"The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you're finished" - Benjamin Franklin

hako · Guru

Am I being too sensitive?

tcp99 · Senior Member

Check out their attitude when you ask the same sort of questions to ensure tht your are talking to a real employee. Especially when you ask for their full name and date of birth.

-- Edited by tcp99 on Monday 15th of April 2013 06:32:26 PM

glassies · Guru

it is sounding a bit rediculous, because after all what are they protecting as like you say you have
had to say it out loud in the office ,crazy ideas these guys.

so what can some one get a free map or something if they can be bothered

Happywanderer · The Master

I find it very annoying too especially on a phone call where I have identified myself with the secret question and voice recognition. Then a real person comes on and wants all my private details as you state above. They say its so they know its me. Hell! I know its me, why don't they?
I do think when going into the RAC.... shops for a map, showing your card should be enough.

Grams · Guru

No your not being too sensitive at all. I also think its a stupid idea to verbally say all your details in a store with other people present. I feel like asking them for their details too....it is crazy lately, its happening more and more often.

For instance, Les had a Radio Rentals account, I pay the bills, and even though he signed a form stating I can ring up about this account, I have been told no I can't....now I just ask them to proceed to page 2 on their screen and yep their I am on screen able to get info for that account...I am sick of it. But thats a whole other story.

Landfall · Guru

Identity theft is real.

I am so concerned about it that every morning, and sometimes during the day, I look in the mirror and see if it's still me? confuse

Sometimes, I wish it wasn't. biggrin

Ken

brickies · Guru

The reason RACQ need to know you are a real member not someone getting maps and so on without being a member . We are in a new world and just have to get used to it .

herbie · Guru

Same thing happens when you go into a Telstra Shop/ Offfice ,Had to call in this arvo ,Shop full of people ,a lass comes up with a clue board ..ask's for name and what your problem is, then tells you have long your wait will be. 20 minutes after the time i was told i get served .First thing the lad asked me was my name again date of birth ..Then my phn number.So much for all this privacy crap. Every one in that shop now knows almost all my details and i know all their details.

-- Edited by herbie on Monday 15th of April 2013 10:49:01 PM

GaryKelly · Guru

Yep, it's not the RACQ, bank or other organization that's at fault, it's the bureaucrats who create the laws in the first place for everyone to follow. The people who annoy you with dumb questions are just following orders. It's just the way things are these days, and something up with which we simply must put. Having said that, no, Denis, you're not being overly sensitive.

Carl53 · Member

GaryKelly wrote:
Yep, it's not the RACQ, bank or other organization that's at fault, it's the bureaucrats who create the laws in the first place for everyone to follow. The people who annoy you with dumb questions are just following orders. It's just the way things are these days, and something up with which we simply must put. Having said that, no, Denis, you're not being overly sensitive.

Sorry Gary you're wrong.

Bureaucrats don't create laws they are just obliged to enact the laws passed in parliament by politicians. Guess who puts the politicians in a position of power to do that? You brother, and everyone else that voted for the government of the day be that state, federal or local.

The next time you feel like having a winge about a new law etc, ask yourself "Did I vote for the party that passed that law?" And if you did and you are a bit shirty about it, ring up your local member and give him/her an ear full. That's the only way they will learn.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Landfall wrote:
Identity theft is real.
I am so concerned about it that every morning, and sometimes during the day, I look in the mirror and see if it's still me?
Sometimes, I wish it wasn't.
Ken

Ken - I do that as well - though sometimes I look in the mirror and think "who is that old person"??????? then I realise it is me!!!!!!!! biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin

vk6tnc · Guru

Mirror mirror
Don't tell lies
You put crows feet
Around my eyes....

Mirror mirror
You're no fun
That's not me
It is my Mum......

Wombat 280 · Guru

There are a lot of members who hand their cards around the family and friends and the cost of the service has to provide heaps of goodies for no return. A photo ID should be all that's required, so really a licence and your club number should be enough to meet the ID requirements. A lot of the info collected is on sold to tele marketing companies, Councils do it all the time Nothing to hide so why not the Australia Card

jetj · Guru

hako wrote:
G'Day, I don't if anyone else feels the same as I do, but I do not like being interrogated when obtaining services from my motoring organisation RACQ or for that matter any other organisation/club or whatever I pay money to so as to be a member. This particular gripe is about the RACQ however.
In the past 20 years I've only ever visited the RACQ on about 4 occasions, usually to obtain maps or advice on roads etc. The last 2 times I've been asked to produce my membership card, state my full residential address, my full name and finally my date of birth which I baulked at (25/9/43). This last time I queried why was I being asked all these private questions and was told that it was necessary under the Privacy Act to ensure that no one else other than I can access my account. I wonder what my account holds?....secret information??? They could not tell me how they were protecting my privacy by having me state out loud in a public place 3 items which identify me. This is a bit like having to speak your PIN at an ATM.
I have emailed them but the answer simply is that they are protecting my privacy(!)
So waddya reckon.......am I being too touchy?

Regards

Denis

-- Edited by hako on Monday 15th of April 2013 01:52:20 PM

Checkout the fines for breaking the Privacy Act, it'll curl your hair.

Also re maps etc if people access them without membership, the members will have to pay more to cover the cost. I never mind having privacy protection or proving my right to the services.

two dogs · Veteran Member

Sorry Guys, it's all about ON-SELLING. What the NRMA do is call up your membership and then check to see if you have insurance with them (which we do ). Then they try to sell you extra coverage for , say, having the van transported if your car is imobilised or some such thing. They try to get every last cent out of you for insurances you don't really need! I object having to give my details when I go in for a map which should be free to members.
Now I've had my bitch
Andy

jetj · Guru

Too right, they certainly do that and I love to tell them how much better a deal I have.

Legendts · Senior Member

Wombat 280 wrote:
There are a lot of members who hand their cards around the family and friends and the cost of the service has to provide heaps of goodies for no return. A photo ID should be all that's required, so really a licence and your club number should be enough to meet the ID requirements. A lot of the info collected is on sold to tele marketing companies, Councils do it all the time Nothing to hide so why not the Australia Card

I'm with you Wombat 280. Bring it on the Australia Card and to hell with the privacy crowd. Another that makes me laugh is getting letters from the bank and Centrelink (pensioner) among others who put your full name on the envelope. Privacy? What privacy!

Legendts · Senior Member

tcp99 wrote:
Check out their attitude when you ask the same sort of questions to ensure tht your are talking to a real employee. Especially when you ask for their full name and date of birth.

-- Edited by tcp99 on Monday 15th of April 2013 06:32:26 PM

Now I kind of LIKE that one and will be trying it out next time. Gee I won't sleep tonight waiting for the question to come biggrin

GaryKelly · Guru

If I'm wrong, Carl53, then it's because I wrote "it's the bureaucrats who create the laws in the first place for everyone to follow." Are politicians not bureaucrats? I thought they were. In any case, I referred to those "who create the laws..." I didn't say rules, I said laws. And we all know where laws are made. So if I'm wrong about anything, Carl, it's about using the word 'bureaucrats' rather than the word 'politicians'. Happy hair-splitting.

Beth54 · Guru

I've never been asked such questions at RACQ. I've only had to show my card. Maybe it was just an over zealous staff person, or only in some branches.

I HAVE been asked those personal questions in, for example, an Optus Shop, among others, where I objected to all and sundry in the shop hearing my details.

hako · Guru

Beth54 wrote:
I've never been asked such questions at RACQ. I've only had to show my card. Maybe it was just an over zealous staff person, or only in some branches.
I HAVE been asked those personal questions in, for example, an Optus Shop, among others, where I objected to all and sundry in the shop hearing my details.

See what happens next time Beth, below is part of the reply I received :

In accordance with the Privacy Act, RACQ requests for three points of identification to prevent disclosure, access or modification of a membership by someone other than a member or an authorised person. However, in saying this, I do understand your position on providing your date of birth in a public area.

vk6tnc · Guru

Just tell the staff you are happy to share personal information, in a public place, and ask them to go first !!!

vk6tnc · Guru

Maybe the stores should install a "Cone of Silence" from the Get Smart secret agent 86 series ?

herbie · Guru

vk6tnc wrote:
Maybe the stores should install a "Cone of Silence" from the Get Smart secret agent 86 series ?

Or use the old Maxwell Smart idea ,with the shoe

herbie · Guru

vk6tnc wrote:
Maybe the stores should install a "Cone of Silence" from the Get Smart secret agent 86 series ?

Or use the old Maxwell Smart idea ,with the shoe or use sound proof booths if they need to know all your personal info .Not like they don't make enough profit to install confessional boxes....

hako · Guru

It's simple really - just have a keypad for the member to key in D.O.B. or licence number or whatever......just like at the bank counter. Quick, easy and no embarassment for the member or the worker behind the counter.
But really it all is crazy - all this cr*p just to prove you are a member...why issue membership cards? I thought 1984 was 29 years ago. We are like sheep being led to submission.

Thanks fellow campers, I'll keep pressing the RACQ and others on this as it looks like I'm not the only one who objects.

Regards

Denis

Ontos45 · Guru

Legendts wrote:
Wombat 280 wrote:
There are a lot of members who hand their cards around the family and friends and the cost of the service has to provide heaps of goodies for no return. A photo ID should be all that's required, so really a licence and your club number should be enough to meet the ID requirements. A lot of the info collected is on sold to tele marketing companies, Councils do it all the time Nothing to hide so why not the Australia Card
I'm with you Wombat 280. Bring it on the Australia Card and to hell with the privacy crowd. Another that makes me laugh is getting letters from the bank and Centrelink (pensioner) among others who put your full name on the envelope. Privacy? What privacy!

Not the Australia Card again!

Maybe if you'd lived under a Government that took the card idea to extremes..South Africa and their "book of life" you'd sing another tune.

Follows you from birth to death and shows every where you've lived and worked. Move from 1 area to another and have to get Police to stamp etc.

Would'nt our present Gov. love to get that in. Good by freedom to travel!

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Well, some many years back I shared a house with my sister, and the electricity was in her name. She moved out, and in order to change the account to mine, the company wanted quite a bit of money, so I skipped it.

They said technically they cut of the account and re-establish a new one. I said it's a cut and paste job on top of the account - nothing more.

Once or twice over the years I attempted to change it, but they wanted things like marriage certificates(?), and lots of money.

Now over 20 years later, its still in her name.................. we laugh about it.

Now, door knockers appear at my front door to discuss my electricity account, asking "Are you the account holder?"............ well, yes and no.

I visited the Energy Australia website- its says they collect information about account holders. It says "We take reasonable steps to hold only accurate, complete and current personal information."

Sure they do!

herbie · Guru

Please not The Australian Card , it is hard enough now travelling the nomadic life slyle here,It would be even harder if the Card was brought in .If life in some places through out the world .One probably would need to get a clearance to go from one town to the next and a full body serch to even think of heading over the boarder.And if for some reason your card got into the wrong hands ,that is when things could go pear shape for you.We have too many regulations now that is why things like privacey and poiticial correctness are not working.Give a person more of their own personal rights bad like the good old days .and we might see some self worth instilled in people.

Baz421 · Guru

You are dreaming if you think the Government doesn't have the info it needs for it's purposes and now it doesn't need the Australia card.

All the info is cross matched to suit the Government's needs,,,,,,,,,,, so a card to identify you for OUR OWN PURPOSES could be good for us AND SAVE US TIME AND EFFORT BY A SINGLE CARD,,, ie no need for 100 points at bank, new passport, ID to rent a house, buy a sim card etc etc. I manage my fathers affairs and have all my numbers and his,, ie centrelink, medicare, pension,,, one number each would help.

So if the government has the info on us why shouldn't this make life easier for us????

My first experience with data matching (matching data from each state and each relevant department) was in about 1993. Thats when the number of truckies (and others) had a driving licence in each state became obvious. As an example their Queensland licence could be cancelled so they would drive on the NSW one,,, and so it went on and on.

I now see no reason not to have a single card,, as they have the info,,,,,,,,, so make it easier for us I suggest is good.

-- Edited by Baz421 on Tuesday 16th of April 2013 09:44:43 PM