Best Buy's latest Privacy Invasion.
 

No link to story just a personal experience. Searched for Best Buy and didn't find anything related to this discussion.


I got to BB the other day as they appear to be the only nearby retailer to have the Fight Club Special Edition DVD for a decent price. I end up getting 2 other DVDs as well and I go to pay for them. As the cashier rings it up she asks me for my phone number. I'm not the worst looking guy on Earth but I know she didn't ask for herself, it's so BB can call my ass up and spam me or whatever. I tell her I don't have a home phone, which I don't, and that was that.

Now the bitch:

WTF?? They had to get some negative feedback on asking for zip codes, so why in hell would they presume to ask for your home phone number? I know we have some BB employees here who might shed some light on this. I found zip code queries annoying enough, but phone numbers are just too much to ask. I don't write checks except for bills that already have my address, I have no credit cards, I pay cash for everything else. I don't want to give away my info to anyone. Would you give BB your home phone? Do you think this is bullshit as much as I do?

I once gave them my home phone, and I never got ay calls from them.

I don't give them my number any more.

i told the cashier to make up a phone number for me... i think they stuck that number to my card cause they havn't asked again and i've been using the same card



for zipcodes i make ones up... i say 90210 or something

yes, complete bullshit.

i've stopped giving any zip/phone information to retailers. i've come to their store and bought their products... i shouldn't be bothered with taking part in their market research crap.

i have the same policy for joining their discount card programs. all they're doing is giving a discount to the customers who will allow the company to track their personal buying habits and passing the balance of the cost onto those who will not.

i don't think passing a law against such programs is appropriate, but i'll surely spend my dollars in a way that reflects how annoying these things are to me.

We use phone numbers for the prefix....it allows for a better fix on location for marketing (fliers/newspaper ads). We once used Zip codes but as locations increased in a city....more accurate Data was required.

I tell my Cashiers to make them up anyway.

Who cares if they ask for it anyways? It's not like they're forcing you to tell them. Just tell them you don't want to give it to them. It's as simple as that.

I don't have a problem giving my zip code as I could care less who knows what city I live it. My phone number is another issue. With the Do Not Call lists out there, companies needed to find a way to get your permission to call them. I won't give that out as there is not reason for the place I buy my clothes to know my number.

Thanks for the info. The exchange did cross my mind but they really should clarify it by asking the first 3 digits and not the whole number. Not bitching at you just saying.

@Carn: I see it as an imposition to asked to reveal something private for any research or corporate use. Like I said before I only use checks for bill paying, and those companies/utilities already have my info. I like to be private. Plus, you tell the cashier your Phone and the person behind you with the photographic memory or a handy cell with address book calls you to fuck with you, publish your phone on the net to crank you, or worse to stalk you if you're a hot girl. It's an unecessary thing to ask of your customers IMO. It's like asking a stranger how big his/her cock/tits are. You can say "it's none of your business" but the question really shouldn't be asked in the first place.

I do not give out my phone number, but I have no problem with zip codes. If a store wants to ask, go ahead, but I think many consumers think the store needs the number and they don't know they do not have to give it.

I also don't give out my phone, SSN or any other personally identifying info.

I will give out a zip.

As for Best Buy, the local one likes to check bags on the way out and I always say, "no thanks" when they try to stop me.

(It sure freaks the kids out at BB and Fries when I do that :) )

I see it as a non-issue, this is on level with complaining about donation jars having photographs of children designed to tug on the heart. Don't like it the idea of their marketing gurus and ad wizards having your number, don't give them your number.

There is one of the chair hair cut places near me that wants a phone number when you walk in. When the woman asked if she could have my phone number I said, "no" and that left her helpless. She actually had to wait for a manger to come over to show her how to override the computer so she put a name in instead. So I gave her "John Doe" and a few more minutes were wasted while she went through several screens and actually typed that in. Keep in mind. I am the only one there. Finally she looked up from the screen and said, "OK John, come on back." I was in a hurry that day, but I have not been back.

I just don't feel the need to be put on the spot for my number and to have to publicly refuse the info. It's a minor annoyance, but the point of a busines is to *not* annoy your customers. I deal with the ever-lowering standards of customer service in retail and service industry with little complaint. I don't raise a stink about something unless it's a chronic problem (like McDonald's fucking up my DQP 4 times in 5 visits). A heart-wrenching sign doesn't put me on the spot the way a direct request from a cashier does. I value every aspect of my privacy, including my zip code (I give them the zip for an area 6 states north of where I live). I don't want to help you market your products. I only want to get what I want at a price I find acceptable. Unfortunately BB was the store that offered that in this instance. First I went to two used stores for the DVD only to find the special edition casing to be excessively marred and one store had mild scratching on Disc 1-plus the price was only $4 cheaper than brand new at BB. I just don't believe in using your customers as free survey data. Pay someone to do it; just give me my change and the haveaniceday.

I smill politely and tell them no.

RADIO SHACK DOES THE SAME THING!

I told them that I do NOT divulge personal information except for the warranty and even then it's only when I USE the warranty. The clerk did not kow what to do when I said this. I added, if you must have my personal information I do NOT want to complete this purchase. The manager very quickly finished the transaction with a minimal amount of interference.

Now I have to keep the receipt.... but that's how it's always been anyhow.

There are way too many people out there already who want to pump you for what seems like 'harmless' information.

I'm not paranoid, I just don't want them to have it.

I'll ask them what it's for because I'm interested in why they would need a zipcode/phone number prefix/or a resident city. When dissatisfied with the answer, I then I give them an obviously bullshit answer. I'm not looking to participate in anything else you might want to offer me. So, I'll just take my change now, thankyouverymuch.

I used to work at a bookstore that required employees to ask for phone numbers before transactions. This was a VERY small store, and it was the addresses that the company really wanted. I don't remember if the phone number tracked what was purchased as much as the number of transactions. The only time we ever used them was for lost cell phones.

I understand wanting to get addresses for a mailing list. I don't really understand the "marketing analysis" behind asking for zipcodes.

Ahh! My dad! Good thing my dad has only been to Best Buy a half-handful of times.

Also, I have stopped going to Best Buy for personal reasons. I avoid that place like the plague.

Actually I love it when auto parts stores do it. Cause I always forget receipts and when I need to return a car part it usually has a lifetime warranty...so it just works out having them looking up my past purchases. I have gave best buy my home phone number many of times, they have never called.

I hate those things. Where I live, Kroger is the biggest supermarket. Not only are they closed at night (when I like to do my shopping since I'm a night owl and crowds piss me off), but they have this stupid bonus card where you're supposed to sign up for their telemarketing crap so you can get non-exorbitant prices. Thank god the Wal-Mart Supercenter is almost complete.

I even had a used car salesman refuse to give me the asking price on a car because I would not give them my name and address first..

Found out they wanted to check my credit rating first, so they
would know how high to"high ball" the price so I would fianance it ...
you don't even want to know how high that was..

I personally don't care if they want my phone number, they can have it. I am not bothered by sales calls. I simply never answer the phone. If it is important, they will leave a message.

Yeah, me too. It's handy when you can tell when/what you bought for your car.

I've given best buy both my zip code and phone number before, never recieved a call, it's not for spamming purposes. It's to see what items sell well, and where they sell well. It's marketing people.

I have no problem telling anyoe no. I will give the information if it is to my direct benefit, like the auto parts thing. For short term stuff it is easy to keep the receipt.

no.

yes.


as an aside, once at wal-mart i was asked to give my zip code. in response, i gave some fake zip code. at that point, my credit card was declined! i guess since my "fake zip code" didn't match the one for the credit card, it was declined. it only happened that one time, but i suppose some stores actually do it to verify the credit card. :shrug:

I really believe that they ask for your phone number because they simply want to track who (from what area) is purchasing what in what stores. It REALLY makes things easier for the marketing people within the company to have such a vital piece of information like this.

If a store asks for my number, I tell them, "Pi."

Then I stare politely and watch them try to process it.

Occasionally a store will do a check for a credit card. I remember reading on a gas pump once that it might ask me for the zip code on the billing address for the credit card in order to help confirm rightful use of the card, I guess it's mostly just done at random, but I bet it can be triggered too, like say your a sixteen year old guy using your mom's card to pay for gas and it's pretty obvious your names not "Shirley", I think that maybe the clerk inside could signal the question.

Now, back to the topic at hand, yes it's annoying, but it's not a big deal, just say no, give them a bad number or just don't shop there, there are too many other important things in life to get mad at, don't waste your anger.

I don't shop at stores that give card holders a better price than non card holders. If I am asked for my phone number I always give them 867 5309 (Jenny's number). If they ask for a zip I give them 90210. If they ask for a name I give them whatever pops into my head. I was once called on the name when I used my CC. I shrugged signed the reciept and left. I don't give them anything but my business.

Best Buyther is watching.

right. i was assuming when the cashier asked for the zip code, that it was the standard marketing survey thing... obviously i assumed incorrectly!

back on topic.

Hell yes. Amen to that.

Yeah, RadioShack used to demand it's associates collect info from over 95% (yes, over 95%) of their customers or they got in DEEP shit.

Customer info consisted of full name, full address (street, city, state, zip) and home telephone number. It got really tiring doing that shit and being reprimanded because not enough people willingly obliged. I worked there for 4 years, and I hated that practice from when I started on to the day I quit.

I bought something a little while ago and they ask me for my phone number and zip code. The only thing I get is promotion deals from BB, but no phone calls. As long as they don't start calling I'm fine with it, because they're wasting their time sending out those promotions. " You can get financing for a $5000 tv" Wow, why would I need a tv for $5000, that's just a waste of money. You could spend more money on beer or porn sites (if your dumb enough to do that).

I don't really think it's bullshit. If you don't want to give out the information, don't give it out. The fact of the matter is, if it offends you that much, don't shop there. They won't mind, especially if you throw a fit over being asked for your phone number.

Now why do they ask for your peoples' phone numbers? This is actually quite simple. So they can look you up in the computer quickly when you come in for a return, don't have your receipt, and are fully prepared to chew their asses out if they don't have your information in the computer. And yes, they do like to have your address to send you a promotional flyer. That's about it.

If BB (or any other company, for that matter) is using phone numbers for marketing research...they really need to re-think that. I don't have a landline, and neither do any of my friends. I live in College Station, TX but have an Austin number for my cell phone. Since all cells have free long distance these days, there's no need to change the number over. So when Radio Shack or BB get that '512' at the beginning of my number, all that tells them is that I drove in from Austin to go to the Radio Shack down the street. Not very accurate info.

But maybe they're using it for something other than location....

I recently purchased a sony tv from circuit city. I declined the extended warranty three times while i was in the store (yeah the sealesman really tried to sell it to me 3 seperate times). I gave them my info, so when I lost my receipt (which I only do if I'm going to need it later, but I have grocery receipts from 6 months ago) they would have a record of the purchase. 2 weeks later a telemarketer calls and asks how everything is w/ the tv, if I'm happy with it etc. Then she proceeds to try to sell me the same extended warranty. I'll never give them info again, and will probably never shop at their store again.

just give them a fake number like me but dont be so obvious mine is 555-todd

Everytime I've ever been to a Best Buy store, usually with one of my parents because I'm poor and am too much of a loser to get a job, if they DO ask us for a phone number we just give them the first three digits everytime (real ones) and neither they nor us complain. If you're spooked even by that, go into the phone book, find a number with the first three-digit prefix that's different than your's and use it. You wouldn't feel awkward cause it's a prefix used in the area, and they wouldn't get suspicious - although I doubt they would care.