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[Rog]

This morning a guy (a huge burly guy) turns up at my door asking for some person with a foreign name I'd never heard of.

Then asked if my Mrs lived there and was home, she wasn't, she was at the gym.

Cut a long story, someone had bought a car on the never never, put our address down and my Mrs as Care Of, and then surprise surprise did a runner to Africa owing a few grand on a Merc.

The guy was a bailiff. He was very polite, well mannered etc, and had paperwork.

I run a small company and Mrs is also director. Therefore our details are available to the public on internet. Someone comes long and sticks them on a credit application, and there ya go !

The bailiff guy was really ok, understood what had happened, and I think it will get sorted out.

Company Director details are freely available to protect the public. Has the MD of a company had a previous string of dodgy or bust outfits, for example. Or is your local MP or Councillor also a director of some local company etc etc.

But I feel a bit peeved that the legislation that requires my details to be available, can also be so easily misused     And, why did the finance company not be more thorough in its checks ? The person had an African sounding name. Should have this rung alarm bells ? Actually no, as this would be discriminatory. The culprit is now known to be in east Africa, location of the Merc is not known.

We are just a bit concerned that there will be some black mark against our credit record.

[JamesV6CDX]

Do you have Experian, or similar? Worth signing up at www.creditexpert.co.uk. There is a free period, usually costs £15 a month, but no minimum length. Would be worth signing up for a bit to make sure all is well perhaps, even if you decide to cancel later..

[Kevin Wood]

Yep, the same for aircraft registrations. One quick search on the registration and the owner's details are there for all to see.

Has caused some distress in the past when an aircraft has crashed, the media have reported it and included a stock picture of "an aircraft, today", then some gutter press hack looks up the owner of the completely unrelated aircraft and starts asking his loved ones if he's OK.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Yet another case of the Internet being a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands!

It used to be so straight forward in the days of the quill pen and ink.  Your personal information was 99% safe.

[Rog]

Yet another case of the Internet being a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands!

It used to be so straight forward in the days of the quill pen and ink.  Your personal information was 99% safe.

Yep, absolutely   

I'm going back to using an abacus and carrier pigeons   

Actually, I'm one of the few people I know who still writes cheques instead of online banking !      

[VXL V6]

Yet another case of the Internet being a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands!

It used to be so straight forward in the days of the quill pen and ink.  Your personal information was 99% safe.

Sorry, I disagree. Companies House data is available through many other types of media, not just the Internet.

And as for information being 99% safe in days of quill pen an ink I also disagree, many, many organisations had very poor handling and storage practices for handling of information.

[Gaffers]

Just in case he decides to come back, make him aware that in law he is not allowed to call at your door without your permission unless he has a court order or is asking for directions

[Rog]

Just in case he decides to come back, make him aware that in law he is not allowed to call at your door without your permission unless he has a court order or is asking for directions

I really don't think he will. He's really not hassling us or anything. My Mrs called him later on some points. It's not him that bothers me it's what may end up on database somewhere.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Yet another case of the Internet being a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands!

It used to be so straight forward in the days of the quill pen and ink.  Your personal information was 99% safe.

Sorry, I disagree. Companies House data is available through many other types of media, not just the Internet.

And as for information being 99% safe in days of quill pen an ink I also disagree, many, many organisations had very poor handling and storage practices for handling of information.

When I say Internet, I mean by electronic means a unscrupulous individual can obtain very sensitive information very quickly at the touch of a few keyboard buttons.

In the days of the quill and pen such information was buried under piles of archives behind locked doors and subject to individuals being held personally responsible for that information.  The information was therefore extremely hard to find, almost on a level with national documents held as "Top Secret", not to be opened for 50 years!  No one could sit at home, or at a desk, and simply type a few hacking codes, or simply glean sensitive facts from a screen. 

[STMO123]

How much do you want for the merc, Rog?

[Rog]

Yet another case of the Internet being a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands!

It used to be so straight forward in the days of the quill pen and ink.  Your personal information was 99% safe.

Sorry, I disagree. Companies House data is available through many other types of media, not just the Internet.

Well yes, but with the Internet I can give the the full names and home address of any director of any uk company in about 3 minutes or less. All free, no logins, payments, sign-ups, nothing.

As they are company directors they are likely to be stable and credit-worthy, therefore just pick a suitable one for your credit application or whatever together with some bullshyte and brass neck, and hope that no serious checks are made. The garage or whatever will want the sale, so checks could well be minimal.

[Rog]

How much do you want for the merc, Rog?

Ho ho ho  very funny . . . .     

Errrrr I'll PM you, cash only

[Sir Tigger KC]

Just in case he decides to come back, make him aware that in law he is not allowed to call at your door without your permission unless he has a court order or is asking for directions

I really don't think he will. He's really not hassling us or anything. My Mrs called him later on some points. It's not him that bothers me it's what may end up on database somewhere.

If he does come back for some reason, whatever you do don't let him in! Deal with him on the doorstep and even if he claims to be busting for a pee don't let him in!!! 

[Rog]

Just in case he decides to come back, make him aware that in law he is not allowed to call at your door without your permission unless he has a court order or is asking for directions

I really don't think he will. He's really not hassling us or anything. My Mrs called him later on some points. It's not him that bothers me it's what may end up on database somewhere.

If he does come back for some reason, whatever you do don't let him in! Deal with him on the doorstep and even if he claims to be busting for a pee don't let him in!!! 

Point well taken. Good advice. Thanks