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back to article Dixons done for dumping customer info in skip

Dixons has had its wrist slapped for leaving customer details in a skip outside one of its PC World stores. To be fair to the world's favourite tech retailer there were only eight completed credit agreements found, but they did contain customers' personal and financial data. The store concerned was in Northamptonshire, and the …

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  1. MikeWW
    FAIL

    ICO toothless as ever

    Wow. Dixons "signed a formal undertaking" and Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust had to "promise to improve its data handling". What next, 10 minutes on the naughty step?

    3 0
    1. Daniel 1
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      Oh, it's worse than that!

      It says he's promised to "train his staff".

      Jesus... Imagine that. Trained Dixons staff.

      0 1
  2. rob kendal
    Black Helicopters

    and they found this how.,...?

    Some curious tramp foraging in the bins of PCWORLD, or a meglomaniacal womble, out to destroy the establishment that is said PCWORLD?

    1 0
  3. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    And the ICO did what?

    Obviously they couldn't tell Dixons that they were really very badly naughty as it could have upset them. I suppose that as Dixons were desperately trying to save money by using someone else's skip, they would not have the money for a fine, and anyway they need that money to train the CEO's direct reports.

    How much does the ICO cost us? What a waste of resources. Anyone know if the 8 people got an apology or had their accounts compromised?

    Never mind, the EU will fix it all in about 5 years, maybe...

    0 0
    1. Adrian Bridgett
      Reply Icon
      Unhappy

      about £35/year

      Well it costs my business £35/year to register for data protection act. Yes, a mandatory registration which AFAIK is completely automated and I have to pay that each year. What a rip off.

      0 0
  4. The Metal Cod

    Compare

    The FSA - fine Zurich £2.3 million - and the ICO - barely a metaphorical slap on the wrist for PCW and Wolverhampton Hospitals. On that basis which is the better watchdog?

    The name gives as much away - Financial Services Authority v Information Commissioner's Office - one has actual authority, the other sounds like somewhere you go to get some pens, rulers or TippEx!

    0 0
    1. smudge
      Reply Icon
      Unhappy

      But one is being abolished...

      ...by the Government. Can you guess which one?

      0 0
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Untitled

    "signed a formal undertaking not to be using other people's skips for data deletion in future"

    But their own skips are fine, one assumes? In their defence, the wheelie bins where probably full of cats, or something.

    Flame icon - because we all know it's the safest way of disposing of anything.

    0 0
    1. A J Stiles
      Reply Icon

      No

      I saw it on an episode of CSI or something, somebody burned some important document and they were able to reconstruct it from a reflection of the smoke in the contact lens of a passer-by.

      1 0
  6. Tony S

    At least...

    ... it wasn't a cat!

    0 0
    1. lpopman
      Reply Icon
      Megaphone

      titular agreement

      Well, there are a few people here in Coventry that would like a "word" with that woman.

      At least something will be done about the trapping of that cat, unlike the lack of redress happening here.

      Regards,

      An Animal lover, and a concerned citizen worried about data protection

      0 0
  7. Yorkshirepudding
    Troll

    O Rly?

    people still buy stuff from DSGI?

    haha a fool and his money...

    0 0
  8. richard 69
    Thumb Up

    wow, cd burning in wolverhampton

    welcome to 1998. i presume your burners are connected by SCSI?

    0 0
  9. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    "world's favourite tech retailer"-u having a laugh?

    "world's favourite tech retailer"-u having a laugh?

    0 0
    1. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)
      Reply Icon

      Re: "world's favourite tech retailer"-u having a laugh?

      Yes. That's the point.

      2 0
  10. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    How formal an undertaking?

    "John Bowett, Dixons Store Group International's chief executive, signed a formal undertaking ... to train his staff".

    Well, that'll be a novelty.

    1 0
  11. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    More embarrassing than being caught getting out of a Lada

    is anyone knowing that you bought something at PC world. No wonder they call lists of id's obtained in this way..sucker lists.

    0 0
  12. Nigel 11
    Alert

    Dixons done for dumping customer in skip

    That's how I mis-read it.

    I was thinking how much some customers deserve it, that someone must have snapped. What a shame! Would have been a much better story.

    0 0
  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And before anyone points out....

    Yes. I know it should have been were...

    0 0
  14. DEAD4EVER
    Happy

    dixsons group

    oops a daisy not to be expected from a company like dixsons i would of thought they would keep all data safe not chuck it in the bin lol.

    0 1
  15. Tigra 07
    Grenade

    Fine the person responsible

    How about finding th eguy responsible and fining him/her or sending them to prison.

    It's a better deterrent than fining the company how many times a year

    0 0
  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Extended Warranty?

    Extended warranty with that data, sir?

    0 0
  17. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    All bins to be cat-scanned

    Sorry!

    0 0
  18. Ascylto
    Big Brother

    Yet again!

    Until they make the PEOPLE responsible for these data breaches responsible by fining or sacking them ... it will continue.

    0 0
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