Author Topic: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act  (Read 20005 times)

Offline Janette

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #9 on: Wednesday 04 May 11 21:30 BST (UK) »
Hi Lil,

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers Janette

Offline lil growler

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #10 on: Wednesday 04 May 11 21:31 BST (UK) »
Will do ;D
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Offline kiwihalfpint

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #11 on: Wednesday 04 May 11 21:54 BST (UK) »
I must say the FD's I have emailed have been pretty good in providing the info, one even went on to tell me the ex-wife's new surname,. :)


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KHP
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Offline Janette

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #12 on: Wednesday 04 May 11 21:57 BST (UK) »
I would have thought  any info that was in  a newspaper notice was a public document,It makes you wonder were they get their ideas from  ::)

Cheers Janette


Offline kiwihalfpint

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #13 on: Wednesday 04 May 11 22:04 BST (UK) »
Probably from a cereal packet.   Anyway, they are the ones that put the newspaper article in the paper in the first place.


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KHP
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Offline andycand

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #14 on: Thursday 05 May 11 01:15 BST (UK) »
Hi

Funeral Directors are commercial businesses and I think you will find that their records, like any other commercial business, are not public documents as they told Lil. As the original post says The Privacy Act doesn't restrict access but it also doesn't compel access to material not restricted. You would have to check for legislation pertaining to the funeral industry to see if they are compelled to keep certain records and for how long. Also such legislation may indicate who can access information and how eg a particular government department or a court order.

When a FD inserts a newspaper notice they are acting on behalf of and at the request of the person organising the funeral. There is no compulsion to put a notice in the paper and some people don't.

Andy


Offline Ruskie

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #15 on: Thursday 05 May 11 01:37 BST (UK) »
There is no compulsion to put a notice in the paper and some people don't.
Andy

Anyone who wants privacy, I would advise not to place a death/funeral notice in the newspaper. These are automatically put on all manner of online sites without the families knowledge or consent.

Offline lil growler

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #16 on: Thursday 05 May 11 02:23 BST (UK) »
And here is my reply

We are happy to give you personal details of the deceased.  But our records are not public documents.
We are not able to disclose the living whereabouts of a living person. 

With regards to identity theft we are very careful as to who and what we give out. I believe you are
supposedly acting on behalf of someone and not directly related.

We trust this clarifies the situation.

Now I have to ask...I personally have not seen living persons details on a funeral directors records except maybe a name once.

Anyhow I now asked for the details of William...see how that pans out!

lil
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Offline andycand

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Re: Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act
« Reply #17 on: Thursday 05 May 11 02:58 BST (UK) »
Quote
Now I have to ask...I personally have not seen living persons details on a funeral directors records except maybe a name once

The living persons details would relate to at least the person organising the funeral. Some of the paperwork would likely have the name of that person on it and as such that persons details are likely covered by the Privacy Act.

One other thing that a FD in New Zealand may have to consider is legislation regarding death certificates if the death does not fall into the Historical catergory ie more than 50 years ago or the deceased born more than 80 years ago.

Andy