This is weird: pseudonymity test case for Waverley Council

I’m on a leaky electoral register.

How do I know? Waverley Council has my name on the electoral roll in a different format from anyone else. For electoral purposes only I am known as William E Heath. Nobody else ever calls me that, and I’ve clearly opted out of the edited register. Now I’ve got two pieces of junk mail to W E Heath. So what’s up? I can hardly believe council staff are making a bob on the side selling the unedited register. Cock up?

Something’s happened. I wonder how they will respond to my letter (below).

Dear Waverley

I’ve recently had two pieces of unsolicited junk mail using my details from your electoral roll.

First was from the church in Hambledon, which I won’t get too hot under the collar about (although I do wonder how the church gets to use the electoral roll details of people who are not on the edited register).

Second was from some accountants called Roffe Swayne in Godalming (from managing partner Jeff Saunders on 01483 416232).

What do you make of this? Have you mistakenly sold full electoral roll lists to the church and to Roff Swayne? Have I accidentally got on to the edited list? Or do you have an internal process problem?

William Heath

and to Roffe Swayne (tel 01483 416232)

Dear Jeff

I seem to have received unsolicited mail from you based on my entry on Waverley Council’s electoral register, even though I’m opted out and do not appear on the edited register.

Please can you explain where you sourced the personal data for your mailshot of 1 December 2005, whether you paid Waverley to receive my details, and anything more about how you made up your mail list?

Either there has been an honest error or something is amiss here.

Yours faithfully

William Heath

Published by William Heath on 11/12/05 at 4:15pm

Comments

........and another, from St Peter’s Church Hambledon (Treasurer: Tim Woodhouse). They say “if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.” So, without hesitation, I write as follows:
Sunday, 18 December 2005

Dear Tim

Something’s bothering me and I wonder if you can help set my mind at rest.

St Peter’s has now twice written to me using my address details from the Waverley electoral roll (as indeed has a firm of accountants). But I am clearly opted out of appearing in the edited register.

Can you explain to me the process by which the church gains access to Waverley’s full electoral roll details? Is this done informally, or does St Peters buy a register from Waverley? And does it expect to get and use the edited register or the full register?

Do call if you want to understand where I’m coming from on this (or see http://www.idealgovernment.com)

Yours sincerely

William Heath

Reply by on 12/18/05 at 3:16 pm

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