Money Mail’s letters page tackles all your financial headaches

MY SON cancelled his Tesco Mobile account to move to another network. He then went travelling.

While he was in Cuba, I received a letter from Tesco, saying the account had been disconnected and there was an outstanding bill. It warned that his credit rating could be affected.

I tried to pay the bill on his behalf, but Tesco would not tell me what the outstanding balance was, citing data protection regulations.

It insisted that my son must make contact personally. This was very nearly impossible, owing to hurricane disruption. It also said it reserved the right to pass on details to a debt collection agency. Yet it’s making it impossible for me to pay this bill.

Mrs C. S., Cheltenham, Glos.

SOMETIMES I want to tear my hair out when I hear how companies interpret the data protection regulations.

They are clearly necessary to protect our personal information, but surely do not exist to prevent parents paying a phone bill on behalf of their children who are trapped in a hurricane-ravaged country. If ever there were an example of a jobsworth attitude trumping common sense, this would be it.

Surely those working for Tesco Mobile watch the news? at the very least, your inquiry should have been escalated to a senior person who could help. Tesco