'Club Together' as promoted by SPVA.

[FourZeroCharlie]

Mods: Not sure if I've got this in the correct forum: please feel free to move.

.............anyhoo, just had a missive from SPVA drop throught the letter box. Oooh, I thought - my pension is being doubled 'cos I can still get (just) into my dessies from 91.

Actually, no: under the SPVA banner - the letter is signed off by Head of Veterans Services - is an offer to join a group called 'Club Together'.

As a hook, it asks me to take part in their survey with the chance to double my pension for July, win a laptop, M and S vouchers and win various other shiny things.

My question: is a Govt department actively promoting a third party marketing agency? I have some slight unease as this is a direct punt from one of my pension providers.

Does anybody have any more insight/information on 'Club Together'? Is it a private company?

 

[Chodmeister]

I too received the same bumf in this AM's post.

'Er indoors keeps asking if I am going to fill in the survey but I am as dubious as FourZeroCharlie as to whether all it will do is double my junk mail.

Any information would be useful.

 

[tropper66]

The DVLA have been doing somthing similar for ages, you can win a new car , it's all part of the last governments ploy to get more money,information, and other stuff from the public under the false pretence

 

[massarge]

Website: Welcome | Club Together

It's a group formed by pensioners trying to get a better deal from retailers etc. Though these things rarely spurn without a little old-school-old-boy networking:

Club Together occupies part of Aspect House in Lancing, which is also the home of Equiniti Holdings Limited (sounds like Xafiniti - the people who pay your pension!). Interesting to see Mike Lusby promoting the site on the Why Club Together? page - Mike just happens to be the Market Development Director for Xafinity(http://www.nhsrf.org.uk/NewsletterJuly2008.pdf), which is why he's using SPVA Veterans to contact you - is this sort of disclosure of members details entirely legal?!

Hope that's enough to get you started

 

[rockape34]

It is promoted by Xafinity

Promoter Xafinity Paymaster, Sutherland house ...

and

Xafinity Paymaster may use the information we collect to notify you about new or existing Club Together benefits we think that you will find valuable.
...

my bold
... seems that the idea comes from the matelots (RN Ass).

@ massarge - there is already forces Discounts - free to join for service personnel and veterans, which, as far as I am aware, does not sell on details of ex armed forces personnel.

ISTR there was also an idea for veterans' ID cards which could be used to obtain forces discounts

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

Thanx for the replies.

@ massarge: I was'nt aware of the link between SPVA and Club Together. Why would Xafinity need a Market Development Director?? I am more uneasy with the ethics of this ploy as I can nowhere see any caveat that the information we/I may provide will be passed on to a third party.

 

[War Correpondent]

Hello chaps! This is my first day as a member so I am still learning my way round. I was just looking at SPVA's website and they have put up a message about Club Together. It is on this

Now where is the profile I need to fill in? It must be here somewhere.

All the best

 

[massarge]

Thanx for the replies.

@ massarge: I was'nt aware of the link between SPVA and Club Together. Why would Xafinity need a Market Development Director?? I am more uneasy with the ethics of this ploy as I can nowhere see any caveat that the information we/I may provide will be passed on to a third party.

Nor will one (sorry, zero) find any caveat in his pension paperwork that indicated that Xafinity would be contacting him via SPVA to offer him money saving schemes! Is ClubTogether guaranteeing 'offers' for 'pensioners' by providing the obliging company with your contact details?

 

[redback_spider]

Guys, the sh1t is hitting the fan in Northern Ireland reference this as all the veterans that are eligable (3000) had the letter posted with 'SPVA' and 'extra benefits for ex-Servicemen and women' plastered over the envelope. MOD have apologised. For me this is the third time I have been potentially compromised via MOD letters to my home with either my rank or other information. Remember 'they haven't gone away'

 

[massarge]

All ex R Irish Home Service then?! I though you lot knew all the players, especially when the postman starts carrying around a notebook and digital camera.

They're not the first to do it - Defence Estates sent me a married quarter offer when I was posted out of province with my service number and rank just above my private address. And 'they' bombed the gate to Palace shortly after!