Compare The Market

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

Hi

I've used Compare the Market .com for a number of years now, and I like the service that they provide, it is very useful to me.
However, I've also noticed over the years that every time I enter my details into their website, I get a sharp uptick in the number of phone calls I receive from Ambulance chasers. It is so closely correlated, that I can only assume that they sell their data on.

Now I understand that they have to make their money somehow, and if they don't then I won't have the service, but I'm now wondering (having received 2 calls this morning about an accident that I never had) whether they are behaving appropriately. Their website says that they won't sell your data to a third party...but unless my phone number is still being bought and sold on a list from 10 years ago, I think they have sold it again after I got a quote from them 2 weeks ago.

I have gone in to my profile today and changed the mobile number they have on for me, and I've always made a point the last few times to put down a false mobile number (although correct email) when I've actually been getting quotes.

In a GDPR world, can compare the market still make money? I can't imagine they get a lot for the form of introducing that they do (redirects to providers site), so it would be almost understandable if they sold lists to compensate.

 

[dotcomdude]

I can't speak for Compare the Market, but I was in the car insurance comparison game a few years ago - and at that time the price comparison websites would transmit all of a customer's details to each insurance company and broker that was on their panel - so that they could return a valid quote.

They would have a contract specifying that the insurer/broker isn't supposed to use the contact details, but it could be that an unscrupulous actor in the chain somewhere hives off these details. There will be so many different servers involved, with developers dipping in and out everywhere that it would be very difficult to prove that this wasn't occurring.

 

[Mike Kilby PC.dp]

The only way you can be sure is to submit a Subject Access Request to Compare the Market and specifically ask them to tell you who they have shared your information with and for what purpose, including any parties that process data on their behalf. You'll likely get a generic response of "insurers to get quotes" but you can insist that they tell you the individual companies.

You could then in theory make a subject access request to each of those companies asking them to confirm from where, when and how they obtained your information, how they have used it and who they share it with, including any external data processors.

Personal opinion, I doubt you'll find anything and there is no real sure-fire way to identify it, unless you can tie up the number(s) that called you to the data you get from SAR's.

Also, if you are called, you are allowed to ask where they obtained your data from and they are legally obliged to tell you, though often as soon as you ask they hang up.