They facilitate misuse of personal data
The idea is that you give them your personal information so you can access legal packs for properties going to auction, and get updates about these packs if you so wish. The reality is that you give them your personal information, and immediately start getting bombarded with unrelated spam by the auctioneers whose properties you looked at. Unsubscribing from legitimate emails doesn't stop the spam from coming. Contacting the auctioneers doesn't work, either, because of a loophole whereby they aren't actually holding your data so they can't/won't remove you from their mailing lists.
To make matters worse, even though this is a gross breach of the GDPR, this company will not delete your data until five years have elapsed from the last time you looked at a legal pack or made an offer. The only way to bypass this problem is to give them bogus information.
Reply from Essential Information Group - Property Auctions
Thank you for your feedback. We understand your concerns regarding data privacy and marketing communications from auctioneers.
When you register to view a legal pack, you are required to authorise the auctioneer to access your contact details, including your name, telephone number, and email address, which they handle in accordance with their own privacy policy. This allows them to provide updates about the property and, where applicable, information about their auction-related services. However, we do not manage or control auctioneers' mailing lists or marketing practices - these are entirely under their control. If you are receiving unwanted emails, we recommend contacting the auctioneer directly to request removal from their mailing lists.
Regarding GDPR and data retention, we are legally required to keep records of who has accessed legal packs for compliance purposes. This ensures transparency in the auction process and protects all parties involved. The five-year retention period aligns with industry regulations.
We appreciate your concerns, and if you have any specific questions about our data handling policies or need further assistance, please reach out to our team who will be happy to help.
