Everyone Wants My Personal Information

[lisab]

I'm just getting so fed up.

When I go to a store to buy some stupid thing like a pillow, they want to know my zip code or phone number.

When I try to take a tour of a gym nearby, they won't let me unless I give a cell number AND my email address.

And now I try to sign into my old hotmail account and they say I won't be allowed access anymore unless I give them my cell phone number in the next 30 days. Guess that means I won't be using hotmail anymore, and it was my very first email! I've had it for almost 20 years but I DO NOT want to give them my cell phone number!

I'm mad as hell and I won't take it anymore!1

My philosophy is, the relationship between me and a merchant begins when I walk in the door and ends when I leave. Am I the only one who is tired of giving people access to ME?

 

[johnqwertyful]

You know, I've thought about starting to deny people that information. I might start doing so.

 

[DennisN]

My philosophy is, the relationship between me and a merchant begins when I walk in the door and ends when I leave. Am I the only one who is tired of giving people access to ME?

You are absolutely not alone . My philosophy nowadays is that I NEVER fill in any personal information unless I want to. And if someone/some place I don't trust requires info, I fill in minimal and sometimes even false information. I don't feel ashamed at all by this; I know that such information can be used to spam me - and it can even be sold further to other places - it has happened to me, and it makes me really mad. I don't want to spend time dealing with such things.

 

[zoobyshoe]

What's hinky is they don't automatically explain exactly why they need the information. "To better serve our customers," is some kind of obscurantist double-talk if I ever heard it.

 

[Evo]

The zip code is for target marketing. The stores here stopped some time ago, or maybe I'm no longer going to those stores.

Heck no I would not give an e-mail service my phone number.

 

[drizzle]

I hate it a lot!

There should be something like @junkemail.com kind of email.

 

[DennisN]

Everyone Wants My Personal Information!

You can always try singing this tune to them the next time.

 

[dlgoff]

I went to buy a pair of shoes the other day and the sales lady asked for my phone number. I replied that I didn't need their shoes that bad and left. Should have seen her dumbfounded look. :thumbs:

Hotmail went bye-bye so if you want that same @hotmail.com address you'll have to bite the bullet.

 

[Evo]

I went to buy a pair of shoes the other day and the sales lady asked for my phone number. I replied that I didn't need their shoes that bad and left. Should have seen her dumbfounded look. :thumbs:

There is absolutely no reason for asking for a phone number unless maybe you're trying to pay with a personal check, but the number should be written on the check in case it bounces. In which case, the phone number is probably as bogus as the check.

 

[inotyce]

I'm just getting so fed up.

When I go to a store to buy some stupid thing like a pillow, they want to know my zip code or phone number.

When I try to take a tour of a gym nearby, they won't let me unless I give a cell number AND my email address.

And now I try to sign into my old hotmail account and they say I won't be allowed access anymore unless I give them my cell phone number in the next 30 days. Guess that means I won't be using hotmail anymore, and it was my very first email! I've had it for almost 20 years but I DO NOT want to give them my cell phone number!

I'm mad as hell and I won't take it anymore!1

My philosophy is, the relationship between me and a merchant begins when I walk in the door and ends when I leave. Am I the only one who is tired of giving people access to ME?

Please ask them straight what they get them for. The guys know why their employers ask them to do such a job. This seem redundant and annoying to customers, their boss might know it. In case he doesn't, perhaps he is a foreigner :) who needs to know how redundant the stuff he is working on is to the business mainstream he is following. There are proposals, so there should also be counter proposals.

 

[chemisttree]

When I'm asked to give that kind of information I get so stressed that I always give the wrong zip and phone number.

It keeps me up at night wondering if they are trying to contact me...

 

[chiro]

Choose an alternative if it really bugs you.

If someone gets the message from enough people that its not a positive thing to keep hoarding personal information, then they will pull back if its in their interests.

Most free things are not free (like hotmail): a lot of free tech products are just big data mining/information-gathering outfits that collect and process lots of data for the purpose of using it (and the inferences that are implied by the data) and either using it directly or selling information to other interested parties.

This is all in that long agreement that no-body reads, but this the price you pay for free services provided by the likes of Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and others.

 

[inotyce]

When I'm asked to give that kind of information I get so stressed that I always give the wrong zip and phone number.

It keeps me up at night wondering if they are trying to contact me...

I think you become really smart because of stress. I never give unknown people my real address, phone numbers at all. We tend to verify the validity of the resources before further making use of any if we want, right ?

 

[Chronos]

Give them the phone number of your favorite telemarketer. I use 90210 as my SS#.

 

[HayleySarg]

I just make things up. Generally I don't' get upset with the clerks themselves, it's not really their fault that the company they work for does weird quirky marketing.

I have a junk email address as well which I breeze through weekly.

I am a little irritated with Facebook, with it's mass data collecting--packaging and selling. It doesn't impact me as an individual specifically, but I'm not entirely sure if I agree with it or not.

 

[WannabeNewton]

You could just give a fake number...

 

[HayleySarg]

Yeah, my number is (local area code)-867-5309

 

[turbo]

I don't give out contact information on the Internet. Considering how many times personal information has been breached recently, I may regret ever having given out the information that I already disclosed years back to make on-line purchases. If Amazon's servers are breached, heaven help the masses. Amazon must be the fattest hacker-target ever.

 

[chhitiz]

before i comment on this issue i would like everyone on this thread to pm me their email addresses

 

[Crake]

I hate it a lot!

There should be something like @junkemail.com kind of email.

Hey there,

there is something like that:

https://spamgourmet.com/

You do need to give an email in order to create a spamgourmet account, but that account is private.

Also, you guys could create an alias. Perhaps name it "herecomesspam@whatever.com. Pretty much any email providers allows you to have several aliases.

Also, it would help if you chose email providers not hosted in lolamerica.

 

[DennisN]

Speaking of the devil, I received this email today from a TRUSTED company:

Three simple steps to participate in this contest:

1. Click this link and enter the email addresses of your friends.
2. Your friend will receive an invitation to participate in the contest.
3. For each friend that participates you will receive one point. The ten persons who have got the most points will win a bonus gift worth 1 000 kr (ca $150).

You got to be joking! This is not only spamming, it's multi-level marketing!
(this made me REALLY angry! )

 

[HayleySarg]

XBOX live scammed me out of $3000 through what's called a "FIFA 13" scam. Hackers will gte into accounts, buy up a lot of points (and I mean a LOT of points), convert them to tradable digital media that some players are willing to pay real cash for.

I didn't like having to give them my credit card information but since I had a family account it was required. They never returned my money, saying that I couldn't "prove that it wasn't me". I had to go through my bank on the issue.

 

[Rick21383]

I went to buy a pair of shoes the other day and the sales lady asked for my phone number. I replied that I didn't need their shoes that bad and left. Should have seen her dumbfounded look. :thumbs:

Hotmail went bye-bye so if you want that same @hotmail.com address you'll have to bite the bullet.

I would have been dumbfounded too. That was an odd reaction on your part. Obviously she's been told to ask for your phone number, but that doesn't mean you have to give it to her. Just say, "no, you don't need that". If I was behind you I would have wondered why the clown in front of me was making a scene because the lady asked for his phone number.

I'm not sure why others are talking about giving a fake phone number either. I guess that works...but it's not necessary, just don't give them one. Like Evo said, it's part of their marketing strategy but they aren't going to refuse you service for not giving them the information they're requesting.

Good grief...I guess it is slightly annoying, but I doubt it will change any time soon and it's not that difficult to just say no.

 

[Evo]

I'm not sure why others are talking about giving a fake phone number either. I guess that works...but it's not necessary, just don't give them one. Like Evo said, it's part of their marketing strategy but they aren't going to refuse you service for not giving them the information they're requesting.

Good grief...I guess it is slightly annoying, but I doubt it will change any time soon and it's not that difficult to just say no.

Actually some places that requested my zip code had to enter it in the computer/register before it would proceed, so in some cases, it will prevent you from continuing until "something" is entered.

A zip code, I understand, (from asking the cashier) they want to know where their customers are coming from so they can advertise to that area, or possibly open a new store. A phone number for a retail purchase? No way. They've crossed the line. What on Earth would they need a phone number for?

 

[HayleySarg]

A zip code, I understand, (from asking the cashier) they want to know where their customers are coming from so they can advertise to that area. A phone number for a retail purchase? No way. They've crossed the line. What on Earth would they need a phone number for?

As of this year, I think cell phones went into public listings, are are accessible to telemarketers. So perhaps they sell them?

 

[lisab]

I would have been dumbfounded too. That was an odd reaction on your part. Obviously she's been told to ask for your phone number, but that doesn't mean you have to give it to her. Just say, "no, you don't need that". If I was behind you I would have wondered why the clown in front of me was making a scene because the lady asked for his phone number.

I'm not sure why others are talking about giving a fake phone number either. I guess that works...but it's not necessary, just don't give them one. Like Evo said, it's part of their marketing strategy but they aren't going to refuse you service for not giving them the information they're requesting.

Good grief...I guess it is slightly annoying, but I doubt it will change any time soon and it's not that difficult to just say no.

I *do* say no, politely (like others have said, it's not the salesperson's fault), but I let them know I don't like it: "No, I won't give you my cell number. I don't share personal information, and I find it intrusive that businesses even ask." I say it pleasantly and with steady eye contact. Salespeople get it, they don't push. Customers *do* have power -- we vote with our dollars.

But take the hotmail account, for example. I use it as a junk mail box but since I've had it a looooong time, old friends occasionally use it and I use the contacts info from time to time. Now they say that in the next 30 days I must give them my cell number. I have no power in this relationship. I could give them a fake number, I suppose. But that seems like I'm surrendering, and it doesn't let them know my opinion. It really pisses me off that I will have to abandon an account I've had for decades.

 

[Rick21383]

I *do* say no, politely (like others have said, it's not the salesperson's fault), but I let them know I don't like it: "No, I won't give you my cell number. I don't share personal information, and I find it intrusive that businesses even ask." I say it pleasantly and with steady eye contact. Salespeople get it, they don't push. Customers *do* have power -- we vote with our dollars.

But take the hotmail account, for example. I use it as a junk mail box but since I've had it a looooong time, old friends occasionally use it and I use the contacts info from time to time. Now they say that in the next 30 days I must give them my cell number. I have no power in this relationship. I could give them a fake number, I suppose. But that seems like I'm surrendering, and it doesn't let them know my opinion. It really pisses me off that I will have to abandon an account I've had for decades.

Yea, the hotmail thing is a valid complaint and if they're really forcing users to give them a phone number I would stop using them immediately.

I was just chuckling at the people overreacting about sales people asking for a zip code and/or phone number and are apparently too scared to just say no. Someone said they get "so stressed that I always give the wrong zip and phone number" and "It keeps me up at night wondering if they are trying to contact me". lol what? And the other one said he walked out of the store without finalizing his purchase, as if that's going to make some sort of point. In reality, everyone was probably thinking "ok, crazy guy" and then went about their normal business.

Now, Evo did point out that she's been to places where they have to put in a zip code. I've never personally encountered that but, again, I just don't see the big deal. Either give them your zip code or, for the crazy paranoids out there, just say 12345 and move on.

 

[D H]

Speaking of the devil, I received this email today from a TRUSTED company:

You got to be joking! This is not only spamming, it's multi-level marketing!
(this made me REALLY angry! )

Are you sure that that email came from that company, or did it just appear to come from that company? That email sounds a whole lot like phishing.

 

[Rick21383]

Are you sure that that email came from that company, or did it just appear to come from that company? That email sounds a whole lot like phishing.

Yea, either that "trusted" company had their email server compromised and is inadvertently sending out spam...or it's not really from them.

Obviously that's not a valid email from a "trusted" company.

Or he's being tested by HIS company to see if he falls for a fake email. We've had 3rd party security companies come in before and part of their testing involves social engineering with our employees to see who clicks a link from a fake email, provides information they shouldn't over the phone, etc.

 

[dlgoff]

There is absolutely no reason for asking for a phone number unless maybe you're trying to pay with a personal check, but the number should be written on the check in case it bounces. In which case, the phone number is probably as bogus as the check.

I was paying cash. Go figure.

 

[DennisN]

Are you sure that that email came from that company, or did it just appear to come from that company? That email sounds a whole lot like phishing.

My first thought was that it was phishing. But it looks very official, and I've checked all the links (there was pretty much info in the mail), so it actually seems it's real. I called the company, but they had closed for the weekend, so I'll call them on Monday to let them know what I think of it . And I've told them just last week to remove me from their mail list... .

 

[Rick21383]

My first thought was that it was phishing. But it looks very official, and I've checked all the links (there was pretty much info in the mail), so it actually seems it's real. I called the company, but they had closed for the weekend, so I'll call them on Monday to let them know what I think of it . And I've told them just last week to remove me from their mail list... .

How can you say that looks official?

It tells you to click a link and then give them your friends email addresses, so that they can be spammed just like you were.

There is no way that is coming from a reputable company, unless they were compromised and aren't sending it intentionally.

 

[DennisN]

Obviously that's not a valid email from a "trusted" company.

Ask yourself if you put a lot of unjustified trust in profit-driven companies in general? Because I've seen "trusted" companies doing worse things than these.

How can you say that looks official? It tells you to click a link and then give them your friends email addresses, so that they can be spammed just like you were. There is no way that is coming from a reputable company, unless they were compromised and aren't sending it intentionally.

You seem pretty sure about things you haven't seen yourself. The graphics looked correct, all the links checked out and the facebook link was correct. And, FYI, I'm not a complete idiot . I know how to check these things.

And, I have now spoken with the company by phone now, and they have confirmed it is a real contest. Nevertheless they will get another call on Monday .

Case closed.

EDIT: And by the way, the company I'm talking about IS a very reputable company where I live. But not in my eyes anymore.

 

[Choppy]

I just want to say I hate giving out personal information too.

Most of the time, I refuse to do it.

 

[Turion]

I give them:

123-456-7890

 

[Rick21383]

Ask yourself if you put a lot of unjustified trust in profit-driven companies in general? Because I've seen "trusted" companies doing worse things than these.

Absolutely not.

Profit-driven or not, I'm just saying I would not consider any company that sends out something like that reputable. Not only are they asking you to click a link and give them your email, they're asking you to give them your "friends" email too...and, essentially, whoever gives them the most emails for future spamming wins a "prize"? lol ok... sorry, but any company that sends out something which is, in a best case scenario, spamming to get them email addresses or, more likely, is running an actual scam is not reputable.

 

[256bits]

EDIT: And by the way, the company I'm talking about IS a very reputable company where I live. But not in my eyes anymore

One lazy whiz marketeer/salesman who thought pavement pounding to gain business and profile by what was presented to management as a quick and easy and cheap method, is seemingly having am opposite effect. If you think that way so do many others who are going to quit having a relationship with this company, or at least a jaundiced view in the future.

I forget what it was about, not extra information demands,but I think if I recall it was the add-ons requested at point of sale. the buy a pack of cigarettes and do you want a lighter with that. with a 'No' they go on asking if you need a lottery ticket. After being annoyed like that a few times I told the cashier that her boss is an moron for implementing such directives, If I wanted more I would ask, her questions slow up the line, the annoyance drives me to purchase at another place, blah, blah. Nothing like the rumour mill and gosip of employees to eventually work its way up to powers that to do a change.

 

[jim hardy]

Marketing industry has got so over the top it's earned my contempt.

I always enter my phone number backward and if asked, give a friend's birthday. .
If it's somebody I trust I tell 'em about the phone number.
I figure that foils automated machines that just scan and pass your info on to telemarketers.

I started doing that after an awful(and ongoing) period of harassment by a call center in Altamonte Springs/Casselberry Fla that uses robodialers peddling "Senior Medical Alerts". For a while I was telling them I'm Tim Macveigh and asking 'em to call me back at (number of Oklahoma City police department).
They laugh at the "do not call " list.
I've filed out scores of FCC form 1088 complaints;
written to my representatives, the FCC, my representatives, Attorney Generals of my state and Florida, my phone company, and CEO's of companies that manufacture the product.

So now I try to get the agents talking. They're pretty hardened so it takes a really creative insult to break the ice.
According to somebody who says he worked there , copy&paste these numbers into Google Maps shows the roof of the call center.
28.654034,-81.333775
behind Cypriana's restaurant

So - lie about your demographic. My socialist stepson taught me to enter age around ninety-four, household income less than $5000, zipcode worst part of town, and some annoying politician's office phone number.
What salesman would follow up that lead?

 

[Borg]

... some annoying politician's office phone number.

I have to look up a few of those now. :thumbs:

According to somebody who says he worked there , copy&paste these numbers into Google Maps shows the roof of the call center.
28.654034,-81.333775
behind Cypriana's restaurant

Could someone please hack those coordinates into one cruise missle please?

 

[Dembadon]

It makes me angry too, Lisa. I try not to take it out on the store clerks, but sometimes my frustration is too great. However, it might eventually get to the place where enough employees will get sick of dealing upset customers and complain to their bosses. Their bosses will get sick of disgruntled employees and send it up the chain. The probability that such a chain of events, if it happens, will accomplish anything? Small, I'm sure, but oh well.

Regarding the rest of the discussion going on in this thread; I've yet to be refused service for not giving my email/zip/phone#. In the rare case when someone tells me they can't proceed until I give it to them, which I think is bull**** by the way, I provide the most unhelpful numbers/letters as possible: zip - 11111, phone - 123-456-7890, email - spam@<random provider here>.com.

I've gotten some weird looks before, but I really don't give a crap.

 

[lendav_rott]

in the gym, ask them to show you That specific law that states you are to give them your details, rest assured there is no such law.

 

[jim hardy]

Regarding post #38 above:

... after an awful(and ongoing) period of harassment by a call center in Altamonte Springs/Casselberry Fla ...
I've filed out scores of FCC form 1088 complaints;
written to my representatives, the FCC, my representatives, Attorney Generals of my state and Florida, my phone company, and CEO's of companies that manufacture the product.

Hey maybe those letters did some good - in January they busted that telemarketer, along with two others !

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/agents-arrest-owners-3-central-florida-telemarketi/ncsQs/

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

Three people were arrested in connection with illegal telemarketing operations in central Florida, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Friday.

In a press release, the agency said after an investigation of consumer complaints the department determined that Arcagen, Inc., Excellent Marketing Solutions and Best Caribbean Trader, Inc., were operating illegally. The owners of all three businesses were arrested.

 

[m k]

Back in the day hotmail was a junkmail and not a big deal, why the junk phone is, the big deal?

 

[jim hardy]

Back in the day hotmail was a junkmail and not a big deal, why the junk phone is, the big deal?

Wait'll you come into the demographic that is targeted twenty times a day.

1. I resent having my peace and quiet interrupted inside my own home. It is an assault on my privacy.

2. Junkmail on paper one discards as part of the daily task of retrieving the mail when that is the focus of his attention. A Phonecall however demands your immediate attention to see whether it is important , interrupting whatever it is one was trying to do.
Do you know the terms "Context switch", "Push and Pop the stack" ?

The telephone has been transformed from a beneficial communication convenience to an implement of torture. It was a colossal mistake to break up Bell for it's made a laughingstock out of FCC and congress' toothless consumer protection legislation.

Adblock Plus works. Telephone Consumer Protection Act does not.
Some tasks are best served by a well behaved monopoly. Ma Bell would not have tolerated the present situation.
Whom can FCC hold responsible now? Nobody but Congress - they dissipated control.

"When nobody is responsible, everybody is irresponsible" rickover

 

[gfd43tg]

All calls on my home phone number are telemarketers. I haven't had a legitimate conversation on the landline in a long time...perhaps time to disconnect the landline since cell phones make them nearly obsolete.

 

[lendav_rott]

I get lots of telemarketers on the phone, what I wonder is, where on Earth they got my phone number. It's not public knowledge and I'm not giving out my own Personal number to anybody who doesn't need to know it.

 

[Drakkith]

I get lots of telemarketers on the phone, what I wonder is, where on Earth they got my phone number. It's not public knowledge and I'm not giving out my own Personal number to anybody who doesn't need to know it.

Have you put your number on the do not call list?

 

[jim hardy]

Have you put your number on the do not call list?

As soon as the list was started and renewed a couple times a year.

That's part of my rant - they laugh at it. One of them actually said "FCC is a joke, they do nothing." And it WAS Florida who busted the guys not feds.

You'd think with all the TSA's technology the simple task of rooting out rogue telephone system abusers would catch some right-thinking bureaucrat's interest.
Guarantee it'd raise Obama's approval rating .

 

[Psinter]

And now I try to sign into my old hotmail account and they say I won't be allowed access anymore unless I give them my cell phone number in the next 30 days. Guess that means I won't be using hotmail anymore, and it was my very first email! I've had it for almost 20 years but I DO NOT want to give them my cell phone number!

I was going to tell you a very simple way to recover it in a few minutes in an untraceable manner. Without giving personal information or a phone number... or an email address that can be associated with you or your IP for that matter. But then I realized this is a thread from last year.

Nothing to do here... *goes away in a flying jetpack*... *in an untraceable way*... *I hope*...

 

[lisab]

I was going to tell you a very simple way to recover it in a few minutes in an untraceable manner. Without giving personal information or a phone number... or an email address that can be associated with you or your IP for that matter. But then I realized this is a thread from last year.

Nothing to do here... *goes away in a flying jetpack*... *in an untraceable way*... *I hope*...

*follows contrail*