Data Collection

[mightymouse_69]

Just wanted some opinions on this:

 

At a certain retailer, staff are required to attempt to sign customers up to a mailing list. The procedure for doing this, as far as I can tell, is as follows:

 

At the till, the cashier asks for a postcode, door number and name. If questioned as to why they need this data, they respond "for the receipt." If pushed further, they state that should I want to return the item and loose my receipt, having my details will allow them to trace the receipt easier.

 

After the cashier has harvested this information, the customer is then asked whether they want to sign up the mailing list. If the customer answers no, the cashier should press escape, and all the data that has been gathered is wiped. However, this does not seem to happen all the time - sometimes a copy of the data is made (by pressing enter) and even worse, sometimes the customer is signed up to the mailing list even when they say "no"!

 

This all seems very unethical to me - collecting information for the sole purpose of signing the person up. Lying when questioned, stating it is "for the receipt" and in some cases overriding the customers rejection of the mailing list...

 

 

What do the consumer law gurus here think to this?

[stevetheboy]

This happens to me at cetain branches of Maplins. Quite annoying.

[mightymouse_69]

This happens to me at cetain branches of Maplins. Quite annoying.

 

May I ask if you ask why your details are being requested, and if so, what reason is given?

[stevetheboy]

I've asked twice.

In the Chelmsford branch I was informed that it helped if I needed to return an item.

In the Tottenham Rd branch I was informed that it would enable me to receive exciting offers from Maplins.

Exciting indeed.

[mightymouse_69]

I've asked twice.

In the Chelmsford branch I was informed that it helped if I needed to return an item.

In the Tottenham Rd branch I was informed that it would enable me to receive exciting offers from Maplins.

Exciting indeed.

 

The Chelmsford branch were not completely lying. If you provide an address and want to return the item but have forgotten your address, the store can retrieve your receipt on their system by using the details you provided. This is much quicker than trawling through transactions that match yours etc.

 

However, the main purpose is to try and sign you up to the mailing list.

 

It seems as if the TCR branch was more honest in it's approach.