To wonder how they got my address?

[OwooenBled]

I work in a high school so I do like to read Education/Secondary Education on Mumsnet. I was having a nose at a thread about Queen Ethelburga's College, I can't even remember what it was about or why I was interested. I decided to have a look at how the other half live and had a quick flick onto their website. Today I came home from work and found a prospectus from them had come in the post. I am not in the least IT literate and fear witchcraft is afoot. Can someone tell me how they got my address?!

I don't think it's witchcraft. They have a very wide mailing list - it's probably just a coincidence. They used to send them to my Dad - not sure why, as his children are a bit past going to school.

Ohh maybe they can see you?

It's not possible unless you filled something in online with them.

Are you a teacher? Maybe they are head hunting you?

I'll go away now

I haven't filled in anything online, 2 of my children have left home and I'm in South Wales - nowhere near York. I did have an entertaining 5 minutes telling the 14 year old we were sending her to posh school - it was worth it just to see the look on her face!

My Dad doesn't own a computer, so it can't be an online thing.

How weird, I got that today too & wondered where they'd gotten details from

I suspect they have bought a mailing list from a company, companies who get your address for a business purpose e.g. a delivery sometimes sell the addresses as mailing lists.

Either that or they are spying on us through our computer screens...

DP got a prospectus for Queen Ethelburga's a couple of days ago and was - wonder what mailing list they have been using?

As an aside, one of our biggest ever arguments was about state vs private education... (although he has altered his views since having a DD )

Their owning body has some kind of connection with the insurance industry (equine insurance, if memory serves correctly). They may have just trolled insurance/third party databases for names. Have you tried contacting them to ask to be removed?
Actually - scrap that last thought. You could inadvertently make it worse...
I hope this helps.