Can I Give Receipt Details to Insurance Company

Llingumai on 12/11/2019 - 14:31

On Friday afternoon just before my shift ended, I receive a phone call on my counter (I work in big retail chain) from insurance company (I look up and it was real company) and they ask me to verify receipt or confirm some details of purchase made in store. They had persons name, date/time of transaction and CC number. As they already had the information, I was thinking no harm to confirm. But then I start to have uneasy feeling and requested them to call back Monday or send formal email with company letterhead. We were short staff that day and no one else was free to take the call.

Now I don't know if I did something wrong. Am I allowed to give out details to insurance company? How much details am I allowed to give if yes? If no, should I report the company call? Phone caller was real Australian accent with good english so not likely scam.

I haven't told my manager yet as I don't want to get in trouble for possibly breaking some privacy law, and I really need the job. Please help, I spend whole weekend worrying!

Thank you

General Discussion Insurance

Comments

  • Skramit on 12/11/2019 - 14:39

    I start to have uneasy feeling and requested them to call back Monday or send formal email with company letterhead

    Sounds like you did the right thing. That's what I'd do.

    Why would you think you would get in trouble since you didn't give any details out??? Stop stressing.

    Tell you manager, and ask them what the policy is.

    • lingumai on 12/11/2019 - 14:48

      I did look up the order, and confirm some details. Now too scared because I'm a student and this place let's me work my hours.

      • Skramit on 12/11/2019 - 14:49

        Okay that's different to what you said above.

        Come clean. You'll feel better.

        • lingumai on 12/11/2019 - 14:52

          Oh, sorry yes I just confirm what they say (name, order date) but when they ask for details of order that's when I had a bad feeling

          • Skramit on 12/11/2019 - 14:53
            +4

            @lingumai: Then you're fine.

            Tell you manager what happened, but make sure you spin it as you didn't think it was right what they were asking for over the phone so you didnt give any personal details out, so you asked them to submit it formally by letter.

            You'll be fine.

            • lingumai on 12/11/2019 - 15:48

              @Skramit: Thank you. I do want to confess but will feel better confirming if I legally didn't do anything wrong first :(

    • 87percent on 12/11/2019 - 14:51
      +1

      probably should have asked the shift manager BEFORE providing those details though

  • follow on 12/11/2019 - 14:45
    +2

    deleted (account issues)

    • lingumai on 12/11/2019 - 14:46

      That was my brother :( he told me to make my own account because he got deleted. People know him through ozbargain so he didn't want to identify me

  • Seraphin7 on 12/11/2019 - 15:00

    Seems very strange, but it is quite possibly a genuine phone call. If all you did was confirm information the caller provided to you, you're probably pretty safe. If you provided any additional information, including correcting any information given to you, that's when problems can start.

    That said, if I was you I would not have engaged in the conversation at all and referred it to your manager/head office.

  • brad1-8tsi on 12/11/2019 - 15:00

    If you've never been told not to then you haven't done anything wrong.

    Have a discussion with your manager about what the policy is and that you only confirmed a few things but then referred them higher up the food chain.

  • MeesusEff on 12/11/2019 - 15:22

    Hang on, are companies even allowed to do that? as in call to get details from an individual? I feel thats a serious invasion of privacy.

    Reason why - I have a family member (black sheep) who used to get in serious debt via credit card and those type of loan companies. They would call me endlessly and even came to my house to ask for him (he doesnt live with me). I've asked them how they got my details and they said 'web search' which is BS because my number and definitely my address is not listed on public web space. If that is how they managed to get my details ill be pissed AF.

    • lingumai on 12/11/2019 - 15:47

      Oh no, that's so bad. Sorry you had to go through that, now I'm even more scared :(

    • bobbified on 12/11/2019 - 15:56

      They would call me endlessly and even came to my house to ask for him (he doesnt live with me)

      Debt agencies usually try all sorts of things to recover debts that they themselves have paid money for.

      You're not a party to it, so you have no obligation to tell them jack all though. Tell them to get stuffed.

      • MeesusEff on 12/11/2019 - 16:01
        +1

        Yeah I just told them to f off. But they did come to my house one day… Wasn't sure if they were to go as far as following me around (ie. To my parents and start harassing them instead)

    • whooah1979 on 12/11/2019 - 16:06

      are companies even allowed to do that? as in call to get details from an individual?

      The caller already have the information. All they wanted was for op to say yes.

      • MeesusEff on 12/11/2019 - 16:23

        Yeah I know, I was thinking in terms of my situation as I had no dealings with the company yet they had my info.

  • thatonethere on 12/11/2019 - 15:29

    Odd the insurance company would have the credit card number though?

    Do your receipts normally have the CC number?

    • redforever on 12/11/2019 - 15:44

      could just be the last 3 or 4 digits

    • MeesusEff on 12/11/2019 - 15:44

      Maybe credit card insurance? The Coles/28d ones require cc/statement number on the form

    • lingumai on 12/11/2019 - 15:47

      They said they had the cc number but they confirmed the last 4 digits

      • thatonethere on 12/11/2019 - 15:55

        That's fairly reasonable.

  • AdosHouse on 12/11/2019 - 15:53

    Tell your manager what happened, and then tell them they will call back on Monday. Let the boss deal with it.

    If it is a big retail chain like you said, the head office legal person will deal with it or provide details to the store manager as to what they can or can't give out.

  • bobbified on 12/11/2019 - 15:58
    +1

    Prior to all the privacy changes, it was quite common to call other companies for information and get them to "confirm or deny" bits and pieces of information. I haven't had a role that's required me to act like that more recently so im not sure how the new privacy laws can't impacted that.

  • JimmyF on 12/11/2019 - 17:34

    Didn't you like the answers you got over on whirlpool when you posted the same question?

    • lingumai on 12/11/2019 - 17:59

      Sorry? I don't know how to use whirlpool actually. But can you link me to the thread please and I can see if it's relevant, or if you could send me the title of the post. I am quite desperate. Thanks!

      • JimmyF on 12/11/2019 - 18:21

        I've read this same 'friday afternoon' insurance question somewhere over the weekend, it was either here or on whirlpool ;)

        • lingumai on 12/11/2019 - 18:26

          Oh yes, my brother posted it on ozbargain but it got deleted because he made another account. So he told me to make one myself.

          I actually googled a lot to see if I can find answer, but nothing was relevant, that's why we thought to ask here :(

  • MeesusEff on 13/11/2019 - 05:27

    From (WA) Dept of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (should be similar across the states)

    Any personal information collected must be kept private and confidential and individuals have a right to:

    have their privacy rights respected;
    be assured their information will not be passed onto a third person unless it is authorised by law or they have given their consent;
    know what information will be kept and why; and
    be assured that information will only be used for the purpose it was supplied.

    look up the one for your state, and if you're still worried then give them a call

  • zonra on 18/11/2019 - 02:52

    Any update OP?

    • lingumai on 19/11/2019 - 05:00
      +1

      I did post on whirlpool, and someone said if the client finds out that I confirm anything to 3rd party, they can come a formal report against me /my company. I thought I was helping identifying fraudulent transaction for stolen credit card but now I know i should definitely keep my big mouth shut.

      Haven't received the email /letter so I think for now I will keep quiet and when/if it comes through then the official team can deal with it.

      • zonra on 19/11/2019 - 10:57

        Thank you, I have found that thread, link for anyone interested.
        Some informative responses there, was genuinely curious in how much retailers can legally share receipt/order details to card issuers.

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