Retail rant...
 

Why is it now that you can't simply make a purchase without the store/website trying to forcibly collect your life story?

I tried to buy something at a local shop yesterday; when I can, I like to buy local. One simple purchase of a $10 item. Cash on the barrel head. Shoulda been in and out, wham bam thank you ma'am. But no... The POS POS [sic] terminal wanted my name, phone number and mailing address. I gave him "867 5309" for the phone number, but the system wouldn't take "123 Any St" - the computer told him it wasn't valid for that ZIP code (90210). It took about 10 minutes to buy this one little thing; I was this "" close to just dropping it on the counter and walking out.

I get the same thing from web sites; I can't buy something unless I create an account. The worst is when I'm buying a gift, and I end up signing myself up for catalogs and garbage in which I will never be interested.

You would think with the retail economy being in the condition it is, shops would want to make it easier for you to spend your cash, not harder.

I've never had that happen to me other than the usual request for a phone no. at most places like Lowe's or Home Depot, which I don't mind. It merely helps the cashier see if I've shopped there before and shows that I've never bounced a check there.

In the future, if I were you, I'd tell them that unless they will sell you the item without all that, just forget it.

There should be an option like "customer declines to give personal info" on their system.

If enough people do that, they'll create that option if it doesn't exist.

I don't mind giving my ZIP. I'm a data guy at work so I get the companies are trying to track sales. Any more than that and a simple, "No." seems to work fine for me. I will say that my Kroger card is registered to Frank and Kathy Lee Griffith and a fake phone number. They just happened to be on the cover of a tabloid as I was filling out the app. -J

Yup. Want my zip code, no problem. Anything else, pound sand.

I hate that.

I have left my purchase at the counter and walked out of several stores when the cashier was unable to or did not know how to complete a transaction without the answers.

Last time it was at Guitar Center, guy kept saying he could not complete without at least my phone number claiming they needed it in case I wanted to do a return.

Told him that's what a receipt is for, works for every other business on the planet I've ever frequented. He finally relented when I started to walk.

Here's one you should be aware of, online purchases, do not fill out any identifying info during checkout unless you are 100% sure you will be completing the purchase.

The info you enter, name, email, phone, address is captured as you enter it so even if you don't hit submit they still have it and you'll likely start getting follow up emails trying to close the sale.

Yep, I sooo agree

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THe issue is the poor sap at the checkout is not responsible for the sales procedure. Some "clever" young kid with a marketing degree and ponytail has convinced the board that the company needs to create a "relationship" with the customer, that this will evolve into some sort of "friendship" and the customer will then be captured for life.
The decision makers are too insecure in marketing and technology to think it all through and call out all this crap as "the Emperor's New Clothes 101".

My personal beef is when the kid is too busy asking "How my day has been" and "what have I got planned for today" to tell me where the friggin item I want is. It got to the point where I said to one kid "Look, I'm flattered, but I don't want a date, I just want to buy a shirt"

Since I run my own domain and the mail accounts for it each site I buy from gets its own email. Easy to see who passes the info on etc. Also makes it easy to redirect them all back to them or just drop it all in /dev/null

I usually make up a name and address in that sort of situation. For a long time I used the address of the DMV on North Ave in Carmichael, 5209 North, 95608. I have used a number of aliases. Michael Hunt(call me Mike), Archie Leach, depends on what I had been doing that day.

If I need the item and am in a hurry, I will give a fake name, address, phone number, etc.

If I do not need the item, I will decline. If they tell me that they "need" the info, I will ask them to put in their own info. If they don't like that, I will leave the item and walk out.

I refuse to give a phone number (and end up on a list getting all sorts of nuisance calls) so I give them area code-555-1212 (information). If they ask about it, I tell them to go look it up (its unlisted).

I use 867-5309 - you younger kids won't get that one.

Might as well use Jenny for the name then, too, right?

JA

I ran into this once when paying cash and I just said, "Do you want to sell me this thing or not?" He had a way to over ride the system's demand for information. Using a credit card or check I can see them wanting more info.

LOL!
634-5789 for you who REALLY aren't young.

Last night my wife and I were making some purchases for dog supplies in our local Petco store. The poor girl that rang up the total which exceeded 100 bucks was getting frustrated because their system would not accept a credit card when amount exceeds 100 dollars. They could not even override their own system. I told them no problem, I just will go to another store. The manager stepped in and discounted the items to a total including tax of 98 bucks so their system would except my card. What a sad way to have to run a business. My wife and I laughed all the way home. I always refuse to give zip code and or phone number and if they don't like it I will leave their business and go somewhere else to buy it.

I use 588-2300, when I must.

It's like that CNN Morgan spurlock show 2 weeks ago he investigated what these company's do with your info sell it to others screw them

Em-PIRE!

(202)-370-8100

but I only use it when buying ammo