Friend using my personal email address for her work

[DisappointedOne]

Just musing really about something that's happened this week. A friend has started working part time for a couple of days a week at a local business. She's supposed to be drumming up trade so has done a Facebook page etc.

Yesterday I got an email to my private email account (only known to friends and family) from this company with a newsletter that so appear to have been signed up for. I see her regularly and she never mentioned this.

(I use personalised email addresses in communication with companies so that I can see if my details get sold on etc. I don't even like my email address appearing on the "to" list of emails sent to a group, never mind being used to drum up business!)

AIBU to want to point out to her that this is beyond reasonable behaviour?

"Hi friend, how's the business going? Fantastic! Listen, could you do me a favour and remove [email protected] from your mailing list and instead add [email protected]? The first one is one I use for personal email only and I really don't want anything else going to it as my phone is set up to notify when that address gets mail. Thanks friend! Fancy a brew?"

Great reply The5DayChicken !
I'm sure she just sent it to her whole address book, i don't think there's any need to be getting so annoyed, i would hardly consider it a breach of privacy

The original post is very clear.
But the title isnt!

It is illegal and if she used something like mail chimp to set up company newsletters you can unsubscribe and then specify "I never signed up for this".
It is extremely bad business practice to just add random email addresses to your mailing list!

"a newsletter that so appear to have been signed up for"

What does this bit mean, please?

"But they are covered by the Privacy & Electronic Act"

This ^ It is illegal to sign someone up to a mailing list without their express consent. This is why most lists and newsletters have an opt in system, and you have to verify or confirm that you want to receive mail.

It's also incredibly cheeky.

What does this bit mean, please?

Sorry - should have said "that I appear to have been signed up for"

Apology for confusing title!

Great reply The5DayChicken !

I agree! Thank you.

I'm sure she just sent it to her whole address book, i don't think there's any need to be getting so annoyed, i would hardly consider it a breach of privacy

I'm not annoyed about it in the slightest - I was musing over it, that's all. I have to pay for the email address that she used and it's been a lot of work in the past to get it removed from mailing lists and it's also been sold on by other companies. Hence I now keep it as an account for friends and family only. Using [email protected] means I can track whether that company's database gets sold or hacked. My friend wouldn't know this, of course, but I thought it poor form to use her personal contact list for company purposes, that's all.

Come on she's just added all her mates to the company newsletter because she's excited. Just tell her not to sell on your details.

I'll just unsubscribe.

YANBU to pint out to her that it's not reasonable behaviour.

Nicely, next time you see her, or unsubscribe and send her a nice email. She probably didn't realise she shouldn't have done this, but will when you mention it.

It would be a good idea to mention the legal side of it to her. Not everyone will be as forgiving as you are, so a heads up could save her embarrassment or legal trouble.

Just filter the emails that you don't want.

It's annoying, and not right. But just click unsibscribe and think no more about it.

I would just point out to her in a... did you realise you can get into trouble for doing this and some people might not like it. If she's used your personal email without your permission then she sure as hell has used others

Here you go, straight from the horse's mouth. Interesting to note that a fine of up to half a million quid can be levied against offenders. It's most unlikely under the circumstances that such a penalty would be appropriate (she'd probably just get a sniffy letter from the ICO) but still, it's possible. The main thing is that it shows unsolicited marketing is taken seriously by the Information Commissioner, and rightly so. It may be just a minor irritation in the OP's situation but it can be a major, potentially expensive, pain in the butt to others.

Interestingly, in the more lengthy guidance that page links to, it implies that the Data Protection Act may apply. Although email addresses are not in themselves personal data, the OP's friend does hold personal data about her, which was collected for a different purpose, as the basis for sending marketing materials. Anyway, as PP have said, even if the DPA doesn't apply the PECR certainly do.

And yeah, she's a cheeky fecker.

I'd be pretty peeved by this, especially if it was to my email address that I only use for personal emails. I hate spam and have a separate email account that I use to sign up to stuff to avoid crap littering my inbox.

Is she also commission based? Did she have to sign up so many people to get a bonus? Did she have the wit to untick the box saying that you're happy for your details to be sold on to third parties?

I'd unsubscribe but I'd also ask her to actually remove your contact details completely otherwise I bet you will end up being subscribed again. I wouldn't provide her with an alternative email.

this is the type of thing that would annoy me too.

let me have a wild guess .....it's Stella and Dot

Ha ha Listen. No, it's work for a local service firm looking to grow. The job is kosher.

I've unsubscribed - she used mailchimp so I ticked the "didn't sign up for this" option. I'll have a chat with her the next time I see her.

Goodness, I would find this mildly annoying at most.