For some strange reason, I've been getting emails and letters addressed to me with the Dr title for the last 3 months. I've never used this title, I've never told anyone that I was a Dr, because I am not. The most strange one is the new credit card I applied arrived today with the Dr title too. I had called them and asked to correct this at the time of application when I noticed the mistake, but they didn't bother changing it. I checked my credit report with the reference agencies and there are searches with the added Dr title. What's going on? Did that happen to anyone else?

I'm not even a Dr and I still get stuff adressed to Dr Juno (chromatographic companies are the biggest culprits)

I have 'Dr' on my Sainsburys nectar card.. god knows why.. I got it while still on my undergrad course..

wow Tricky, they must've sensed that you were going to do a PhD at some point in your life. Or did the nectar card effected your decision?

Well i thought rather than get them to change it to Mr, that it would be easier to simply do a PhD then it would be correct :P

sounds sensible to me!

Dear Dr 404

Please read the thread "anyone addicted to facebook", then you know the answer. This is the definite proof that someone is not taking good care of your data and knows too much about you. Can you see the hidden connections?

Dear Professor Otto. I looked at that thread now, and I think you have point. But I normally stay away from online communities. Hmmmm.. on the other hand, the internet is full of my info. Seminars, talks, projects etc. It must be very easy for people to pick these. But surely they would know from those documents that I'm not a doc yet I'll read the rest of that thread.

It may be more because people havent got enough data on you, rather than someone having to much (after all, they got it wrong didnt they). It seems more likely they are infering things about you from the small amount of info you have. After all, if I was to send someone something in another uni, and I didnt know if they were a doctor, I would call them doctor regardless. It would be more about trying not to offend anyone.

After all, you prob said on your application im doing a PhD. Your credit company may think that this is like a normal degree and you are more or less guarenteed the doctorate. So instead of giving you a card you have to replace in a year or so, they are giving you one in anticipation that can have a long expiary date. This has prob then gone onto your credit record when that application was accepted.

Or, the person who processed your application doesnt really know much about a PhD, and so assumed that you may be a doctor already. Esp if you phoned and they still didnt change it.

I have people think I'm a Dr because I've done a Masters

Is it just on stuff you have posted to a university address such as your office? I sometimes get stuff with Dr on and I've just always assumed that it's because I'm using a university address

No, not really. I am more worried about the private letters and my credit file. It is a bit more understandable when it happens with PhD related correspondence.