Shops wanting details

[150bhp]

R1 Indy said:

Astacus said:

First time I came across this was in Screw Fix and I did indeed go elsewhere. There is absolutely no reason why you should give your name and address to a shop to enable you to purchase stuff. I've also seen it in some electrical retailers. Bloody annoying

That's because screwfix require you to have an account.

Very useful when you want to return or get a refund with no receipt.

Although I would imagine it's all to do with marketing.

Also if you spend X amount they will post you a money off voucher. Think I spent just over a grand and got a £50 off voucher posted out.

[DUMBO100]

These companies spend a lot of money buying your details from other sources, utilities companies, mobile phone operators. Credit cards etc so it's hardly surprising that they want to build their own database for free so that the can send you unsolicited e mails and cold call you at inconvenient times. You're well within your rights to say ps off. Alternatively you could ask for theirs and arrange an evening out

[55palfers]

NickGibbs said:

I get very grumpy about having to showing my boarding card buying a bottle of sodding water at Smiths/Boots at the airport.
Purely to gather info - don't mind that so much, but it's the extra time spent that I resent. Everybody gets asked, and with every second person having to fish it out of some recess of their luggage it causes the terrible queues. It's appalling customer service. Grump, grump

I never show them my boarding card unless they give me a free carrier bag.

They never do.

[numtumfutunch]

I work on the assumption that most shop assistants asking for my details are obeying instructions from above and its not personal

Im also assuming they probably dont fancy me when requesting my name and address, although I may be mistaken here from time to time
What is indisputable is that they absolutely have no legitimate need to know who I am or where I live

Consequently to avoid a "computer says no" scenario I always happily give my details as Winston Kodogo of 55 Mercer Road with an appropriate postcode

After an encounter with an eagle eyed cashier when paying by card a while ago who challenged why my Visa had Mr Numtumfutunch printed on it I am now more cautious using plastic but still use 55 Mercer Road as my address

Its just easier all round that way................

[wildcat45]

I either give them the address of the house I lived in when I was a kid 30-odd years ago or the address of a now demolished office I worked in.

Ticks the sales assistant's box.
Confuses whoever lives where I used to live.

[GWS33]

I may be wrong, but I was under the impression the details were to prove returns were not fraudulent or that a staff member wasn't just returning random receipts to pocket some extra cash.

[NoNeed]

I was wondering why I was asked for a postcode in Brantano at the weekend, I was only buying a cheap pair of slippers with cash.

[storminnorman]

We do this where I work, trust me we all hate having to ask. Especially when we are asked from higher up to essentially contravene data protection laws in order to gather details.
The worst part is these are companies with high staff turnover. If you give a st they can quickly find someone who does not.

[rxtx]

They just want to add you to their marketing list. They can't get your details from your credit/debit card, and your name isn't stored on it.

[Gareth79]

NickGibbs said:

I get very grumpy about having to showing my boarding card buying a bottle of sodding water at Smiths/Boots at the airport.
Purely to gather info - don't mind that so much, but it's the extra time spent that I resent. Everybody gets asked, and with every second person having to fish it out of some recess of their luggage it causes the terrible queues. It's appalling customer service. Grump, grump

I believe that is for VAT reasons. If you are flying outside the EU the retailer won't need to pay VAT (and can keep the difference).

[rxtx]

Gareth79 said:

NickGibbs said:

I get very grumpy about having to showing my boarding card buying a bottle of sodding water at Smiths/Boots at the airport.
Purely to gather info - don't mind that so much, but it's the extra time spent that I resent. Everybody gets asked, and with every second person having to fish it out of some recess of their luggage it causes the terrible queues. It's appalling customer service. Grump, grump

I believe that is for VAT reasons. If you are flying outside the EU the retailer won't need to pay VAT (and can keep the difference).

Yup, and if you're in an airport and don't have your boarding pass/passport ready to hand, well, you're in an airport, you need them to hand

[wibble cb]

Happens here in Canada all the time, I just decline to give it, afterall what are they going to do, not sell me the item? As stated its so they can either send more marketing crap to your area in the hope of attracting more customers, or else they are going to sell it on, feckers....

[speedchick]

150bhp said:

R1 Indy said:

Astacus said:

First time I came across this was in Screw Fix and I did indeed go elsewhere. There is absolutely no reason why you should give your name and address to a shop to enable you to purchase stuff. I've also seen it in some electrical retailers. Bloody annoying

That's because screwfix require you to have an account.

Very useful when you want to return or get a refund with no receipt.

Although I would imagine it's all to do with marketing.

Also if you spend X amount they will post you a money off voucher. Think I spent just over a grand and got a £50 off voucher posted out.

Also, if there is a problem with the power tool you have bought, then they need a copy of the invoice in the box with the tool when it goes in for fixing, without that, there is no proof of purchase and the manufaturers tend not to want to fix things, the copy of the invoice proves if it's still under warrenty or not.

[BoRED S2upid]

Just say no.

[otherman]

NickGibbs said:

I get very grumpy about having to showing my boarding card buying a bottle of sodding water at Smiths/Boots at the airport.
Purely to gather info - don't mind that so much, but it's the extra time spent that I resent. Everybody gets asked, and with every second person having to fish it out of some recess of their luggage it causes the terrible queues. It's appalling customer service. Grump, grump

We do that to track what sales are generated by each flight. Apart from people buying duty free, there's no other need for the info.

[robinessex]

False details suffice. And all the crap that comes through my letter box gets returned in each other envelopes.

[tomsugden]

See also Websites that start spamming you, when you book a flight or hotel through them. I recently booked a short break through booking.com, and a relentless tirade of offers and spam started coming through. I forwarded each and every one back to their chief executive, along with any other spam I received from other companies. He eventually asked me to stop, and I said I would when he did. Their marketing department got in touch and apologized, and removed me. I won't use them again now as I know it will start again if I do.