# Data concerns dominated consumer complaints in 2017, says DM Commission Annual Report

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/01/29/data-concerns-dominated-consumer-complaints-2017-says-dm-commission-annual-report/
- Published: 2018-01-29T09:45:04+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The DM Commission’s Annual Report, out today, has revealed that issues around 
data and privacy were the biggest concerns for consumers last year.**

The [DM Commission’s 2016/17 report](http://www.dmcommission.com/) recorded nearly
200 complaints against businesses in the direct marketing sector between 1 July 
2016 and 30 June 2017 – 10% fewer than the previous year – and investigated 39 cases
involving existing members of the DMA. Overall, 69% related to data, privacy and
quality and 82% came from consumers.

Cases often related to complex supply chains where insufficient due diligence led
to original consent or lack of consent being overlooked. This was in breach of the
DMA Code. The remaining complaints were split between contractual (21%) and customer
service (10%) issues.

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Over the course of the year, the Commissioners conducted a full formal investigation
into two businesses, finding one in breach of the DMA Code. One case related to 
complaints received from two individuals registered on the Telephone Preference 
Service, who had been contacted by a lead generation business for a lifestyle survey.
The DMA member could not provide evidence that they had satisfied themselves that
their call-centre partners had the consents necessary to be calling people registered
with the TPS.

A further consent issue was also highlighted in that the offshore suppliers’ call
scripts listed sponsor names at the end of the calls, which in one case was within
a pre-recorded message. This gave listeners no assured or straightforward mechanism
for deciding who the call-recipient did or did not want to hear from. The Commission
thought the consent mechanism for the DMA business to then make subsequent calls
was therefore inadequate.

George Kidd, Chief Commissioner of the DM Commission, said:

> “While the volume of complaints remains low the challenges with data and consents
> across lengthy value-chains are a cause for concern. Here, as with other issues,
> we seek to balance our responsibility for dealing with the behaviours with individual
> businesses with the need to look at where and why there is an issue, and to work
> with the DMA on policy responses across the board, and not just the individual
> complaint and member company.”

 * **[GDPR and data: one size does NOT fit all](https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/05/03/gdpr-data-one-size-not-fit/)**(
   3 May 2018)
 * **[GDPR strategy and the dangerous rise of data fundamentalism](https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/05/10/gdpr-strategy-dangerous-rise-data-fundamentalism/)**(
   10 May 2018)
 * **[New CRM tools give charities and supporters real-time management of consent data](https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/05/11/new-crm-tools-give-charities-supporters-real-time-management-consent-data/)**(
   11 May 2018)

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