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Telephone number shared between banks - help

I am furious that I gave my bank my telephone number and they then shared it with another bank that I also have an account with. Apparently they are 2 large high street banks and they told me that they can do that as they are part of a larger group? is this allowed?

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Do you owe either of them money?
If so, they can share your contact info within the group and with credit reference agencies trying to trace you in order to seek repayment/ an agreement to repay.
Original post by londonmyst
Do you owe either of them money?
If so, they can share your contact info within the group and with credit reference agencies trying to trace you in order to seek repayment/ an agreement to repay.

no. I didn't know they were going to share my personal telephone number.
It's not a matter of it is "allowed" generally, but whether or not you've signed up to some terms and conditions on whether you allow them to do so.
Original post by Callicious
It's not a matter of it is "allowed" generally, but whether or not you've signed up to some terms and conditions on whether you allow them to do so.

I have had these accounts for a while now and not signed anything that said they were connected.
any ideas of what I can do?
Original post by Kutie Karen
I have had these accounts for a while now and not signed anything that said they were connected.

When you open up an account you're accepting the T&Cs of whoever you open it with. Similarly, the T&Cs evolve (I get an email every month or so from RBS saying that they're changing their T&Cs.)

I'm not saying you did- I'm just saying that it's a possible option for how they could justify it. It's up to you to verify if that's the case, i.e. by checking any and all terms/conditions associated with your bank and account.
Original post by Kutie Karen
I am furious that I gave my bank my telephone number and they then shared it with another bank that I also have an account with. Apparently they are 2 large high street banks and they told me that they can do that as they are part of a larger group? is this allowed?

Which were the two banks? It depends on the terms and conditions you signed up to when you opened the accounts. For example, NatWest and RBS are part of the same group and share data.
Original post by Callicious
When you open up an account you're accepting the T&Cs of whoever you open it with. Similarly, the T&Cs evolve (I get an email every month or so from RBS saying that they're changing their T&Cs.)

I'm not saying you did- I'm just saying that it's a possible option for how they could justify it. It's up to you to verify if that's the case, i.e. by checking any and all terms/conditions associated with your bank and account.

I don't believe I did. Surely, it is up to the banks to prove that I did rather than the other way around?
Original post by Kutie Karen
I don't believe I did. Surely, it is up to the banks to prove that I did rather than the other way around?

You will have assented to the terms when opening the accounts, it will have been a tick box in the process. If you go onto their websites, it's pretty easy to find them.
Original post by Kutie Karen
I don't believe I did. Surely, it is up to the banks to prove that I did rather than the other way around?

Again I have no clue, but logic dictates that they do not have to prove it- I would expect them to point you to the T&Cs at the bare minimum, though. Try emailing them and asking them- they may very well send you to their T&Cs. My general knowledge is that if you use a service, signed or not, you accept their rules of use/terms.
What exactly is the problem here? A central system for a banking group isn't exactly unheard of.

Who are the two banks?
Original post by Kutie Karen
I am furious that I gave my bank my telephone number and they then shared it with another bank that I also have an account with. Apparently they are 2 large high street banks and they told me that they can do that as they are part of a larger group? is this allowed?

A lot of banks/banking groups trade under different names, with greater or lesser integration between the brands.

For example: Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland are part of Lloyds Banking Group; RBS, Ulster Bank and NatWest are part of the NatWest group (along with some smaller private banks); Virgin Money own Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank (though I believe the Yorkshire/Clydesdale names are being phased out); HSBC operate First Direct; Santander operate cahoot; The Co-operative Bank operate Britannia and smile.

You'll probably find there's something in the bank's terms and conditions (or in their privacy policy that the Ts&Cs will point to) that allow data sharing between the different banks/brands in the group.

As an example, a couple of years ago I took out a credit card with "Brand A" while having an existing credit card from "Brand B" (where I already knew that the two brands were part of the same group). I have a habit of using a unique email address for each organisation (so I start receiving spam on the address, I know where it leaked from). I subsquently found that my email address that I gave to "Brand A" had been applied to my "Brand B" account details. I shrugged and wasn't surprised.
Original post by martin7
A lot of banks/banking groups trade under different names, with greater or lesser integration between the brands.

For example: Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland are part of Lloyds Banking Group; RBS, Ulster Bank and NatWest are part of the NatWest group (along with some smaller private banks); Virgin Money own Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank (though I believe the Yorkshire/Clydesdale names are being phased out); HSBC operate First Direct; Santander operate cahoot; The Co-operative Bank operate Britannia and smile.

You'll probably find there's something in the bank's terms and conditions (or in their privacy policy that the Ts&Cs will point to) that allow data sharing between the different banks/brands in the group.

As an example, a couple of years ago I took out a credit card with "Brand A" while having an existing credit card from "Brand B" (where I already knew that the two brands were part of the same group). I have a habit of using a unique email address for each organisation (so I start receiving spam on the address, I know where it leaked from). I subsquently found that my email address that I gave to "Brand A" had been applied to my "Brand B" account details. I shrugged and wasn't surprised.

Hi,

Thanks. Do they need your explict consent to do this? I have had these accounts for a while and don't remember being told anything about this. or asked to sign anything.
Original post by Kutie Karen
Hi,

Thanks. Do they need your explict consent to do this? I have had these accounts for a while and don't remember being told anything about this. or asked to sign anything.

Read the Terms and Conditions that you agreed to.

Who are the banks? For example, Halifax (https://www.halifax.co.uk/securityandprivacy/privacy-explained/data-privacy-notice.html#13):

"We may share your personal information with other companies in Lloyds Banking Group."
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by IWMTom
Read the Terms and Conditions that you agreed to.

Who are the banks? For example, Halifax (https://www.halifax.co.uk/securityandprivacy/privacy-explained/data-privacy-notice.html#13):

"We may share your personal information with other companies in Lloyds Banking Group."

I opened my accounts a while back and don't remember signing anything. surely, the onus is on the banks to prove that I agreed to this?
Original post by Kutie Karen
I opened my accounts a while back and don't remember signing anything. surely, the onus is on the banks to prove that I agreed to this?

No, it certainly was in the Terms & Conditions that you did sign in order to open the accounts. It's your responsibility to read and understand the Ts&Cs before signing and then to remember you've done so. If you don't like the way the bank has operated, then obviously it is your responsibility that they have behaved incorrectly.
Who is the onus onto prove that I did sign these? I think it is the bank
There is no onus, you agreed to them when you opened the accounts. otherwise you wouldn't have the accounts. You don't sign it, it'll just be part of the application.
Original post by Kutie Karen
Who is the onus onto prove that I did sign these? I think it is the bank

It could have been included in any update to your t&c’s since you opened the accounts. A lot of those just have a broad “you don’t need to do anything if you agree…” clause.

Have you looked at your banks gdpr pages? They’ll usually explain what entities may receive your data.

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