How secrets of your hols are sold off

TODAY we expose the cynical trade in British tourists’ personal details.

Companies are paying as little as 12p for the names, addresses and phone numbers of people who have taken part in surveys after booking trips with major tour operators.

In theory, their feedback, which is used to improve customer service, should not be passed on. But it is falling into the hands of ‘consumer data providers’ who in turn sell it to claims management firms.

These firms then contact customers and in some cases, as we revealed last week, coach them to falsely claim that they fell ill on their holidays to win thousands of pounds in compensation.

Experts warn that the cynical practice is costing the travel industry millions – and that the cost of package holidays could rise as a result.

Posing as representatives of a fictitious claims firm, our reporters were able to buy the details of 5,000 holidaymakers with woefully few questions asked.

The Mail on Sunday contacted Seawave Media Ltd, based in Thetford, Suffolk, after receiving a tip that it was selling ‘holiday sickness leads’. Sales and client services director Tulip Dolphine told a reporter she could sell us ‘data from Thomas Cook, Thomson and First Choice, the top ones’.

She added: ‘There is a contract in place. It’s not like stolen data, it’s coming from tours and packages and has been validated for sickness by our call centre.’

Seawave should have checked that we had a licence from the Claims Management Regulator but failed to ask. The company charged us £600 for 5,000 names. Thomas Cook, Thomson and First Choice all strenuously denied having any business relationship with Seawave.

Last night, Seawave admitted it should have carried out ‘more due diligence’ when it sold us the names.