big brother is watching

[mpishi]

so while trying to buy frozen food with cash (canadian none the less)at an unnamed salt water store near the mayfield inn i was told i would not able to purchase the above mentioned food unless i supplied my name and phone number
what gives, is identity theft becoming so difficult, legitimate retailers need to put people more at risk
finally the most senior of the store allowed me to pay with the cash as john doe, no address or phone number needed

[Cap'n]

Maybe the cashier was simply making a clumsy effort at picking you up.

[mpishi]

no such luck
they cannot access the till unless they create an account with your personal details
just a sign of the times i guess

[Invigor]

I know a store like that..is it big and colorful?

[Dabbler]

These are just my thoughts on this system:

Well have you ever had to return something and can't find that receipts, and they say sorry you can't return with out the receipts...or that cool power head crapped out 8 months into its life and now you want to exchange it...and you through away the bill. Now this is stored in the computer, under your name.

or

Hey its year end and lets give out gift certificate's for everyone who spent $$$ at our store this year.

or

There is a major recall on X brand pumps. they get the recall notice and then they can check there data base and call who ever bought this pump to let them know about it.

There is another LFS store here that does the same thing if you want to collect points as well...but they use a Card insted.

I visited another LFS in Burneby and if I gave them my name and address they could knock off the PST because the supplies were going out of province.

Your name and phone number, is in general, public knowledge....its in the phone book unless you have a unlisted number.

We have a similar system in our shop , we can't give a final price on a job without a PO# and customer information.

[rickjames]

This type of information should be voluntary, i.e. if you want to make an account in the system and collect points or make returns easier then fine, create an account. But if you want to pay cash and with hold your name, you should be allowed. After all, each bill says "legal tender" on it. I find this trend in privacy infringement disturbing. Sure names and phone numbers are available, but now some stupid LFS can track how you spend your money, what your address is, etc. etc. It is even more dangerous if the company is american owned due to the patriot act. Even if it operates in Canada, the FBI under the patriot act can seize their customer information at any time if the company is american owned. Just something to think about....

I think back to 5 years ago and one of the funniest conversations my dad had with a water company. They wanted his name and phone number to buy a 5G bottle of water, so he said 563-CASH. The clerk tried to punch it in, didn't work, so he says, "I know, I'm paying cash". A similar conversation to mpishi's occured with a manager stepping in to "let" my dad pay cash with no number. My dad's argument was "you want to track how much water i drink? What's next, you want to track how much i p*ss?"

Safe to say he took his business elsewhere. I would suggest to you to take your business elsewhere when a store refuses your money without your name.

There, that's my rant of the day!

[Dabbler]

Ok here is another thought;

When you go and stay in a hotel..do you fill out the "sign in slip" even when you pay cash. Have you ever stayed in a hotel over in Europe (and this is before 911) you get registered with the local police station,and they take a copy of your passport and this is everyone including residents.

After all, each bill says "legal tender" on it

Try and walk into any bank that you don't have an "account" at and try to make change....see how far you get. I tried to take in my rolled change to a local TD branch and they would not except it because I didn't have an account

I find this trend in privacy infringement disturbing.

Like I said earlier all they ask is name and phone number ( they don't ask for your address, or your SIN number, or your first born.....)...this is public knowledge, its in the phone book. And if you still don't want to give your name....John Smith @ 555-1212 works good to.

Radio Shack has been doing a similar thing for years with postal codes (and names I think)

In general;
99% of retail software now uses this type of format, and you need to make a different account for each person. Some have created a "Cash" account. Some stores use this to see where there customers are coming from, are they local or are they coming from Spruce Grove. This software also tells them about stock consumption, what sells and what doesn't and when it sells. It also gives the store a estimate on how many different people are buying from there store and also what they are buying. An example is that John Smith buys lots of corrals but doesn't buy salt and Jane Doe buys power heads every month. Then they can take this info and change there business practices to mach there customer base. With staff changes in the retail world, people coming and going there is very few times you will see the same sales person the next time in that store, so the stores are trying to get there info from the sales instead of the employees.

Just to make another point I do not hand out my information to just anyone and I don't work in the retail world.

[rickjames]

Originally Posted by Dabbler

Like I said earlier all they ask is name and phone number ( they don't ask for your address, or your SIN number, or your first born.....)...this is public knowledge, its in the phone book. And if you still don't want to give your name....John Smith @ 555-1212 works good to.

Your phone number is public knowledge but what you buy is not, and when you give them that info at the store they put 2 and 2 together. The fact that companies are demanding your personal information when it is not needed (this does not apply to banks, hotels, car rentals, airlines, situations where by law they require your info) is what I find disturbing. Radio Shack never ever refused my cash.

The opinion I am expressing is that these types of stores should be avoided if possible as you should have the right to withhold your personal information without an argument. If they ask for your information and you decline, there should be no issue.

[Dabbler]

I don't think that they have a board up in there store that showes what you bought They arn't making this information public, it is for there use to serve you the customer better.

Why does a bank need you to have an account to change a $100 worth of loonies to a $100 bill ?
Why does a hotel need to know your name when you check in and prepay your stay?

[muck]

Originally Posted by Dabbler

Why does a hotel need to know your name when you check in and prepay your stay?

They also take a CC imprint now for good reason.
Its for insurance purposes. (ie. If you trash the room.)