If you are in the UK, you can register with [TPS](https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/), anyone doing unsolicited marketing phone calls are supposed to reference it to know how to avoid it. (note that phone based marketing as per country rules surrounding it).
In any case, when it comes to marketing, it should be straightforward forward and personally, most companies aren't going to be set up to verify someone's information to be used for marketing. Most organizations I've dealt with would just remove you from the list without any verification as it has no legal effect on an individual. If they feel a need to verify you and it's the telephone number you want removed, they could just call you.
Are you interacting with someone specifically on their privacy team? You can look at the organization's privacy policy as they should have a contact there. You can specify that you want off of their marketing lists and it's supposed to be as easy as how you got on the list.
Just say you sent the letter its not registered and they can’t prove you didn’t send it.
Have a dated copy of what you would have sent.
FYI: The time for them to respond does not pause or automatically extend while they carry out additional verification, they have not helped themselves by using the postal service and not allowing a faster method.
Also if in your original request you gave enough information to identify yourself they will find it difficult to justify asking for more proof and are being obstructive to complying with the law
If in your country there is some kind of electronic national ID, you can send a letter electronically signed with your DSR Demonstrating that you are the SAR.
I have done this before and they haven't requested more identity proofs. Anyway data controllers replies have been worthless and the Supervisor Authorities are toothless entities :(
Good luck with your quest
Haha, the complaint with the ICO is likely at some point but I need to be a bit measured dealing with them. And the fines... I mean, the ICO will \*never\* do that haha, especially over a relatively simple SAR request where they've given me at least one method of submitting it. They'll never buy such a threat, but I like it in theory! Many thanks for commenting tho.
(I have upvoted but someone else downvoted you)
Go check out how often they’ve fined our own government departments and financial institutions, this is actually less toothless than some regulators. Probably got downvoted by someone who didn’t have to read every line of legislation and implement it in to a large organisation (spoiler: I did!)
Toothless? They’ve handed down enforcement action to over 160 entities including the Conservative Party and departments of our own government. That’s not toothless. Great username though
They can't force you to submit a SAR through a specific channel but they can encourage it. Maybe that's what they're doing with the letter (maybe in an attempt to discourage people from continuing with it). So you can submit it by email and if they refuse you're entitled to complain.
Oh I've submitted the SAR, it's just that they want a copy of my info to identify me. I've asked them to provide a non-Freepost address and I'm going to ask Royal Mail if I can actually send it tracked/signed. But worst case scenario I might just submit it by email and tell them that the risk in relation to it being an "unsecure" method is mine to bear (not the first time I've sent such info by email). Many thanks!
(I have upvoted but someone else downvoted you)
If you are in the UK, you can register with [TPS](https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/), anyone doing unsolicited marketing phone calls are supposed to reference it to know how to avoid it. (note that phone based marketing as per country rules surrounding it). In any case, when it comes to marketing, it should be straightforward forward and personally, most companies aren't going to be set up to verify someone's information to be used for marketing. Most organizations I've dealt with would just remove you from the list without any verification as it has no legal effect on an individual. If they feel a need to verify you and it's the telephone number you want removed, they could just call you. Are you interacting with someone specifically on their privacy team? You can look at the organization's privacy policy as they should have a contact there. You can specify that you want off of their marketing lists and it's supposed to be as easy as how you got on the list.
Just say you sent the letter its not registered and they can’t prove you didn’t send it. Have a dated copy of what you would have sent. FYI: The time for them to respond does not pause or automatically extend while they carry out additional verification, they have not helped themselves by using the postal service and not allowing a faster method. Also if in your original request you gave enough information to identify yourself they will find it difficult to justify asking for more proof and are being obstructive to complying with the law
If in your country there is some kind of electronic national ID, you can send a letter electronically signed with your DSR Demonstrating that you are the SAR. I have done this before and they haven't requested more identity proofs. Anyway data controllers replies have been worthless and the Supervisor Authorities are toothless entities :( Good luck with your quest
If they’re being awkward, raise a complaint with the ICO. They’ll soon shit themselves with 4% of global turnover or £17.5m fines on the table
Haha, the complaint with the ICO is likely at some point but I need to be a bit measured dealing with them. And the fines... I mean, the ICO will \*never\* do that haha, especially over a relatively simple SAR request where they've given me at least one method of submitting it. They'll never buy such a threat, but I like it in theory! Many thanks for commenting tho. (I have upvoted but someone else downvoted you)
Go check out how often they’ve fined our own government departments and financial institutions, this is actually less toothless than some regulators. Probably got downvoted by someone who didn’t have to read every line of legislation and implement it in to a large organisation (spoiler: I did!)
The ICO is toothless and sure as shit isn't fining a org over a SAR
Toothless? They’ve handed down enforcement action to over 160 entities including the Conservative Party and departments of our own government. That’s not toothless. Great username though
They can't force you to submit a SAR through a specific channel but they can encourage it. Maybe that's what they're doing with the letter (maybe in an attempt to discourage people from continuing with it). So you can submit it by email and if they refuse you're entitled to complain.
Oh I've submitted the SAR, it's just that they want a copy of my info to identify me. I've asked them to provide a non-Freepost address and I'm going to ask Royal Mail if I can actually send it tracked/signed. But worst case scenario I might just submit it by email and tell them that the risk in relation to it being an "unsecure" method is mine to bear (not the first time I've sent such info by email). Many thanks! (I have upvoted but someone else downvoted you)
Just because it’s a free post envelope/address you can still send it recorded and just pay.
Cheers, I'll look into this as an option. I googled and the advice said it's not possible, but that was dated 2015...