Junk mail passing itself off as from Scottiah Water

David Hansen made this Freedom of Information request to Scottish Water

The request was partially successful.

From: David Hansen

16 February 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

I refer to my earlier FOI enquiry at
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ad...
and wish to make further enquiries.

The reply which was eventually dragged out of Scottish Water
implies that the "affinity service" with Homeserve is the only one
Scottish Water has entered into. Please either confirm this, or
provide the names and contact details of any other organisations
Scottish water has entered into an "affinity service" with.

Please provide an annual breakdown of the amount of money spent on
the "small commission", for every year since this "affinity
service" started. Scottish Water is funded with money extorted from
the public under the council tax scheme, some of which appears to
been given to a third party in order to produce this junk mail. Or
perhaps they pay you money to send out their junk mail? In that
case please provide the same breakdown for their payments to you.

Scottish Water claims that this "small commission [is] based on
services adopted by customers." Scottish Water also claims that it
does not pass on information to the junk mail company. It seems
most unlikely that both claims can be true. How do the junk mail
company know what services have been adopted by your customers
without you telling them?

In its last but one paragraph Scottish Water implies that it does
not mind if another organisation passes itself off as being
Scottish Water. Can you confirm that this is the case, or explain
why Scottish Water is not bothered by this particular example of
passing off?

Please also note that "replies" which involve attachments in
proprietary file formats are not acceptable. A reply which is not
in plain text format will be deemed to be a refusal to answer.

Yours faithfully,

David Hansen

Link to this

From: FOI
Scottish Water

16 February 2009

Under the Freedom of Information Act, we have up to 20 working days to
reply to your request for information. We endeavour to provide a full
response before this timescale.

Regards

FOI Team
<http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/portal/pa...>
<http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/portal/pa...>

Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this Email and any files transmitted with it. If you are not the intended recipient you should not retain, copy or use this Email for any purpose or disclose all or part of its contents to any person. If you have received this Email in error please notify the postmaster and sender immediately and delete this Email from your system.

Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of Scottish Water ("SW") and / or Scottish Water Solutions Ltd ("SWS") shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by them. The contents of Emails sent and received by SW and SWS are monitored.

WARNING: Although SW and SWS have taken reasonable precautions to ensure no viruses or other malicious software are present, SW and SWS cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from the use of this Email or attachments however caused. The recipient should therefore check this Email and any attachments for the presence of viruses or other malicious software.

Scottish Water
www.scottishwater.co.uk
www.scottishwatersolutions.co.uk
[email address]

Link to this

From: FOI
Scottish Water

25 February 2009

Dear Mr Hansen,

Homeserve Plumbing and Drainage Affinity Service with Scottish Water

Further to your initial enquiry of 24 December 2008 and subsequent
request of 18th January 2009 for second internal review of your FOI
enquiry 'Addresses for junk mail', I note your additional request for
information on 16 February.

Whilst I have earlier provided clarify of Scottish Water's affinity
relationship, I note that this has not addressed all of your queries and
you have requested additional information as follows:

1. Affinity Service
The affinity relationship with Homeserve is the only one that Scottish
Water has entered into in respect of insurance related plumbing and
drainage products and services.

2. Money Spent:
I have already confirmed in earlier communications that Scottish Water
earns a net profit from the support of this activity. This is a
commercial agreement, the detailed terms of which I am unable to reveal
under the restrictions of commercial confidentiality.

3. Money or Information Issued:
No money, customer data or other such information is issued to Homeserve
by Scottish Water. As such, I am unable to reveal a breakdown of income
to Scottish Water under the restrictions of commercial confidentiality.

4. Services Adopted:
I have explained the basis of Scottish Water's affinity relationship
with Homeserve who see the benefit of using Scottish Water's brand and
reputation as beneficial to their marketing of a range of plumbing and
drainage related products. As such, Scottish Water has no ability to
inform Homeserve that customers have adopted these services. Quite
simply, Homeserve know when services have been adopted by customers
because both enter into a contract with each other.

5. Passing Off:
Your belief that Scottish Water does not mind another organisation
passing its self off as Scottish Water is incorrect. I have already
confirmed that Scottish Water has entered into a contractual agreement
with Homeserve and as such, has permitted Homeserve to include Scottish
Waters logo and address on their marketing literature and mailings
simply to promote their service.

I trust that my letter answers your further concerns and I again
appreciate your taking the time to seek clarity on this activity.

Yours sincerely

John Ewen
Commercial Development Manager

show quoted sections

Link to this

Col left an annotation (27 June 2009)

Not surprisingly Scottish Water has not answered the simplest of questions Mr Hansen put to them, ie, Have SW ANY other "affinities" in operation with any other companies. Cleverly the response has only centered on "plumbing and drainage". A politician's answer no doubt. Makes you wonder how much of the rest of Mr John Ewen's reply is accurate or just intentionally evasive. Certainly the use of Scottish Water headed notepaper, an incorrect address for both Homeserve and/or Scottish Water and being signed by an executive of Scottish Water suggest to me more than just an "affinity".Get real Mr Ewen.

Link to this

David Hansen left an annotation (28 June 2009)

An excellent annotation. Scottish Water obviously do have a lot to hide, the politician's answer confirms it.

Link to this

Bill Main left an annotation ( 6 January 2010)

The entire area of Portlethen Aberdeenshire received this mailshot today, until I read this I thought it had came from Scottish Water. I imagine many people will think they have to take this insurance.

Link to this

David Hansen left an annotation (25 January 2010)

It is perhaps time for people who are concerned to ask their MSPs what they think of this sharp practice.

Link to this

Cathleen Coleman left an annotation (30 January 2012)

I agree with everything Mr. Hansen and others have said on the matter of junk mail passing itself off as from Scottish Water. The reply from Mr. Ewen is , as described evasive and somewhat worrying.
1. Why would a company such as Scottish Water allow someone else to use their logo???
2. Vulnerable people may panic when they recieve such mail and part with money they can ill afford to .
3. I agree that perhaps MSP's should be made aware of what appears to be some sort of scam and investigate it.
Cathleen

Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Scottish Water only: