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Halifax - no obligation to reply to SARN request?

from One Angry Mother (madcow678@hotmail.com)
I sent a SARN to Halifax Data Compliance Officer (standard letter from site) on 18/09/02 - no reference to old mortgage, just my old addresses including the one the mortgage was for. On 24/09/02 I received a letter from their Mortgage Recoveries Dept, telling about how I don't need to serve a SARN, just ask for info required and they will send it - so long as I reply within 10 days!

On 27/09/02 I received a SARN request form from Data Protection Customer Services Retail Regulatory Risk. I sent back the form filling in all details they asked for, apart from my phone number, with a postal order on 07/10/02. I also re-sent all my previous addresses as before. Attached was another form asking for relevant company name or subdivision plus account number, product type eg personal loan, data required and dates from/to. On this form I wrote ALL DETAILS NO EXCEPTIONS, but did not fill in any of the boxes.

This morning (09/10/02) I have received another letter from Data Protection saying that as I have not requested specific information they cannot process my request and have returned my postal order. She says she has performed standard searches using the limited details I provided but they have all come up negative, and she has enclosed these searches. She also states that "The Data Controller is not obliged to respond unless the Data Subject has given significant information to locate records, particularly when an organisation is so large. Under the Data Protection Act, the Data Controller, Halifax plc.... must be satisfied with the identity of the Data Subject."

Is this right? I appreciate they must identify I am who I say I am, but surely in carrying out even minor searches, they have already established this fact. Also, I would have thought the fact that they sent my original letter onto Mortgage Recoveries would imply they have some information on their computer about me.

I would appreciate any replies as I am trying to compose a letter to request the info again.

Thanks Tracey

(posted 7842 days ago)

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