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RadioShack Stops Being Nosy
jackbang writes "One small but positive step in the gradual erosion of personal privacy and increase of corporate intrusiveness - RadioShack will no longer ask for your name and address when all you want to do is buy some batteries. Now if only they would agree to remove the motion sensor that rings a bell every time someone walks in or out of the store..." Always freaked me out being asked my address just to buy some solder or something.
The reason I had a problem was not because of privacy. The thing about Radio Shack's policy was that they never required it if you were paying cash. If you were using a credit card, they always required it. My problem, thus, was inconvenience. The fact that they have my credit card information means that if they wanted to be unscrupulous with my information, they could call up and find out my address anyway. It's on my credit card billing information.
No, I was instead pissed because all I wanted was a $9 cable for my $ELECTRONICDEVICE and they made me give them my info every time. Even though they already have it, both from my cc number and from the last time I was there!!!
El Karma: excelente(principalmente la suma de moderación hecha a los comentarios de los usuarios)
Need a radio? You can get better ones, cheaper, elsewhere. Toys? Ditto. And their parts end of the business is going downhill, fast.
I mean, for chrissakes, I went there looking for a book of radio frequencies (shortwave... found the WRTH at B. Dalton). They don't carry them. RADIO Shack? Puhleeze. I don't know what market they're going for these days, but radios have got very little to do with it.
My understanding from surfing RadioShack Sucks is that their salesdroids would actually be penalized financially, or even fired altogether, for failing to obtain some arbitrary percentage of customer names and addresses. Seems like the quota was something on the order of 80-90% "compliance."
Between local stores like Active Electronics, the utterly-amazing variety of electronic parts on eBay and topnotch mail-order houses like Digi-Key, Jameco, and Mouser, it's pretty darned rare for me to set foot in a RatShit store these days. Their 1/4-watt resistor assortments are still a killer deal, though.
Dahlmann tightly grips the knife, which he may have no idea how to use, and steps out into the plain.
When I told one counter guy, "I already get enough catalogs", he replied, "well that's how we track your warranty, too." I replied, "the serial number will be enough." He replied, "No it won't. Have a nice day" and handed me my bag.
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Last time I was at Home Depot ( Canadian one ), they asked "..and can I get your postal code?", to which I replied "No." Without missing a beat the clerk continued about her business of taking my money and sending me on my way, without even questioning my reponse. Guess they don't really need the info after all.
Place witty comment here.
I imagine you have a lot of fake information collected, I never give my correct information when I go to RS.
The CEO looked kinda stunned at first, like he got belted in the head with a brick, then rather annoyed. He didn't say anything about it but I got the impression he was rather surprised to hear that this was common pratice. Or maybe surprised it was being discussed on TV while a bunch of his investors watched.
Judging by the comments here me and the Squawk Box guy weren't the only ones doing it. What's next, Radio Shack management discovers that pushing extended warranties on 50 cent batteries is considered somewhat amusing?
So what? Most people are in the habit of doing what they're told. Your average person isn't aware that their information is being sold without their knowledge. Many people would object if they thought about it, but it's easier to reply than to consider the ramifications. If too many people get into this habit we'll move toward a society where it is expected and required. If I can't purchase books and health supplies without being tracked, democracy is going to have some problems.
All that said, I "Just Say No" myself. I'm always amused at the cashier's response. It usually takes a second for the cashier to realise that I've said "I'd rather not", snapping them out of their automated work mode. You can also tell the places that get alot of flack about it. Best Buy's cashiers are all used to being told No when asking for a zip code. The casher Party USA was completely baffled and had to call over a manager ("What do I punch in?"). Depending on my mood, I'll occasionally make up information. I usually did for Radio Shack since they were so insistant.
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Part of the reason to ask for Zip code is AVS systems to help prevent credit card fraud...
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He asked me for my name, address, zip code.
--true story. Been shopping at ratshack since..well, since allied electronics I guess. Anyway, I lived for years and years metro atlanta. Sometime shortly after the olympics-and the unfortunate el kaboom occurrence there, I get a personal visit from the fibbers! Now I am a little spooked, this is right after they tried to frame richard jewell. I am an internet freedom issues loudmouth, this is a duh given. This agent comes by when I'm not home but sees my girlfriend and leaves his card for me to call him back up. Of course she's freaked out, who wouldn't be? So, I call him up, shazzam! It's that stoopid radio shack taking your information. Foolish me had previous had given it to them, innocently and before I was as concerned as I am now on this merchant/information issue. Turns out I had-along with thousands of other people-purchased the same/similar battery they allege was used in the olympics blast. LUCKY FOR ME I still had it at home to show him. He came by the next day, I showed hom the batt- a 12 volt drycell I got to use for my tiny 12 volt b/w tv during storms and electrical outtages, so after that was outta the way we spent a little time talking about his job and cases he had worked on etc. I figured what the heck, might as well milk the opportunity a little, was interesting.
Anyway, I went back to the same store I got it from, talked to the manager, told her I was not amused over this incident. I mean, what if I had milked the batt dry and had tossed it?
From then on I always refuse this info when asked at ratshacks or wherever, latest was at some car parts store, I tell them it just slap ain't happening, they can enter any name or whatever to make their cash register work, or "no sale".
This data mining stuff I can see two sides of, but my default is it's too likely to be misused and as such I'm against it now.
It also happened to me once some fool at a job I worked snagged my soc sec # and used it somehow (probably gave or sold it to someone, I never found out exactly) to get some utilites turned on, like a year later I get this bill for gas service at someplace I never lived at. No amount of arguing would make them drop the bill, and the threat was pay it now or lose gas service at the place I lived. What a crock, I HAD to pay it or lose use of my hotwater heater and stove and furnace, not an option at the time.
Can of worms, society needs some sort of ID to go about your day to day business, but too many ways it can be misused or stolen. It's totally fubared now, because no solution addresses privacy concerns. Caych 22 "Danged if ya do danged if ya don't" deal there.
That happened to me once. The guy behind the counter was being a little snotty about it. I didn't really blame him since I understood that they had quotas for the name/address collection, but the instant that it was implied that I had to give up my name and address then and there for Radio Schack to honor the warranty, I handed the item and receipt back and asked for an immediate refund.
I'm glad that Radio Shack has decided to stop this privacy-violating practice, but it's still going to take years for the general feeling of ickyness to fade whenever I walk past one.
RadioShack doesn't sell their info to anyone. Safeway on the other hand is a different story. Next time you go to a RadioShack why don't you read the signs they have next to the register? There are, of course companies who do use these practices. I know every time I buy something online part of the reason it's so inexpensive is all those ads I'll be recycling but RadioShack isn't one of them. If you don't believe me, fine; but don't come at me with your recorded message about how democracy is falling apart. Give me some evidence. Show me an instance. Go to RadioShack and ASK that they put you in their database - but give them an appartment number with your houses address. That's the way to prove it. That's how I know Safeway thinks I *REALLY* *REALLY* need a credit card. Whatever you do, don't go fucking calling wolf when there's no wolf, these issues do deserve our attention and actions like these will only disenchant the populace.
A friend of mine who used to work at a Radio Shack was mentioning this some time ago. According to him, the real money is in selling computers, radios, whatever. The sales people can't really make much on commission when it comes to selling discrete electronic components. Because of that, none of the sales people take any time to try to sell that stuff. There is no money in it, that simple.
As an EE, it would be nice to have a place in short driving distance where you can get a decent selection of parts but these days mail order (ie digi-key) is really your best bet.
As an employee of RadioShack, we don't sell parts... because they sell themselves. Do you really push the parts when you want to sell the car? We get at least 2 people per day in our store looking for fuses (a box of 5 that cost $3.99 to the consumer and about $.33 to the store - not to the company...to the store) and yea, we do get some dumb geeks looking for blue LEDs in the drawers ($4.99 for one!?) as a last minute mouse mod.
The idea is simple...there is a ton of profit margin in parts, but the sales associates have plenty to focus on at the front of the store that make them more money.
The only people who ever saw your name and address after giving it to the radio shack sales clerk were radio shack people. Radio Shack never sold, shared or gave away the names and adresses of its customers, all the data was kept within the company for the monthly flyer mailings.
And for people who are offended by the idea of needing the name and address for warranty stuff, well, you shouldn't be. Warranties on most items (other than things like wireless phones or computers) are NOT tracked by serial number, contrary to popular belief. The serial number of that 900 mhz cordless bargin bin phone you just bought is not on the bar code of the box, and therefore it's not entered into the computer when the clerk scans in the UPC.
I work at a radioshack, and I hated asking for names and addresses as much as customers hated giving it out, but it never ceased to amaze me just how many people thought that the shack was in cahoots with the FBI, despite signs on the front of the cash register which say "WE DONT GIVE YOUR INFO TO ANYONE AT ALL."
Anyway, no one ever seemed to mind the whole name and address thing when they wanted to get a refund on those little items like karaoke machines they happened to buy on a friday and bring back on a monday (it's like a free rental service!), but forgot their receipt. Now if someone wants a refund on something but they've forgotten their receipt, they're screwed.