Ever wonder why you still get marketing calls even after you've signed up for the do-not-call list? There's a loophole in the privacy law that allows companies that you have a business relationship with to contact you. Makes sense, in theory; customer service sometimes requires that a company be in touch with you.
Leave it to corporate America to drive a battering ram through that reasonable loophole.
Recently I received mail from Prudential Insurance, which used to insure my home until, I don't know, Prudential ran the numbers and decided they didn't want to be in the "property and casualty" business any more, so they sold that whole business, including my policy, to somebody else, who sold it to somebody else, who now insures my home. Prudential and I were finished as of November, 2003, and it's hard to imagine any circumstance under which they might need to contact me. But if something came up that was actually about that policy, I guess they could.
Ahh, though, there's more happening here: Prudential's insurers don't want to insure me any more, but their colleagues in the marketing division, which presumably rakes in millions selling a big list of names -- including mine -- to other companies, still wish to continue our relationship. In fact, this recent letter assured me, "the relationship you have with Prudential, which was established when the policy was originally written, continues." And because Prudential and I still have this relationship, Prudential is obligated to send me a privacy notice, so I can, if I choose, opt out of their marketing calls and those of anyone else Prudential feels like sharing my name with.
So, basically, two and a half years ago, Prudential ended our relationship, and told me it didn't want to have anything more to do with me. Now, after I've put the whole thing behind me and moved on, the company says, actually, we're still having a relationship, and it's up to me to break it off.
Maybe this amounts to good business, but I think the company really needs to see a therapist. As for me, if I ever hear from them again I think I'll need to see about getting a protective order.
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