A question for the Moderator re privacy

jdurkin

I have been trying to work out why the last couple of mailings from Tauck have arrived at the wrong address. I have all my mail, including my Tauck mail, sent to my postal address. I am often away from home and my mailing address is secure. Tauck do have my street address because in the past they have kindly couriered travel documents to me so I could actually have them before I left on one of my long trips.

Today I received Tauck's Europe, 2015 brochure at my street address.

I have just checked my profile under the Guest Connect facility here on the Tauck site, again, and everything appears as it has always been.

As I looked at the brochure and the envelope I realised it had been posted and paid for from Sydney, Australia. The enclosed brochure was "bannered" from a Sydney travel agent. Moreover, all the printed contact details inside directed Australian readers to that Sydney travel agency. No where in the brochure were the normally printed details for phone, email and fax contacts for Tauck directly, in Norwalk, CT.

I would like to know how a Sydney travel agent, with whom I have had no contact, either directly or second hand via any other Australian travel agent for any travel matter at all since 2008, now has my private address? Naturally, I would never fill in any online request for any brochures from that Sydney travel agency, so I didn't do it! Besides, I would not give my private address.

Are there any suggestions for how such a breach of privacy has occurred?

I would like to know if the same contact channels that have previously existed with Tauck directly … via free phone, free fax … still exist?

Jan

jdurkin

jdurkin wrote:

I would like to know how a Sydney travel agent, with whom I have had no contact, either directly or second hand via any other Australian travel agent for any travel matter at all since 2008, now has my private address? Naturally, I would never fill in any online request for any brochures from that Sydney travel agency, so I didn't do it! Besides, I would not give my private address.

Are there any suggestions for how such a breach of privacy has occurred?

I would like to know if the same contact channels that have previously existed with Tauck directly … via free phone, free fax … still exist?

Curious and curiouser. I received another copy of the same brochure, with the same Sydney travel agent banner and in-brochure contacts (not Tauck's), today. This time it arrived at my postal address.

I would really like to know what's going on regarding contact with Tauck by Australian clients … not to mention that strange thing with how did that crowd get my details. Oh, and I checked my records more carefully. The last time I booked a Tauck tour with an Australian travel agent (who would have then referred the booking to that Sydney agent) was in 2007. That was the trip Tauck (in the States) were able to save after my local plans were … hmmmm … what can I say? Upset? Misplaced? That was the last straw for me. I rang America as a desperate, last ditch attempt to salvage a complicated travel plan which included the wonderful Californian coast trip. Tauck saved my bacon! I never want to have to endure that level of stress again.

So, any chance of an answer, Tim, or should I be writing to HQ?

Cheers,

Jan

Kathy18

Jan,

Have you contacted Tauck directly? You mentioned in other posts that there is a phone number that will connect you to them. When I have had an issue, usually not receiving catalogs, I called and was connected with guest relations. I have also sent emails and they were routed to the proper department. That might be a quicker way to find out what is happening than waiting for a response on the Forum.

Kathy

TauckTim

Hi Jan,

Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention, and for being so patient while we investigated this issue! We take things like this very, very seriously. We've checked with our IT teams and have verified that there has been no breach of our systems, and Tauck has not ever nor will we ever sell our guests' information. We'd like some more information from you on what exactly you've received, and you can expect to hear from us with some specific questions shortly. Thank you again for your patience.

Sincerely,
Tim

jdurkin

Thanks for checking into this, Tim. I know this is of interest to other Aussie clients, too.

Cheers,

Jan

jdurkin

Kathy18 wrote:

Jan,

Have you contacted Tauck directly? You mentioned in other posts that there is a phone number that will connect you to them. When I have had an issue, usually not receiving catalogs, I called and was connected with guest relations. I have also sent emails and they were routed to the proper department. That might be a quicker way to find out what is happening than waiting for a response on the Forum.

Kathy

Hi Kathy,

Yes, that was the way it was here, too. The brochures listed the US contact numbers, with particular free call numbers available to Aussie & Kiwi clients to use. These numbers connected to Tauck. The numbers listed in the brochures I received just recently were Australian phone numbers, connecting to a Sydney travel agent …. not Tauck at all. I assume the old numbers still work for Tauck … but I will have to make sure I keep the old brochures, not the new ones …. but then the itineraries and dates and prices will all be wrong. The Tauck web site is geo branded for Australia and although the Tauck email addy is listed, the phone number is for a Sydney travel agent. Oh, dear …. what a lot of first world problems.;)))

Thanks for the tip, though. Seems very logical to me! )

Cheers,

Jan