kyrielle: Close-up of the author's eye, staring out at the viewer (eye)
Laura ([personal profile] kyrielle) wrote2008-07-05 08:46 pm
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Right now, I loathe the ACLU.

I hate getting mail to my parents, but I understand why I do: I had the mail forwarded, after all, to catch important mail after they died. The fact is it's all unimportant mail now, but I still understand how they got this address.

I do NOT understand how the ACLU got my phone number tied to Dad's name, however. After I got a telemarketing call from some agency they'd set on us (on him), I pitched a bit of a fit and was told they got the number from the ACLU. I called the ACLU and left a message explaining the circumstance, stating that my father was now deceased and had never lived at this phone number, and that I wanted to know how they got MY phone number tied to my Dad's name, as well as for them to remove it and update anyone they could that they'd given it to.

I got a call back, where they left a message (we've been playing phone tag), that the account was now inactivated, and as to how they got the number, it was on the account which was opened in 1989 so it must just be outdated info.

I called back and left another message, thanking them for inactivating the account, using the phrase "horse pucky" to describe their explanation (which is the KINDEST thing I could have said about it), and reiterated the circumstances, that no one in our family lived at this phone number until 2002 (well after the account was opened) and that Mom and Dad never lived at this number nor gave it out as theirs. I never ever had a call for them to this number until after they'd been dead a year and I still want to know how the ACLU got this number tied to that account, and I told them so.

I hate the ACLU, right now, strictly on the basis of the personal stir of emotions and the crap-ass story they gave me. Idiots.

[identity profile] davmoo.livejournal.com 2008-07-06 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
I've always thought it was interesting how the ACLU (and yes, I'm a member, as well as the ICLU) legal arm will fight for the right to privacy, but their marketing arm has no problems with selling your (even if its incorrect) data to a marketing company and thus invading that same privacy.

[identity profile] retsuko.livejournal.com 2008-07-06 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
I agree with this 100%. I'm usually on their side politically, but have been reticent about joining because I know my name will end up on all sorts of weird mailing lists.

And, kyri, that totally sucks. Do I need to smite them? Because I can and will!

[identity profile] davmoo.livejournal.com 2008-07-07 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
What they *probably* (note that word) did was saw the address on the forwarding order, then did a search on the address to get a phone number. Now why they would want to do something that is (relatively, as telemarketing goes) labor intensive as that, I do not know. Was your mom or dad a big contributor?

[identity profile] davmoo.livejournal.com 2008-07-07 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Hell, its not in their best interest to a) engage telephone soliciting and piss you off, or b) invade your privacy and piss them off, but that don't seem to be stopping them :-)

[identity profile] drcpunk.livejournal.com 2008-07-11 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
Sympathy. That is really odd.