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Topic
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Hi All
First time poster – please let me know if I am asking this in the right place.
We are currently applying for a rental in the ACT and many of the agencies there will only accept applications via the 1form website – paper based applications are seen as too much work for them.
So my question is in two parts as follows
Firstly I would think that this is discriminatory – if a prospective tenant does not have access or easy access to a computer then this is not a fair approach – does anybody else agree with this?
Secondly the amount of information requested is ludicrous – passport photo’s, three personal referees, past property purchases and rentals, etc. The site is free for both tenants and agents so the value comes from the tenants data – it would appear that your data becomes part of their marketing database when you have submitted it and your application has been processed as there is no opt out option – if you want to use the site then you are opting in however you have no choice – is this legal?
What options would I have if I did not want to use this site – if any?
Thanks
Steve
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Replies
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We give away our personal information so freely these days that it’s worth being cautions whenever we are asked to do it again.
On the face of it 1Form seems to allow prospective tenants to give all their relevant details once and then not have to do it every time they apply for a tenancy (handy, if you miss out a couple of times just becasue someone else beats you to it).
The use of information advisory on the website does say your information will be given to third parties – which in the case of Real Estate agents is pretty obvious but who else gets it? This is what it says – and the last line is relevant:
1form collects the personal information you provide via this Application System and discloses it to relevant real estate agent(s) and/or property manager(s) (or their integration service provider) for the purpose of your current and future rental property applications or to property service providers for verification.
1form may also use your personal information to promote the services of 1form (including its related parties) and selected third parties. 1form’s Privacy Policy further explains how 1form collects, uses and discloses personal information and how to access, correct or complain about the handling of personal information.
If you request connection or other property services via 1form, then we disclose your personal information to retailers, service providers, real estate agents and property managers for the purpose of your requested services. 1form has contractual license obligations with trusted strategic partners related to limited personal data.
Those partners are prohibited from using personal data for direct marketing without consent.
Should you be concerned? This is the first complaint we’ve had but then, as I said, we’ve all become a bit casual about who has our personal information and how they use it.
I reckon the convenience factor outweigh the privacy issues … but then I’d never heard of 1Form until this post so what do I know?
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@SteveV said:
Thanks for your reply Jimmy – it is interesting that there are no posts on this forum about 1Form – there are other websites that have a lot of negative reviews about it. As the saying goes – if the service is free then you must be the product – this website basically is collecting my information and then creating a massive database so the value must come from my information.Other reviews here
In terms of privacy, the rules change as of 22 Feb.
https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy-law/privacy-act/notifiable-data-breaches-scheme
It is likely that the responsibility rests with both the agent and the supplier (1Form).
My question is more to find out if this sort of activity is legal or even ethical.
I’m sure you understand there is a difference between legal and ethical.
Sadly REAs are well known for being unethical but you need a place to live and they set the rules.
The problem is, can you rent elsewhere without going through this onerous process? If so then go for it, otherwise you’re between a rock and a hard place.