Blu-ray Update Sent To User Via Credit Card Records

wmoyes writes "Back in September I ran into a Best Buy store to buy a Samsung BD-P2550 Blu-ray player. I didn't give the clerk my name, telephone number, or address, just my debit card. The player has sat happily in my living room without ever being networked or registered. Today I was shocked to find a package waiting for me at home from Best Buy — inside was a firmware update CD for the player. I used to think Windows Update was scary, but Samsung's update service tracked me to my house using the mag stripe from my bank card. Has this happened to any other Blu-ray owners?" Or is there a simpler explanation?

Comments

Re:Customer information sharing

[skuzzlebutt]

Yes, highly unlikely...the magstripe doesn't store that info, so they would have to get that info from the card issuer (not Visa or Mastercard, the issuing bank) recursively. The card acquirer isn't even privy to that info unless there is a chargeback case or something where the consumer needs to be contacted. Card-issuing banks are beholden to regulations that would make most industries not even want to get out of bed in the morning and turn on the cash register; and they are extremely careful with what they do with cardholder info (lest they lose their charter with Visa/MC and have to close shop).

Also, consider it from a business standpoint: even if you can get around the regulatory stuff, the CC issuer isn't going to pass that info along for free (they would have to have frame circuits or encrypted FTP channels or some secure way to send batches of data safely from the issuer to BB and then to Samsung--and no, it's not going over the same pipes that the authorization and capture are being passed through...that's going to be a totally different environment, likely through a third party processor; then there are operational expenses, etc...nobody does this stuff for free). How much is that data really worth to Samsung? BB has to be in that loop, because the cardhlder didn't by the device from Samsung; the issuer doesn't care that it's a Samsung device, they aren't a part of that transaction chain, so the data would have to go to BB directly. And is BB going to go through the expense to do that for just Samsung? If not, are enough companies going to want this to make it worthwhile? Again, strains credulity from a business standpoint.

And even if they did have some kind of affiliate info-sharing deal with BestBuy (which, again, is highly unlikely), they aren't going to go through he expense and trouble so that you can get firmware updates for your Blu Ray player.

Samsung got that info some other way, like a rewards card application or rebate submission that BB was able to link to an address via one of the many data aggregators out there.

All credit card industry stuff aside: yes, that is indeed scary as hell. I wouldn't be happy at all.

Re:Cash

[Rastl]

Did you forget that the Constitution is there to specifically state the rights granted to the federal government? So if it wasn't there they wouldn't have the right to coin money?

Banks and states printed their own money for a lot of years. There's nothing illegal about it unless you're trying to counterfeit existing currency.

Currency is just convenient bartering, if you look at it objectively. "This wooden token is worth three chickens" is perfectly valid currency if it is accepted to have value.

Back on topic.

I'm not surprised that vendors and manufacturers are digging into the credit/debit card records for purchase histories. They're desperate since no one fills out their marketing, err, warranty cards. They need some way to track a customer base for stockholder reports. Sales histories aren't enough any more. They want to find out how to sell you more of their crap.

I hope the OP filed an official complaint with the bank and his state. Privacy laws may be in effect here since there was no legal reason for them to mine that data.