How do you respond when you go to a store (Best Buy, JC Penney) and they tell you they need your phone number, zip code, address, email address, etc. for a "survey"? Now, keep in mind I am not talking about information for if you are buying an extended warranty, applying for a credit card, or other service. I am talking about just going into the store to buy something and someone demands your phone number and/or zip code.
I personally decline and tell them if such information is required for a sale, they can either call a manager or lose a sale, because that information is not required to do a sale. They generally do give in, but I have had to get store management involved a couple of times.
I just get really uptight whenever people ask for my phone number, social security number, address, etc. for no good reason. I won't even give my social security number to a doctor's office, because even the insurance company does not have it. Obviously, the doctor needs my phone number and address, though. I must be in the minority on this issue because most of the time, they look at me like I have just grown three heads.
Why won't I give out such innocuous information as a zip code or phone number when it is not really needed, you might ask? Well, it's a privacy issue. I come into a store usually to buy a specific thing, not to apply for a home loan or credit card. And I don't need to be told whatever "wonderful" products they have, so I don't need spam or junk mail. I am an adult capable of dialing a phone or getting on the internet to find out what they do have, but they don't seem to understand that.
I think the only thing that I hate worse is when I go into a store and they want to sell me a credit card to save me some money. Yea, right, a 25% interest credit card is going to "save" me money.
I was just wondering how many other people there are out there like me.
How Do You Respond?
October 9th, 2011 at 05:16 am
October 9th, 2011 at 05:27 am 1318134464
October 9th, 2011 at 05:59 am 1318136344
October 9th, 2011 at 11:55 am 1318157735
October 9th, 2011 at 12:56 pm 1318161415
I think this works best when you live in a city/suburb with many zip codes close by.
October 9th, 2011 at 03:11 pm 1318169475
October 10th, 2011 at 12:34 am 1318203295
it irks me to no end. I always leave out my marital status (again, none of their business) and SS on new doctor patient forms, and most of the time they don't question it.
It's not just a matter of privacy; it also increases the risk of ID theft. Sometimes, if people are pestering me for personal info, i'll tell them i experienced ID theft it he past and that i'm doubly cautious about releasing personal info; that sometimes helps make them back off.
October 10th, 2011 at 01:01 am 1318204893