Martin Lewis data privacy warning whenever you phone up a service provider

Martin Lewis has warned that people could be inadvertently revealing their personal details or other sensitive information during phone calls to service providers. The money-saving expert voiced his concerns after learning about a system practice that potentially affects anyone contacting a service provider.

He shared the tip on an episode of his programme which was focused on securing the best deals for services like broadband or energy tariffs. The warning came from an eye-opening tip sent in by a call centre worker, which Lewis described as really shocking.

The call handler revealed: "If you think you're on hold don't assume because there is music that the call handler can't hear what you're saying whilst you're on hold."

Lewis said this disturbing revelation "has sent chills through me and I think it will send chills through everyone who hears it". When haggling for a deal, he explained that if you're with someone else, you shouldn't mention while on hold that you'd accept a specific price as the handler might overhear you.

However, Lewis stressed that people could also be accidentally disclosing other confidential information. The consumer champion said: "I'm a little bit blown away by that one. You could be having a private conversation, you could be talking, you could be brushing your teeth, you could be doing anything else at the time."

Alongside the privacy warning, Lewis shared several other handy tips sent in by fans for when ringing up to haggle over a deal. One trick suggested was to press # when calling as this will typically connect you directly to a real person.

Another tip advised being cordial and friendly when phoning up, as the person on the other end is then far more likely to go above and beyond to help. Lewis shared insider knowledge about call centre discretion, saying: "I've had call centre staff tell me in the past they have a certain number of discounts they can give in a day. So there is a discretion there of who they are going to give a discount to and who they won't."

For those whose policy is due for renewal, the advice was to threaten to cancel your policy as this will swiftly prompt providers to come back with a more competitive offer.