Insurance quote-phone number required?
- Thread starter Orga
- Start date
In any event, you are covered by Data Protection legislation.
I have been an insurance customer of Quinn before and currently have investments with them. I have never received junk mail or been called by them other than when I requested them to do so.
Have you tried other insurers? Have they quoted you without a phone number?
I have been an insurance customer of Quinn before and currently have investments with them. I have never received junk mail or been called by them other than when I requested them to do so.
Have you tried other insurers? Have they quoted you without a phone number?
Hi CCOVICH,
I tried every other insurer in the phone book and all of them when I said that my number is ex-directory and that I don't give it out had no problem in quoting. I'm certainly not castigating Quinn over their products - I didn't get far enough to find out how competitive their quotes are!
My issue is not with junk mail it's with privacy and what companies can legitimately request - maybe I'm being a little philosophical here but my take on this is that my phone number is not relevant to my ability/history to drive a motor car and consequently not relevant to my insurance premium. Why would a legitimate company refuse to quote me over a private phone number - they have my address, my car reg. number and any other number of details that can accurately track me down - why would they need a phone number and why would it be so important to this company that they would put me in the position of being unable to do business with them as a result?!
Secondly, if we continue to acquiesce to demands for personal information we are contributing to a culture where our personal, private information may be readily asked of us. If you have lived in the states you would know what I'm talking about.
As regards the data protection act, there's the opt-in/opt-out clause in that some companies require you to opt out of them sending/sharing/using your information and it's buried in the fine print or in the telephone announcements that many people just skip over - best practice(which is being adopted by more and more companies) is to adopt the opt-in system where you have to consent to them making any other use of your data.
I tried every other insurer in the phone book and all of them when I said that my number is ex-directory and that I don't give it out had no problem in quoting. I'm certainly not castigating Quinn over their products - I didn't get far enough to find out how competitive their quotes are!
My issue is not with junk mail it's with privacy and what companies can legitimately request - maybe I'm being a little philosophical here but my take on this is that my phone number is not relevant to my ability/history to drive a motor car and consequently not relevant to my insurance premium. Why would a legitimate company refuse to quote me over a private phone number - they have my address, my car reg. number and any other number of details that can accurately track me down - why would they need a phone number and why would it be so important to this company that they would put me in the position of being unable to do business with them as a result?!
Secondly, if we continue to acquiesce to demands for personal information we are contributing to a culture where our personal, private information may be readily asked of us. If you have lived in the states you would know what I'm talking about.
As regards the data protection act, there's the opt-in/opt-out clause in that some companies require you to opt out of them sending/sharing/using your information and it's buried in the fine print or in the telephone announcements that many people just skip over - best practice(which is being adopted by more and more companies) is to adopt the opt-in system where you have to consent to them making any other use of your data.
DrMoriarty
Moderator
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I agree. I recently cancelled — in writing — a Friends First life policy I no longer needed, but I still get written renewal notices and I've had three calls (from different salespersons, one at home and two in my workplace) asking 'why?', 'was I quite sure?', 'had I been offered a better quote elsewhere?', etc.Orga said:
If you're a young driver Quinn Direct are particulary competitive. I see the point you're making but if you still want a quote why not make up the number? I was getting prices for house Insurance on-line earlier and one of the companies insisted on Home & Work Landline no - I made it up!
Please keep this thread on topic and not turn it into a debate over wider privacy issues-that's for another thread.
If Quinn aren't willing to do business with you on the basis of not giving them a phone number and others are-well you appear to have the choice of going to the other insurers-Quinn's loss.
If Quinn aren't willing to do business with you on the basis of not giving them a phone number and others are-well you appear to have the choice of going to the other insurers-Quinn's loss.
Lorz said:
Just a thought - are you giving false information and thus technically rendering any contract invalid and leaving yourself uninsured?? I don't know - just wondering!
CCOVICH - you're spot on re: keeping on track and the key issues aside from privacy is whether the needs of the customer are being met by companies, in this case an insurance company, who collect additional data and who make it their policy to do business with you subject to you meeting their need to be able to contact you at their ease and whether this company in particular is within its rights in refusing to quote me for insurance based on the non-availability of a telephone number - surely this is a discriminatory practice - I'd be interested to hear what other peoples' feelings are on these issues.
Orga said:
In short - I don't know but I would assume that the contract is null and void if you give false information which would influence the premium or would be necessary to calculate the risk. As you've already pointed out your telephone no. does not indicate what sort of a risk you are or how good your driving is!