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Borders Books Customers, Watch For Database Opt-Out Email
An anonymous reader writes "That email you might be getting from Barnes and Noble might not be spam, but rather your only chance to prevent the comprehensive record of your buying history at defunct arch-rival Borders from ending up in B&N's data warehouse. You have15 days after the email arrives, assuming that it ever does, since chances are the email address you originally signed up with Borders is long gone." For that very reason, this sounds like a good place for the terms of the bankruptcy to require opting in, rather than opting out.
It's terrible, I tell you, somebody isbiased against having their personal information sold to who-the-fuck-knows who, without their consent, unless they manage to respond to an email, likely sent to a nonexistent address, that will probably be written in a style that is calculated to throw spamassasin into a killing rage, because he may or may not have implicitly 'agreed' to a contract of adhesion at some point in time.
Why can't somebody be more fair and balanced?
Oh, wait, of course; because there is no "other side" to this story, just customers getting shafted.
The URL you want is: http://www.bn.com/borders which redirects to: http://ebm.cheetahmail.com/r/regf2?a=0&aid=266639891&n=100
Full text of the aforementioned email from B&N below.
Dear Borders Customer,
My name is William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble, and I'm writing to you today on behalf of the entire B&N team to make you aware of important information regarding your Borders account.
First of all let me say Barnes & Noble uniquely appreciates the importance bookstores play within local communities, and we're very sorry your Borders store closed.
As part of Borders ceasing operations, we acquired some of its assets including Borders brand trademarks and their customer list. The subject matter of your DVD and other video purchases will be part of the transferred information. The federal bankruptcy court approved this sale on September 26, 2011.
Our intent in buying the Borders customer list is simply to try and earn your business. The majority of our stores are within close proximity to former Borders store locations, and for those that aren't, we offer our award- winning NOOK digital reading devices that provide a bookstore in your pocket. We are readers like you, and hope that through our stores, NOOK devices, and our bn.com online bookstore we can win your trust and provide you with a place to read and shop.
It's important for you to understand however you have the absolute right to opt-out of having your customer data transferred to Barnes & Noble. If you would like to opt-out, we will ensure all your data we receive from Borders is disposed of in a secure and confidential manner. Please visit www.bn.com/borders before October 15, 2011 to do so.
Should you choose not to opt-out by October 15, 2011, be assured your information will be covered under the Barnes & Noble privacy policy, which can be accessed at www.bn.com/privacy. B&N will maintain any of your data according to this policy and our strict privacy standards.
At Barnes & Noble we share your love of books — whatever shape they take. We also take our responsibility to service communities by providing a local bookstore very seriously. In the coming weeks, assuming you don't opt-out, you'll be hearing from us with some offers to encourage you to shop our stores and try our NOOK products. We hope you'll give us a chance to be your bookstore.
Uhm no, it's not an "asset", it's a limited license to use your personal data for some purposes. The judge suddenly decided that the license from _you_, a third party to the bankruptcy, can be somehow extended without your consent.
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
I got to say, I dont care in this case, unless B&N has a history of selling their customer data I don't know about, that is.
But this is just a company that (from my understanding) has exactly the same line of business than a company I entrusted my purchase data to. Not only that, now, if I want to buy books, the only big chain option is Barns & Nobles so I would likely restart my history there anyways.
So, why so many are making a buzz over this?
If this was Google or Facebook buying the data to "better target ads", I'd be hunting my junkmail to dig out that email and make sure I opt out.
The rest are nerds on sites like Slashdot pretending that they represent any kind of majority opinion
Well, okay, but just to be clear, I think the nerds on Slashdot are making the argument that segmenting data with opt-in is the Right thing to do even if it is not the Popular thing to do.
Can't anyone here speak politely without swearing? Please be polite.
There's also the fact that I have a nook already, so any data B&N can glean from buying my data is just the few books I bought from Borders instead of them. Not really a big deal to most people who frequent bookstores. Most have purchased items at both retailers.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, though I'm not yet sure about the universe. - A Einstein
Those of us concerned with privacy are worried by the likes of a company continually selling their lists off to any business that wants it.
That is in fact precisely the issue here.
Its not that B&N another book store acquired the lists from Borders through the bankruptcy.
Its specifically that B&N asserted that they shouldn't be bound by Borders privacy policy.
ie. B&N essentially started out by specifically asserting that it is in fact free to continually sell of the lists to any business that wants it. You know, that thing you said reasonable people concerned with privacy might get upset about?? Guess what, that's why they are upset.