Hagens Bees

[Moobee]

They'll dismiss responsibility and refer you to their privacy policy.

Since I have never visited their site nor responded to anything to do with Hagen's Bees (the first I knew about it was this post on the forum), they need to respond to my email advising where they obtained my data or I will be having a chat with the Information Commissioners Office....

 

[sipa]

I don't quite get why everyone is so upset about recieving an email for new supplier.
I do understand the disquiet about shady practices and some shoddy items for sale, but it's just another outlet trying to make a few quid. So what if it is somehow linked to another suppler !

Let's also not forget it's realy simple to scrape email addresses from all sorts of places, they don't have to use someone elses database to fire off a message to you. If the said emails have an unsubscribe function, just use it if you're not interested.

 

[Moobee]

I don't quite get why everyone is so upset about recieving an email for new supplier.
I do understand the disquiet about shady practices and some shoddy items for sale, but it's just another outlet trying to make a few quid. So what if it is somehow linked to another suppler !

Let's also not forget it's realy simple to scrape email addresses from all sorts of places, they don't have to use someone elses database to fire off a message to you. If the said emails have an unsubscribe function, just use it if you're not interested.

Because it’s not allowed and if not enforced, if you think you get a lot of junk & spam now…..

 

[sipa]

Because it’s not allowed and if not enforced, if you think you get a lot of junk & spam now…..

What's not allowed ??
So you are saying that no one is allowed to email anyone who is not invited to do so ?

I hate spam too, that's why there should always be the option to opt out. But saying no business is allowed to self promote via email is ridiculous.
Shame no one does anything about the amount of unsolicited mail recieved via the post that just goes straight in the bin, at least email is eco friendly !

 

[polomadh]

Because it is unsolicited. This is the whole point of General Data Protection Regulations, it is to ensure that companies safeguard personal details, such as email addresses. In order for a “new” company to use my email address, or other personal data without my consent there would have to be a breach of GDPR. This would appear to the case when a lot of us have received the unsolicited email.

I feel we should have the right to know where the data has come from

Interestingly I have unsubscribed from bee equipment some time ago, and have recently been getting blank emails.

 

[Just Steve]

I think that the outlet involved is looked at quite unfavourably by many here, often with good, valid reasons. It annoys people that have no intention of buying from them as well as the GDPR issue.

 

[boywonder]

I agree with sipa. There is no law against unsolicited emails. Life's too short; if you don't like it, unsubscribe, and don't buy from the outfit.

Whilst it might feel irregular, it's not like these email addresses have been sold on the darkweb for nefarious motives, or anything.

We all unwittingly give consent for our details to be used for marketing purposes, and I bet this has happened here. Penny to a pound it's as a result of attending some trade show or other (probably BeeTradex, under Patrick's reign), and the recipients are on some related mailing list of 'beekeepers'.

I think the suspicion is that Ms Hagen (erstwhile director of Bee Equipment) has either ripped, or has been given a mailing list from BE. It's also interesting that her own privacy policy explicitly excludes BE from the "other parties" category.

That said, I have previously had the misfortune to buy stuff from Bee Equipment, and I haven't received one of these emails. It's quite possible that those who have received them have unknowingly opted-in, in dealings with them. However, Bee Equipment's privacy policy (https://bee-equipment.co.uk/pages/privacy-policy) is quite clear, and, given that email addresses do constitute PII (personally identifiable information) for the purposes of GDPR, you'd like to think they have adhered to this. No matter what the past or present "relationship" between Hagen's Bees and Bee Equipment is, they are two distinct legal entities.

Has there been a breach? Possibly, possibly not.

Interesting though. Maybe the lady herself should be asked?

The way I see it, the Victor Meldrews amongst us can wind themselves up into some apoplectic fit about this; otherwise we shrug our shoulders and get on with the more important things in life.

 

[JamezF]

I agree with sipa. There is no law against unsolicited emails. Life's too short; if you don't like it, unsubscribe, and don't buy from the outfit.

You understand that unsubscribing often gets your email address onto a list of people who actually read UCE (because you found the unsubscribe link) and then you get even more?

I get perhaps twenty such emails every single day. Today's are mostly relating to business loans, potential sale of my company, private medical insurance and commercial solar panels. People hawking new phone systems are common, too. Why should I have to spend my time and IT resources dealing with that **** when I never wanted or asked for it in the first place?

Actually, I have the same attitude to junk (postal) mail: it goes straight into the recycling (unless a pre-paid reply envelope is included, in which case I return someone else's junk mail), but who is actually paying the cost of having that recycling collected and processed? The recipients, through their council tax. What gives anyone the right to send me crap I don't want that I have to pay to dispose of?

You're right about one thing though. Send me unsolicited email and I absolutely guarantee that I will never, ever buy from your business.

James

 

[The Poot]

You understand that unsubscribing often gets your email address onto a list of people who actually read UCE (because you found the unsubscribe link) and then you get even more?

I get perhaps twenty such emails every single day. Today's are mostly relating to business loans, potential sale of my company, private medical insurance and commercial solar panels. People hawking new phone systems are common, too. Why should I have to spend my time and IT resources dealing with that **** when I never wanted or asked for it in the first place?

Actually, I have the same attitude to junk (postal) mail: it goes straight into the recycling (unless a pre-paid reply envelope is included, in which case I return someone else's junk mail), but who is actually paying the cost of having that recycling collected and processed? The recipients, through their council tax. What gives anyone the right to send me crap I don't want that I have to pay to dispose of?

You're right about one thing though. Send me unsolicited email and I absolutely guarantee that I will never, ever buy from your business.

James

I’ve “unsubscribed” from BMH emails four times now and they still come…..

 

[Wilco]

I’ve “unsubscribed” from BMH emails four times now and they still come…..
View attachment 41061

I signed up for a UCI emailing list inadvertently years back when I was doing a lot of cycling. I unsubscribed from so many emails I lost count - all that happened was they invented new subcategoies to email from/about.

 

[rossbyjove]

What's not allowed ??
So you are saying that no one is allowed to email anyone who is not invited to do so ?

I hate spam too, that's why there should always be the option to opt out. But saying no business is allowed to self promote via email is ridiculous.
Shame no one does anything about the amount of unsolicited mail recieved via the post that just goes straight in the bin, at least email is eco friendly !

Emails eco friendly?
Think of everything that was built/manufactured for you to be able to send that email.
You can compost junk post.

 

[Wilco]

Emails eco friendly?
Think of everything that was built/manufactured for you to be able to send that email.
You can compost junk post.

And all the data storage facilities running 24-7 for all those people like me who are rubbish at deleting old and spam emails or have millions of photos and videos they don't look at but might.

 

[Moobee]

I agree with sipa. There is no law against unsolicited emails. Life's too short; if you don't like it, unsubscribe, and don't buy from the outfit.

Whilst it might feel irregular, it's not like these email addresses have been sold on the darkweb for nefarious motives, or anything.

We all unwittingly give consent for our details to be used for marketing purposes, and I bet this has happened here. Penny to a pound it's as a result of attending some trade show or other (probably BeeTradex, under Patrick's reign), and the recipients are on some related mailing list of 'beekeepers'.

I think the suspicion is that Ms Hagen (erstwhile director of Bee Equipment) has either ripped, or has been given a mailing list from BE. It's also interesting that her own privacy policy explicitly excludes BE from the "other parties" category.

That said, I have previously had the misfortune to buy stuff from Bee Equipment, and I haven't received one of these emails. It's quite possible that those who have received them have unknowingly opted-in, in dealings with them. However, Bee Equipment's privacy policy (https://bee-equipment.co.uk/pages/privacy-policy) is quite clear, and, given that email addresses do constitute PII (personally identifiable information) for the purposes of GDPR, you'd like to think they have adhered to this. No matter what the past or present "relationship" between Hagen's Bees and Bee Equipment is, they are two distinct legal entities.

Has there been a breach? Possibly, possibly not.

Interesting though. Maybe the lady herself should be asked?

The way I see it, the Victor Meldrews amongst us can wind themselves up into some apoplectic fit about this; otherwise we shrug our shoulders and get on with the more important things in life.

It's a breach of data rules - sharing data without any lawful basis is unlawful.
I have never had any contact with Hagen's Bees, therefore they have nefariously obtained my contact details from somewhere which is not allowed. I have asked them where they obtained my email address, no reply yet.
I am no Victoria Meldrew but not happy that companies feel they can abuse the system for financial gain.

 

[Moobee]

I’ve “unsubscribed” from BMH emails four times now and they still come…..
View attachment 41061

I bought a few queens and am now bombarded with emails on a regular basis....

 

[Moobee]

Very apt on this topic.....

 

[The Poot]

I bought a few queens and am now bombarded with emails on a regular basis....

I bought one too (and I’m very pleased with her), but the emails just don’t stop, despite following the unsubscribe option.

 

[Moobee]

I bought one too (and I’m very pleased with her), but the emails just don’t stop, despite following the unsubscribe option.

I had two - a Buckfast which was slow to get going but has been really good and a Ligustica which has been a complete pain - very swarmy and not that productive. Despite not wanting to breed from her, I've had to split the colony several times!

 

[The Poot]

I had two - a Buckfast which was slow to get going but has been really good and a Ligustica which has been a complete pain - very swarmy and not that productive. Despite not wanting to breed from her, I've had to split the colony several times!

Mine was a Buckfast. I also bought one in from another company and it has not “got going”. Lovely looking queen, but there’s only very small patches of brood and the colony, which was very feisty, (the reason for the change of queen) is now abnormally languid and not well populated. I guess as she was open mated, it didn’t go well in the poor weather in June.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I bought a few queens and am now bombarded with emails on a regular basis....

Teach your computer they are spam then you can delete them without even knowing they are there.

 

[Bryang]

Teach your computer they are spam then you can delete them without even knowing they are there.

Thats what I have done