I entered private information at the First Premier website for the purpose of administering my credit card account online. I actually DO read Privacy Policies and their policy stated:
"We may share information with outside companies that assist us in providing customers with our products and services. These companies act on our behalf and are obligated to keep the information we provide them confidential. We do not share customer information with outside companies for purposes of selling their products and services to you, unless you have been given the opportunity, in advance, to decline this option."
I contacted their Customer Service on 01/18 at 800-987-5521 to inform them that I was receiving numerous emails to the address I registered with. I spoke with Marty (Employee Number 30053) who was no better than a recording. He could not get it through his head that the affected email address only existed in the First Premier Bank Database. It was not mined from an ISP or through Spyware. It did not even exist in a configuration file on a mail server. He only droned on that they absolutely did not sell or share any customer information.
I finally asked to speak to a supervisor. I was transferred to Robin (Employee Number 4392). She was also combative, defensive and would not listen to the facts with an open mind. After placing me on hold and speaking with other people, she kept trying to blow me off and it was difficult to pin her down to when I would be receiving a call-back. She finally promised someone would call me back within 72 hours. Over one week later I have not received my call-back, so I can only assume they SOLD this confidential customer information and they knew it.
For the technical minded... I own several domain names and control the mailserver functions. My email accounts are configured to accept [email protected] and forward it to my "regular" email address where I download mail with many virtual addresses. When I registered at the First Premier website, I made up the address [email protected]. So you see... This address does not exist ANYWHERE but in the First Premier Database. My personal computer is behind a firewall router with personal firewall software running. I run checks for Spyware on a routine basis. The address was NOT mined from somewhere else. Their pat answer of "the address was obtained from somewhere else" just doesn't fly in my case.
The first e-mail to [email protected] was for a Centennial Credit Card offer. This was acceptable under their posted Privacy Policy as this is a brand of First Premier Bank. Then it became obvious they sold the information.in the last few weeks I have received 208 emails to [email protected]. Almost all of them are for credit card offers or loans of some sort. Some of them are for goods or services in no way related to First Premier Bank. The email address has not yet made it to the "regular spammers". This also proves that it is being sold on a targeted basis and has not been mined for a bulk list. Believe me... I'm on all the lists with my many addresses that require they be posted on the web, and I can tell when the spammers get hold of them.
I just can't believe I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt and help them determine where their security breach was and got treated in this manner. It is bad enough to sell the email addresses, but some of the messages EVEN INCLUDE MY FULL NAME! They sold ALL the confidential information!
If you are a First Premier Bank customer, you should be outraged that your private information has been compromised. Even if the database was stolen or misappropriated by an employee or their marketing company, to not follow-up on a valid complaint and track the breach is inexcusable and probably criminal. 999 of 1000 of these types of complaints can't be proven. It took my unique address, which was only made up at the time of registering, to catch them.
I welcome comments and suggestions as to how to let this giant conglomeration know that selling private information in breach of a published Privacy Policy cannot and will not be tolerated.By the way... in the years I have been submitting unique email addresses in this manner, this is the FIRST time that the address has ever come back to this extent as such a blatant disregard of a Privacy Policy.
Yes, I did register on this site as [email protected]. I'll be watching for it...
Edward
Black River Falls, Wisconsin
U.S.A.
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