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.

So what?

[brunson]

You could always just tell them, "No". I always did.

See, they dont have to anymore..

[Lord Bitman]

It's gone to a higher juristiction now, Nobody likes duplication of effort.

Re:Hello

[magiluke]

You can't possibly get 2 batteries for two dollars anymore, unless you go to the dollar store... I've been paying 6-7 dollars for 4 double A batteries lately!!! Man, they need to start putting a warrenty on those things...

Just say no

[[e-mail]]

I haven't given any Radio Shack any information since the late 70s.

"Can I have your phone number?"

"No, thank you."

How tough is that?

Same goes true for Best Buy wanting your ZIP code.

"Can I have your ZIP code?"

"Nope."

About 25% of the time I'll get a surprised "Really?", half the time they don't care, and the other I'm not even asked because the drone doesn't want to ask.

harsh!

[banky]

Man, this thread is getting harsh. I mean, nearly ever sane retailer has SOME means to let employees know when someone is the store. yeah, the dinger SUCKS, but I'd rather know when someone is coming in.

The CueCat was a stupid venture, to be sure; but at some point in their lifespan, every retailer does something stupid at some point.

Yes, Radio Shack has morphed from hobbyist products and radio gear to basically a smaller, less well stocked Best Buy. But can you blame them? While many slashdotters may in fact still need diodes, Joe Average doesn't. The death of the electronics hobbyist almost killed the company. They are trying to stay alive in the face of serious competition while retaining what used to make the Shack a place to buy stuff. If you have a better idea, a way to make the company really stand out, get a job there and tell the boss. They might even listen.

And no one is really commenting on the fact that a high-profile retailer like the Shack taking a step like this may, in fact, influence others to drop their mailing. I can't buy anything anymore without a request for zip code, or some other deal.

Also Note: the Shack has one of the most tolerant, liberal intellectual property waivers ever. Unless you invent a new point-of-sale system, and do so on the job (or using work-provided materials), they don't give a crap. I mean, Best Buy would probably try to make you turn over your latest patch to BitchX but the Shack doesn't care.

What? No more memorable altercations?

[Waffle Iron]

About 10 years ago I was standing behind a guy who was buying a resistor or something. I'll always remember the ensuing exchange:

cashier: Name?
guy: Cash.
cashier: *First* name?
guy: CASH! I'm paying with cash!
cashier: Ok. I'll need to get your name and address. What's your full name?
guy: GOD DAMN IT You don't need to know my name and address! ...

... and so on. He proceeded to rip that clerk a few new ones. The clerk held his ground for several minutes, but he eventually relented and let him pay anonymously. Then the guy walked cussing and swearing out the front door.

It always made me wonder what kind of marketing genius is willing to piss off some of their customers that badly.

Re:Just say no

[EverDense]

...and the other I'm not even asked because the drone doesn't want to ask.

If they don't ask, they aren't exactly acting like corporate drones, are they?

Comedians

[miller701]

It just goes to show that if enough comedians complain about something, the world will change

Re:Its about time!

[HP LoveJet]

Me too. In fact, for over ten years Radio Shack has known me as Philip K. Dick, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley, CA.

I figure if I'm going to be paranoid, I might as well be a real paranoid.

But you still pay a psychological price.

[dpbsmith]

Sure, you can say "no." I always did and they never persisted. But you still get that little burst of adrenaline, some level of mild anger. You and the clerk are mutually annoyed. (Maybe even moreso if the clerk is risking his career advancement if his percentage drops too low).

The other day, I was in a Radio Shack looking for an audio cable adapter. I couldn't find it. A clerk was genuinely helpful and found it for me. I thanked him. A warm fuzzy for each of us.

Then he says, "Tell me, do you have a cell phone?" I said simply "yes," and stopped. Awkward pause. He says "May I ask you who your cellular provider is?" I thought for a second or two and made my choice, which was to say "No, you may not." Maybe a little more vehemently than was strictly required to convey the information. He looks surprised and a little annoyed. A cold prickly for each of us.

Did I win one? No, I didn't, because _I_ felt annoyed. That little burst of adrenaline again.

Sure, I can be as petty, vain, or childish as the next person. There are times when I enjoy taking part in, say, a mild Usenet flame war. But I only have a limited amount of rudeness at my disposal and I like to save some of it for when I need it, instead of having to fritter it away constantly on Radio Shack salespeople, telemarkers, or people that ask for my social security number...

Yes, this is good news. Frankly, when I just need a battery, I've gotten into the habit of walking past the Radio Shack to the drugstore three entrances down in the mall, just because I don't feel like spending the energy to face down a salesperson.

Of course, then I have to tell the drugstore clerk, "No, I don't have an Extra Care card." If it gets to the point where they start saying "why not? they're free, you know," instead of just ringing up the sale, maybe I'll go back to Radio Shack.

Re:So what?

[DEBEDb]

I'm sorry, but you're giving him a piece
of plastic with your name on it and expect
anonymity? Why shouln't he punch in the info
- what if the CC was stolen or something?

I try never to argue with these things when
I do CC or check. That's why I try to pay
cash mostly.

Oh come on now

[TheGreenLantern]

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..."

Yeah, cause there's absolutely no reason whatsoever that an employee at a relatively small, yet cluttered, business might need to know when someone enters an exits the store.

Nope, they have absolutely no right to know that you've entered their store, even if they might be the only person on duty at the time, and currently helping a customer in the back look for some obscure AV connector. Since, you know, no possible way a two-man team could distract the employee while simultaneously stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise right out the front door.

Jeez people, I like my right to privacy too, but let's not go off the fucking deep end here.

Re:Albertsons does not ask for info

[futuresheep]

While I think that the 'Savings cards' represent nothing more than false advertising, you can get the Albertsons card without giving any information whatsoever. All you need to do is check the box on thier form that states, "I do not wish to give out my personal information", or something like that, and that's it. No name, phone number, or address. If I remember right, they also have either opt-in or opt-out checkboxes that are very plainly worded.

I gave out ONLY my phone number, because you get a handy key fob that states, "If keys are found, please return to your nearest Albertsons Store". If they get returned, Albertsons will call you and let you know they have your keys. Without any other information, phone numbers alone are a pretty innacurate way of tracking people.

Unfortunately Albertsons felt they had to offer one of those cards, fortunately, they're not asking anything from you for it. All you accomplished by being rude and not bothering to ask any questions or read the form, was to make some poor schlub put your groceries away, and you got to shop somewhere else.

Re:Well...

[ncc74656]

but no one is using radio shack discrete electronics to make missle guidance systems anymore.

...probably because their parts selection has gone in the crapper. What used to take a sizable percentage of floor space is now condensed down to a metal box that takes only a few square feet. Instead of being an electronics geek's hangout, the modern Radio Shack bears more resemblance to Best Buy or Circuit City, only with worse selection, higher prices, and an even more clueless staff. "You've got questions...we've got blank stares."

Fry's needs to hurry up and finish its Las Vegas store (215 and Las Vegas Blvd., if you're curious). Once it's open, I'll never need to enter a local Radio Shack ever again. :-)

Re:Don't loose your reciept

[bstadil]

You wouldn't believe how many people loose the reciept

Yes , I would. When was the last time your returned AA batteries?

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Try a different approach:

[NickFusion]

Saying no doesn't have to be an emotionally scarring experience.

When asked for personal information, I provide a cheerful, "Nope!" and leave it as an exercise for the listener to choose to be upset or not. When you say it really cheerfully and personably, people will either follow the tone of your exclamation and be plesant back to you, or they will be completly baffled.

Either of these work for me.

This is best when dealing with telemarketers.

"Hi, may I speak to [your garbled name here]?"

"Nope!"

Then either hang up, knowing that you have faithfully completed a social transaction, or hang on the line and listen to them scramble for a response that isn't in their pre-canned script.

Either of these work for me.

Re:Couldn't they just get it from Creditcard, if u

[jacquesm]

The adress is not available to you but there is something as an AVS check (adress verifiction system, not AGE verification system as it is used by some 'less reputable' sites), where you supply the address info and the processor then gives you a go/no-go on the address. So you can't access it but if it is given to you then you can use it to verify the persons identity.

small entrepeneur ? yeah, I probably qualify :)

Re:Look, let's get this straight

[Anonymous Coward]

Yup, I'm paranoid, but I'm a paranoid with CASH. Cash that won't be walking back into a Radio Shack. Why? Because this paranoid with cash (call me "customer" for short) has been greatly annoyed in the past.

Good.. but...

[mindstrm]

I have to wonder... it seems poeple often feel a great reluctance to speak up or question when some information is asked of them they would rather not give.

Any time I've walked into Radio Shack, they've asked for my name and address, of course. I say "You don't need to know that", politely, and they say "No problem sir" and then continue to ring the order through.

Even buying a pay-as-you-go Cantel phone from radio shack... not only did radio shack want my name/address, but of course, they want it for the Cantel activation as well. Nevertheless, a polite "Well why do you need that if I have to pay everything up front.". "Well sir, you don't have to give us your name, we can just put it in under John Doe, but that will cause a problem should you forget your PIN or should your phone be stolen and you want it deactivated. In this case, we wouldn't be able to help you."
Thanks, that made perfect sense, I can accept that. Right on sir, here you go, have a nice day.

You see... often that's all it takes, is some polite, non-confrontational intelligent questions.

Supermarker convenience cards? Lie. I'm serious. Just make some crap up and put it on the card. If you want to be really nice at the same time, keep the demographic information the same, but not your name/address/phone number. That way the store gets honest demographics, with no privacy violations. When tehy ask for ID, they usualy want it for cheque caching purposes.. just say you don't want that.

There is a difference between violations of privacy and straightforward information gathering; complaining about privacy is one thing, but taking a proactive stance towards it is another. If a majority of people refused to give information out at retail stores, fairly soon retail stores would stop asking.

Good - maybe everybody will get the message

[AnalogDiehard]

Starting 20 years ago, whenever RS asked for my name & address, I politely remarked "You don't need that". It doesn't take long before the catalogs stop coming.

I also quit using my grocery cards when I found out that the stores use them to track your purchases for marketing purposes. Just last week I went through the checkout and the clerk asked if I had a card and I told her that I don't use the cards anymore. When she asked "Don't like saving money?" I shot back "No, but I value my privacy". End of conversation.

I am buying more things with cash now. When you buy with a credit card at Sears, they got your name & address and poof, more catalogs in the mail. Pay with cash and you're stealth, baby.

Blame the marketing monkeys at the DMA for this mess, they drove us into it.

You were in a perfect position

[barzok]

Think about it. You could have entered hundreds or even thousands of bogus names/addresses, kept your percentage at 100%, and shielded all your customers from being entered into Radio Shack's system.

People say "if everyone gave fake information like I do, the system would be useless" but you could have actually put a dent in it by controlling the POS terminal.

Re:So what?

[ChuckleBug]

I'm sorry, but you're giving him a piece
of plastic with your name on it and expect
anonymity?

Right, but this made their questioning annoy me even more. He asks my name after I hand him my CC. Why? He has the damn name in his hand! Why do I have to answer a bunch of annoying questions?

It isn't the privacy issue that made me hate the questions. It's the fact that I had to go through some damn ritual of answering unnecessary questions every single time, and I had to decide whether to to refuse and get the icy stares, or give them fake or false info, or just cave because I'm too tired to resist. It's just one of those irritations that I don't need. It's like getting a wedgie every time I buy something.