. NCOA:
As of the 26th August 2013 we have removed your name and address details form out marketing database .
Regards
Nicholas ----
Consumer Care

Now historical Electoral Rolls are available until 2004 - so only useful to check birthdate (no other details would be relevant for me, I've moved and changed all numbers heaps of times)

So the winner is...

-----> AUSTRALIA POST <-----

That's it folks, if you use Australia Post's mail redirection service, they'll sell you onto the country's biggest marketing database.

You have been warned.

What are the wines like?

Way Overpriced. Somewhat dodgy quality & suspect origin - as you would expect for a product sold on commission only
& under pressure selling.

A good(?) research project if you are studying marketing/sales/hard core selling

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Chris6791 said..

Kiteboydave, I completed a change of address/mail redirection thingy only a few weeks ago I'm pretty sure there is a box that clearly covers passing your details onto 'third party partners', is there any chance you filled the form in without reading it properly?

Yes there is a chance I would unintentionally miss a check box. But I would never unintentionally Opt-in. However they might have changed from Opt-out to Opt-in since I filled in the form originally, I'm sure they must cop some flak for this.

Re the wine: I currently drink this:
www.1stchoice.com.au/Red%20Wine/hidden-gem-cabernet-merlot-750ml-2013_9861816
I'm strongly of the belief that $2.85 is all you should pay for table wine. So those ones might be ok but outta my league!

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kiteboy dave said..

Chris6791 said..

Kiteboydave, I completed a change of address/mail redirection thingy only a few weeks ago I'm pretty sure there is a box that clearly covers passing your details onto 'third party partners', is there any chance you filled the form in without reading it properly?

Yes there is a chance I would unintentionally miss a check box. But I would never unintentionally Opt-in. However they might have changed from Opt-out to Opt-in since I filled in the form originally, I'm sure they must cop some flak for this.

Re the wine: I currently drink this:
www.1stchoice.com.au/Red%20Wine/hidden-gem-cabernet-merlot-750ml-2013_9861816
I'm strongly of the belief that $2.85 is all you should pay for table wine. So those ones might be ok but outta my league!

jebus - $2.85! Even in my uni days I got the second cheapest cask of claret!
The chateu tundra or whatever it was the black fellas in the park were drinking wasn't classy enuf even back then.
alway preferred don comillo over passion pop also!

Lol give it a go sometime, the problem with all the bottom end wines is that they blend up whatever they get, seems to be consistent for about 3-6 months, they have great patches and ordinary patches. When it's ordinary you bail to the next one which has hopefully come good again.

I was just looking for another to show you, but this is back on special - normally $8. I will stretch for $4.80 for this stuff.
www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_73984/mcguigan-black-label-red

This one is also great, was $3.75 (upper end of my table wine price range ) but they were selling it out as fast as it came in, so upped it now unfortunately. I consider it too pricey now, can do better, but a lovely drop.
danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_99574/somerton-shiraz-cabernet-merlot

That's fakking diabolical!

'sfunny, I don't remember Australia Post being privatised. I guess I missed that memo.

All this is very interesting reading. I really liked the part about the wines. Absolute gold.

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myusernam said..

ot massive fan cat amongst the pigeons shiraz. do you rate wineman?

Haven't tried that one....yet
But credentials & origin look OK.

If KiteBoy likes the $2.85 wines & it floats his boat, then that is great.
I mean some Qld'ers even like 4XXXX Gold , compared to a boutique beer.

Taste is subjective, & often you believe what you want to believe

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Wineman said..
If KiteBoy likes the $2.85 wines & it floats his boat, then that is great.
I mean some Qld'ers even like 4XXXX Gold , compared to a boutique beer.
Taste is subjective, & often you believe what you want to believe

My tastes are pretty lowbrow .. I know my palate is fairly undeveloped. I like a smooth red, not harsh on the throat, with some tannins tho, not too sweet, feels 'thick' in the mouth not watery, and I have a strong sense of 'fizzy' and don't like it.

As for beer, to be honest I've never met a beer I don't like. Well there's TUN and I had some 20c/litre stuf they serve in plastic bags on the street in vietnam that had pukey undertone, then there was chibuku in a tribal village in Zimbabwe, that reeked of vomit. So I guess you'd say never met a beer in an aussie shop that I couldn't make friends with.

^will try that worrier, looks good.

I don't watch TT/ACA so I'm not really keen to suffer the loss of dignity involved with actually appearing on one of them

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kiteboy dave said..

I don't watch TT/ACA so I'm not really keen to suffer the loss of dignity involved with actually appearing on one of them

Just ask them to blur your face...last thing you want is Aus Post getting the **** with you...goodbye mail

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Wineman said..

myusernam said..

ot massive fan cat amongst the pigeons shiraz. do you rate wineman?

\
I mean some Qld'ers even like 4XXXX Gold ,

erm, guilty as charged!

So Australia Post came back with this piece of sheer lunacy:

Hi David

Thanks for your enquiry.

I would like to reassure you that Australia Post do not sell customer details. Your details are forwarded to marketing as part of your redirection when you applied for it. There is a box that you should have ticked to ensure that this did not occur.

I'm happy to get your details removed from this database for you. In order to do that can you please provide the following information. This requested information is in line with our Privacy Guidelines and is a mandatory security check to ensure the person making the enquiry is authorised to do so.

??? Your nine digit Customer Reference Number (CRN)
??? Your old address
??? Your new address
??? Name of the person who lodged the application
??? Full names of all addressees covered by the service
??? Phone number (as provided on the redirection application)

Once I have this information I will be able to have your details removed from this database.

I???m also very sorry that it has taken us longer than anticipated to get back to you. We are currently experiencing higher than normal online enquiries, and are working hard to make sure that we get back to our customers as soon as possible.

Kind regards

Vicki L | Digital Sales and Service | Australia Post
Online Services Consultant

GPO Box 9911 In Your Capital City

I would like to reassure you that Australia Post do not sell customer details. Your details are forwarded to marketing ....

Just replay that sentence a few times.

AP do not sell customer details.
next sentence
your details are forwarded to marketing (and they sell them)


There is a box that you should have ticked to ensure that this did not occur.

My fault, thanks lady. And apparently it is/was Opt-Out.

^^ Love your work Kiteboy Dave!

Thanks for sharing this. Please keep posting on the progress.