To persue this without knowing what I want - complaint to dept store

[AndysFavouriteToy]

On Wednesday I received several emails from a large dept store chain to confirm my purchase for several hundred pounds. I panicked that it was fraud activity (the last 4 digits on the card used were the same as an old card of mine).
I called dept store and was on hold for over an hour. In my panic, during this time I contacted my dh who cancelled my bank card (joint account) and changed PayPal password.
I got through and eventually it was found that the customer had accidentally put my email address in. They are very similar.

However, surely to activate her account she should have had to receive an email and click to activate? I was very stressed (I admit possibly overreacting due to previous fraud).
Also through the emails I now have this woman's name, address, phone number, last four digits of her bank card.... She is unaware but surely this breaches gdpr.

I was called today to be told the lady has her delivery and it is all sorted. But I am really annoyed that it caused me so much stress, time out of my day sorting, stress of getting a new card etc.

They have apologised but I want them to rectify the admin system. Dh says they should compensate us, but that feels a bit grabby. So what can they do to make things better? Nothing I guess... But yet I am still annoyed and they are getting someone else to call me, but really I am being unreasonable and need to let this go don't I?

Why didn't you just contact your bank in the first instance?

I realised you panicked but I think a lot of the stress was caused by you tbh.

I don't know why you'd persue it.

I'd let it go. It will cause you more stress, aggravation and time to pursue things, and as you say yourself that you don't know what you want to achieve through doing this, I think you are going to find a resolution this way.

The other customer certainly has reason to complain!
Not sure you do.

Rectify the admin system how? If someone mistypes an email address but other details are correct they are responsible for the issue occurring. It is a mistake rather than a data breech.

Let it go.

The other customer doesn't know I have her details. I asked that today when they confirmed she had collected her items.

I know it's petty, but for an hour I was on hold totally stressed out and it's just really peed me off that such a large company can be so complacent with people's details.

The customer was at fault. Why does she have reason to complain?

I can't see how it breaches gdpr when the customer is to blame. You don't need to click to confirm email addresses when you order, only when you sign up to a mailing list, iirc.

Your beef is with the other customer, not the company. They only sent emails based on what the customer told them.

But surely when she put the email address on to register it should have sent an email where you click to activate to confirm its the right email?

Not sure why you are blaming the Dept Store when it was the fault of the other customer who accidentally used your email. 🤷🏻‍♀️
I wouldn't complain at all let alone ask for compensation.

The information you have is pretty much in the public domain anyway.

And if already registered then her email and password wouldn't match to let her order?

But with a system like Click and collect there is no verification as you don't create an account.

No, that's not how ordering works.

That's how making lists work.

Dh says they should compensate us, but that feels a bit grabby.

Extremely grabby. Don’t ask for compo.

Mailing lists*

Maybe she didn’t set up an account, usually you have the option of checking out as a guest.

Someone made a mistake and typed the address wrong.
You massively overreacted and called rather than just checking your bank.
She has her items, you just got an email that was meant for somebody else - that's it.
The store have done nothing wrong.
Let it go.

Surely is the other customers fault that you have her details as she put the wrong email address in.

My dd has the same problem with her gmail as some girl in America is always putting my DD’s email address in by mistake. My dd has [email protected] and the other girl has [email protected]. Dd gets stuff about her basketball games, emails from her friends and recently college information.

The system would have asked for an e-mail address as all it would be for was delivery details. You don't need to set up an account, whereby you'd go in and verify your e-mail unless you are signing up to something.

This could happen to anybody, it was a mistake on the part of the other customer. I can totally understand (especially with the four digits of the card number being the same) but it does sound like it's a bit panicked because of the previous instances of fraud you've had. Let it go, there's nothing anyone can do and it isn't a GDPR breach.

Compensation would be grabby and unmerited. It's not the company's fault someone mistyped a email address. Chalk it up to experience.

I called dept store and was on hold for over an hour

Really?!

The other customer probably checked out as a guest, no need to create an account or confirm an email address.

The other customer effectively gave you her details by entering the wrong email address,

The store did nothing wrong, they can't control the other customer making a mistake.

Your data wasn't breached, there's nothing to see here.

Ps. I'd love to know why your DH thinks compensation should be awarded?!

You can usually shop online without having to activate an account via an email link. Most places have guest check out, even if you do create an account it’s usually just the case of typing your email address and choosing a password. I’m confused why you DH cancelled the card for your joint account without one of you asking the bank if it had been used for this transaction and was that even the card with the matching last 4 digits as you saId in your OP that was an old card? Your first call should have been to the bank, not the retailer. I fail to see how it would be a GDPR breach- the customer shared their information with you when they accidentally used your email, it’s nothing to do with the company.

Sorry but you are overreacting. It would be ridiculous to ask for compensation when the error was made by the customer, the company did nothing wrong and tbh most of the stress was caused by your disproportionate panic. You weren’t defrauded, everything is fine, relax and forget about it.

Yes I admit I overreacted, I have had fraudulent activity on a past account a few years ago and it caused me lots of problems so when I saw this I panicked.
Thanks for explaining it to me, I thought that the department store would/should have something in place to verify the account when orders are placed.

Annoying yes but I would just forget about it and move on

It was the other customer who made a mistake so I'm not sure why you expect the retailer to compensate you