To be pissed off with private scanning company?

[ClaraFrance]

Me and DP attended a private scan a couple of weeks ago as he works away with the military and wasn't going to be present for my 12 week scan.

I was only 9 weeks and I haven't had the 12 week scan yet. We asked the scan company if anything gets sent to the house, as my mother lives with us currently and has a tendency to open our mail. She said no, only if something is wrong with the baby and in this case they would send a letter to my gp. Two weeks later, a letter arrives in the post thanking us for attending the scan, and offering us promotions for further scanning throughout pregnancy. Lo and behold, my mother opened this and now knows I am pregnant. She is very unwell and we wanted to make telling her a special occasion as it's unlikely she will live long enough to meet any further grandchildren.

Have the scan company done anything wrong in sending us this letter? AIBU in being completely pissed off after they told us there would absolutely be no correspondence? What should I do about this? I'm so furious and need a little clarity surrounding this cock up!

Yes, you explained twice...look at the timings on the posts! When I started writing my reply there wasn't another post under your OP. It does take a few minutes to compose replies...and whilst doing so, posters cannot see updates 🙄

You know this is an issue so get an outside mailbox.
You can't blame the scan company for your mother opening your mail.

Can I just reiterate that the issue that I am trying right address here isn't my mother opening my mail. The issue is the fact that I have asked the scan company not to send me anything, there was no opt in or opt out of marketing box, I repeatedly explained the reasons why I didn't want correspondence of ANY KIND, I was promised I would receive nothing, and I still had a letter through the door. I know my mum opens my mail sometimes which is why I took this extra precaution to ensure she wouldn't find out about this.

They shouldn't be sending you anything without specific, opt-in consent. I assume it was sent just before GDPR kicked in but even so YANBU to be pissed off this happened.

You can't blame the scan company for your mother opening your mail.

No, but given OP was very clear that she did not want the mail in the first place, she can blame them for sending it.

Actually under the new GDPR laws, they may well have broken the law. Unless you have actively opted in to marketing, they shouldn't be using your data in this way...

Apols- should have read your update. I'm a small business owner and in recent training we were told the new laws meant we had to ask new customers to opt in to marketing. As you have quite actively made it clear that you opt out, and they also dont have any options RE marketing, they have broken the law.

Was the letter addressed in your name at your address? If that is the case I don't think there is any law breaking or data protection breaches and any such suggestion is wrong. If they had sent your info to, say, your mum's address in her name then that would be a breach. If it is marketing then there really isn't that much they can do other than apologise for missing the "opt out of marketing" request.

I understand your DM has dementia so post opening can't be helped however you can't really blame the company for that as its your responsibility to make sure DM can't open post you don't want her to open.

YANBU to be annoyed with the company if you have asked not to receive any communication. Early pregnancy is a very sensitive time for many reasons so I am very surprised that they have not respected this. I say this as someone who used to work the reception in a community antenatal clinic.

The GDPR means that you should never have received mail about their offers (marketing) without either first consenting to it OR having been given the opportunity to opt-out. (You ALWAYS have the possibility to opt-out from mailing list, even if you have been a customer before)

It looks like either the person you talked to didn’t quite ‘know’ about the fact you can opt out form mailing list/that would be sent promotional material. OR you checked wth the company who rightly said NO you won’t get any reultbetc... by post but didn’t t make clear you didn’t want ANY letters at all.

I personally suspect a case of miscommunication between you but I would actually raise it with the company as I think the opting out should be made clearer to customers.

Under the new GDRP law, the company has NOT broken the law as you dint have to get consent to send marketing material to existing customers. (It’s a legitimate need to grow the business to let people know about offers, etc...)
Besides, said law wasn’t in place when the OP went to get her scan...

I would be a bit annoyed with the company tbh but what's done is done.

And I don't mean this nastily but with your mum having Dementia you'll most probably be announcing your pregnancy multiple times depending on the stage of her disease.

But viva surely if the OP opted out then some breach has occurred.

GDPR only came in on Friday. The scan was a couple of weeks ago and the letter probably sent a week or so after that. There is always going to be some crossover time with something like this, especially as most people don't even really understand what they should be doing (I work in this field).

Having said all that, as you were explicit in your wish for no correspondence then they were in the wrong to send it.

To be honest it doesn't really make any difference, if she knows then she knows. Nothing will change that.
I would complain to the company and write a review somewhere (Facebook etc) but the most you are likely to get is a refund or an extra scan. They can't un-tell your mum.

@SweetCheeks1980 thankfully my mum does remember so don't need to announce over and over. She just struggles with things such as money, adding it up etc when she's shopping, remembering to do certain things, recalling who's post she's opening! Etc. Dementia is quite complex and presents differently in different people. She forgets what she's doing but somehow remembers what I told her last week if it was a big enough event.

What’s done is done, there are a lot of other issues at play here with your mum. Not sure what you want them to do? I’d let it go.

I do think this is a data protection issue actually. They have held your data and used in a way not explicitly didn’t give permission for. It’s not a major issue but I do think you should ring them and explain. Not only for your sake but having experience of domestic abuse this could be a more serious issue.

Not sure what you want them to do? I’d let it go.

If nothing else it has to be brought to their attention so they can make sure it does not happen again.

I am amazed people are saying that you should let it go.

You asked a business, one you paid for a service through, to NOT contact you, very explicitly and in writing and they have not done this.

I would write a very strongly worded letter to them - a really strongly worded letter - saying they have breached your privacy and as someone said, they may have actually committed an offence by doing this.

They might do nothing but I don't think you should let them get away with this.

Just because your mother opened it has nothing to do with this.

@DaffoDeffo thank you

Why did your mother open your mail?

@londonrach it's on the thread.

You don’t have a scanning company problem, you have a DM problem.

To paraphrase a mumsnet favourite.

Sorry OP.

Just seen that your mum has dementia.

I’m sure you’ve got more to worry about than some mail from a scanning company.

Hope pregnancy goes to plan!