Charities using dirty tricks to get your details
CHARITIES are working with coldcalling firms who use underhand tactics to trick homeowners into giving away their secrets, the Mail can reveal.
Marie Curie, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and St John Ambulance have all bought lists of donors using an unscrupulous data firm exposed by the Mail.
The databases are compiled by cold-calling homeowners from off-shore call centres and convincing them to complete supposed lifestyle surveys.
In a meeting with an undercover reporter, the firm working for the charities admitted people who answered the questions had no idea it led to them receiving dozens of begging calls. They also confessed to ignoring an official no-call list meant to protect the vulnerable.
The shady links between charities and unscrupulous data firms emerged in the wake of Britain’s longest- serving poppy seller, Olive Cooke, 92, killing herself after being bombarded with demands for money from charities. The great-grandmother was found dead on May 6 in the Avon Gorge near the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol after telling friends and family she ‘couldn’t give any more’.
Some of Britain’s best-known charities admit they sent letters to Mrs Cooke. They insist they are not to blame for her death but Mrs Cooke’s family believe they cruelly exploited her because she was generous.
David Cameron has demanded the case is urgently investigated by charity watchdog the Fundraising Standards Board.
It can now be revealed that well-known charities are using data firms which harass potential donors with unwanted phone calls. These firms cold-call millions of homeowners asking them to do telephone surveys and then sell the personal details of those who answer questions to their charity clients.
One such firm, called The Data Partnership, boasts that it works on behalf of some of the UK’s best-known charities, including Marie Curie, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and St John Ambulance.
In a meeting with an undercover reporter, an account director at The Data Partnership admitted the firm called people from abroad so it can avoid an official ‘no-call’ list which is meant to protect the vulnerable.
David Light also boasted of the underhand tactics the firm used.
Asked if he thought people doing his company’s surveys understood they would get calls from sales companies and charities as a result, he said: ‘Some people don’t realise that they’re going to get calls. We’re a business at the end of the day.’
He said the call centre workers start with ‘soft’ questions which seem harmless before going into ones about charity giving and personal finances. Mr Light claimed his company had run campaigns for Marie Curie, which had been commissioned for the charity by a marketing firm.
‘I deal with two different charities, one of them is Marie Curie but again that is through a marketing company. They use our data,’ he said.
Another data firm exposed by the Mail – Communication Avenue – also admitted ignoring the official no-call list while doing its telephone surveys, and claimed to work with Macmillan Cancer Support, the NSPCC and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. Byron Highfield, account manager at Communication Avenue, said they had worked with their clients ‘for a long time and they buy on a regular basis’.
Communication Avenue is owned by Philip Lightfoot, 37, and his wife Charlotte, 30. The firm said it did not own off-shore call centres but bought data from other firms, including The Data Partnership.
Last night, a spokesman said: ‘All of our suppliers only ever call telephone numbers which have not opted in to the Telephone Preference Service.
‘We have not used The Data Part- nership for any surveys since April 2015. We and our partners operate to the highest standards within strict regulations and guidelines.’
The Data Partnership is run by John Pooley, 38, and his wife Victoria, 35. A spokesman said: ‘We cannot be held accountable for the actions of unscrupulous charities who call or write relentlessly or without foundation.
‘We strongly refute any allegations which suggest TDP is in any way contravening the law or any recognised code of practice.’
The Royal National Institute of Blind People said: ‘ RNIB took part in a one-off trial of the services provided by Data Partnership in 2010.’
The NSPCC said: ‘We have clear contractual arrangements in place with our agencies who use data companies, including strict guidance on vulnerable people, but in light of these claims we will be reminding them of their responsibilities to ensure our standards are being met.’
Macmillan Cancer Support said: ‘Macmillan works with a range of agencies to support our fundrais- ing activities to help raise more money to help people affected by cancer. We would not hesitate to take robust action if we found these agencies were not acting with upmost integrity on our behalf.’
St John Ambulance said: ‘We have never worked directly with Data Partnership’, while Great Ormond Street Hospital said: ‘We expect the highest standards of integrity from fundraisers acting on our behalf.’
Mari e Curi e declined to comment.
‘We’re a business at the end of the day’