To be pissed off with myself re Bounty - help me take action

[WhatWillSantaBring]

I knew it was coming! I know my rights! I'm a lawyer, FFS, and I still got conned into giving my bastard details to the bounty woman in hopsital following the birth of my DC2.

However, I was sufficiently lucid to clearly think - "it's ok, I have not been asked to consent to marketing". My sketchy knowledge of the DPA is that they are now therefore in breach of it, as my details have been sold to third parties. Anyone want to help me with how I make a complaint to the ICO? Or maybe this is a campaign for Which? (I'm a member)

Or will a complaint do nothing. These bastards must be stopped!

[jammiecat]

Fry You can get a paper form by calling the helpline. See www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/start/claiming/how-to-claim.htm. It doesn't mention being bale to pick one up from a post office.

[traviata]

excellent, fifth column anti-Bounty activity.

[AntoinetteCosway]

When DD was born I told the Bounty lady to fuck off so she went a found DH and he was too polite to do the same

[Pollaidh]

If there's no point you getting CB you are supposed to still apply on the official form, there's now a tick box for not claiming. It means your NI contributions or something are still protected when you're not working. I advise against claiming and then giving it all back as we did this accidentally (thinking we had to claim to protect the contributions), and the tax forms were horrendous, senseless and took days to fill in.

On both occasions I was left a pack but not bothered by anyone - possibly because first time I was v poorly after PPH and second baby was in NICU? I ignored the card stuck to it saying to register with Bounty.

[Pollaidh]

RueDe I'm so sorry. I think there is some service called the Baby Mail Preference Service to stop you getting baby-related stuff, and The Bereavement Register to stop post addressed to your stillborn baby. Both are free to register with. Hope these help.

[PoppettyPing]

Oh RuDe that is horrid. What utter twatfucks.

I have no loyalty cards, there was no clipboard on the bed, and definitely no hypnotism (haha)... I can't for the life of me figure out how those vultures got my address. Surely the hospital doesn't tell them?!?

The Bounty lady didn't even seem bothered when I told her I wouldn't be giving her my details. I was almost disappointed.

[blondefriend]

Givemeaclue - both of my children were in NICU but I had to stay on the postnatal wards. Both times a Bounty rep invaded my privacy, walked past closed curtains (in one case woke me up) and offered to take pictures of my baby without seeming to notice the empty cot beside my bed. I was too tired and emotional to react - I would go back to those terrible days just to be able to tell her to f**K right off.

[perplexedpirate]

Oh DeRu!

SIL is due twins this year. I shall patrol the ward 24/7 for BountyCuntyNess.

I feel sorry for whoever lives at my old address, they must get all manner of random marketing. I don't even remember what I told who postpartum, I was too busy staring at my DS, crying hysterically (in a good way) and attempting to replace the 4 pints of blood I'd lost (jolly birth story, there!).

[RedToothBrush]

Number 1. MAKE A COMPLAINT TO THE HOSPITAL.
One of the major problems is that no matter how much women complain on MN they are not complaining to the hospitals in question. Hospitals are using this as a way to support Bounty, by saying "well we've had no complaints" or that Bounty have high levels of satisfaction. This is the number one thing you need to do to register with authorities that you believe that this company have taken advantage of a situation in which you are vulnerable. What hospitals and Bounty say does not match what NCT and MN surveys said and the message needs to go to hospitals that women do not like this.

Number 2. COMPLAIN TO BOUNTY
Yes I am pretty damn sure they are in breach of the DPA. They need to EXPLICITLY state what they are using the data for (eg in this case to sell on to third parties for marketing - they can not legally state that it is to join a parenting club as that is misleading). Failure to do so, is in breach of ICO rules. In order to complain to the ICO, you are supposed to complain to the company in question... which if you don't trust them and don't want to give them your details is not really what you want to do. However if they always have your details you don't have a lot to loose. The trouble is, by now they may have already sold your information to third parties, and out of their control. The ICO will not handle your complaint unless Bounty have been given the opportunity to correct the problem first.

You can also do a "Subject Access Request" to businesses. They have to provide you with all the information they hold on you (including who they sent your details on you). They can charge £10 at most for this request. They have to reply within 40 days. It has to be sent to the Compliance Manager who should be publicly noted. (I did previously put a link to Bounty's Compliance Manager's linked in profile who was Sarah Wragg, but the profile no longer exists).

You would need to send recorded delivery to prove they had received your request. ??If they don't respond you would then contact the ICO as non compliance is a breach of the data protection act. ??Technically, I believe that all staff working for Bounty should have data protection training as part of their compliance. Its believe it may be a legal necessity due to where they work. Whether they are doing this or not, I haven't established.

The ICO rules were tightened back in September; the register ran a great article on what this means here

Number 3. COMPLAIN TO THE ICO
You can only do this if Bounty do not respond to the above to your satisfaction.
Full details of how to complain should you get to this point here

Number 4. CONSIDER A COMPLAINT TO TRADING STANDARDS.
I've posted about this previously about how I believe this type of behaviour is in breech of trading standards.
Rather than copying the whole lot again, the information is on this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_campaigns/a1641617-just-had-a-run-in-with-the-maternity-ward-bounty-photographer

Posts by me on Fri 21-Dec-12 23:54:57 and Sat 22-Dec-12 00:26:12 give you a good outline of why its dodgy, but I've made other posts about it which give further detail, including links on that that and on the subsequent later thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_campaigns/a1777511-Campaign-to-end-Bounty-reps-access-to-maternity-wards-please-read-and-help-if-you-can

As far as I am aware no one has taken this approach yet - it is begging for someone to do it, but it can only be someone who has a complaint themselves and not on behalf of someone.

They do not need to sell you photos to be covered under this; selling your details on to a third party is a commercial and financial transaction so I believe is covered (read the The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 for more info here.


Hope that points you in the right direction, if you are serious about doing this. Happy to help if you need it, though I could bore the hind leg off a donkey with this subject, so you've been warned!!!

[rainbowsmakemesmile]

I think people in general get themselves way too wound up about this. Take the freebies and bin the rest. I don't see the harm, never have.

[RedToothBrush]

Oh and Wuxiapian if you come back to this thread, I will quite happily bore you with a mega long post about exactly why even intelligent women may find it difficult in these circumstances to say no. These are covered in the trading standards guidance stuff detailed and linked to above about misleading and aggressive sales tactics and why they are ILLEGAL.

[northlight]

NHS Highland have not renewed their contract with Bounty. I hope other health boards and trusts will do the same.

[stickystick]

At my very first antenatal clinic visit a bootfaced taciturn midwife chucked a pack at me tried to give me a pack. Knowing nothing about Bounty and instinctively suspicious, I said 'no thanks'. She looked staggered, as if I were the first person EVER to reject it. "But it's free," she said, as if that alone were enough.

My second Bounty encounter was first thing the morning after I had had my son, when I was feeling pretty awful - just had a c-section, no sleep for two days, and various other hideosities. The Bounty photographer woman knocked on the door and opened it all in one go, gaily chirping, "Bounty baby photograph, it's free, it's free!" I said no, but obviously not loudly enough because she seemed not to hear. So I told the nurse to say no to her. The nurse did so with much rolling of eyes and shrugging, as if to say "Well she IS a madwoman, because why would any sane person not want a FREE Bounty photograph of their baby?"

And THEN, the Bounty woman turned up again the same time the following day, and tried again! And again I had her and the nurse saying, "But it's free! Do it for your baby, at least! It's free!" There was a strong implication that if I didn't agree then I didn't care about my son, which was v annoying. So very reluctantly, I gave in. Two very hasty photos were taken, and the Bounty woman swiftly withdrew: worried, I suppose, that I might bite.

The worst thing about this story is that two months later I did buy a print of each of the photos. I hate myself for doing it but my excuse is that there was something wrong with my cameraphone and all my own photos came out a bit fuzzy....

[ToughSpuds]

stickystick your photos came out fuzzy as the bounty lady cursed it

My experience was that the woman was very pushy and couldn't take no for an answer. All the mothers seemed to be really pleased when the bounty woman walked in and I felt like I was in the middle of a horrible retake of stepford wives

[ILiveInAPineappleCoveredInSnow]

I had a really nice bounty woman with ds2, as I was sat alone sobbing my heart out that he was in scbu, DH wasn't allowed on the ward until 9am and I was still not allowed to walk and therefore couldn't go and see ds2 myself, she came and hugged me, made me tea, handed me tissues and found a wheelchair to take me down to scbu herself.

She was just an all round good egg and I loved her for being kind. I couldn't care less about getting crap in the post and I always give fake phone numbers for stuff like that!

[ILiveInAPineappleCoveredInSnow]

Oh and she didn't even ask about photos

[caketinrosie]

I'm a crazy voice in the wilderness, but I loved my bounty packs!! I loved the mini sudocrem the free nappies, the travel wipes and the mountain of leaflets and even the phone calls don't bother me as I just said no ta and replace the handset. As an older mum it appears things are different now, but I loved the freebies. Only freebies I got! No pressie for me from dh twat

[Caitlin17]

I can't remember if there was a Bounty lady on the ward . I don't think so. I think I was given a voucher to collect a pack from Boots. I liked it but I love free samples . I love it when Clinique has there bag of free stuff promotions in free make up bags.

[Sangelina]

I never saw the bounty lady and I was on the post natal ward for six days. How did that happen?

Oh, and you can pick up child benefit forms from the job centre, I got ours from there as printer had packed up.

[bluebeanie]

I had dd in the mlu and stayed in the room until we were discharged after 9 hours. We were just left a pack at the door. Phew

[hickorychicken]

With my first dd the mw gave me mine for some reason but with dd2 i was so groggy i told her i wasnt interested in the pics etc and she looked at me like id shot a puppy. It pisses me off, they come onto the ward and fake fawn (like theyve not seen 1000 ugly babies before) and some mums are scrambling to find something in there mass of bags for the baby to wear in the god awful photos. Not a chance in hell was i going to disturb dd when she slept fuck all at night to dress her in something a bit more cute(?) to take shit pictures. they give you one FREE print of.... with their name on it. How sweet

[Jengnr]

I never thought anything of it at the time and I let her take the pictures. I quite liked the idea of a 'professional' photo of him so was welcoming. She arranged him very artistically and I stood behind her and snapped away with my phone as well.

Turns out a post c section mother with an iphone, off her tits on drugs and hormones is a better photographer than she is. I didn't buy her pictures but I have a lovely album of him from her arrangements.

IN YOUR FACE BOUNTY!!

[Primadonnagirl]

Don't have biological children soo expected this thread to be about a chocolate bar or paper towels.....

[gabcat]

i am going to be soooo disappointed if bounty lady doesn't come round and even more if she is and doesn't push for details

[notoneforselfies]

I took the free stuff but told her she couldn't have my number or email address. She didn't have a camera but I rather wish she did as 6 weeks on I still don't have any photos of myself with DS. DH is not one for taking photos.