Just bought a 2m section of flexible tube for a gas stove, and the sales clerk asked first for my phone number, to which I replied “I don’t have one”. Then she asked me for my name, to which I replied “I’ll pay in cash”. She then insisted it was so “the cashier will call you by name”, to which I replied “I’m not giving you my name, I’ll pay in cash”. [Edit: she apparently got a bit upset when I refused to give info, but ended up entering “no name” according to the receipt]
Am I wrong for not wanting to give personal data for an item paid in cash, in person? No other hardware store ever asks me for my personal info.
“So the cashier will call you by name” means they don’t care if it’s your real name, just react when they call it.
This is in a Spanish-speaking country, so maybe should’ve said “Aquiles Baeza”
Raúl Diaz
John with a W
The other option is “Jon Withanhache”. You can then complain they spelt it wrong too.
I used to say ridiculous names to acknowledge their policy and politely rebel against it. It’s fun when the hostess calls out “Batman, party of 4”
I can just use my own name while traveling. They have no idea how to spell it. And even if they ask and get the spelling correct, the next person has no idea how to pronounce it.
How else would you pronounce it? It’s H-F-U-H-R-U-H-U-R-R, isn’t it?
And my companion is Anne Uumellmahaye
Sitting here drinking my coffee and seeing someone got this reference is brightening my morning.
As a webdev, I’m proficient in coming up with names to test the limits of the interface. I would probably have to stick to ‘Konstantin Konstantinovich Konstantinopolsky’, since they are unlikely to accept the last name of ‘O’er-thirtythree-thirtythreefootfences-Istretchmyleg’.
Not wrong at all. More people need to learn to say no instead of mindlessly complying to every request.
Like the guy at Walmart that wants to look at your receipt when you leave. I just say “no thank you” and keep on walking.
I always found that really weird. Like, what’s the point of self-checkout then? Just hire a damn cashier, or two.
They try to do this at King Soopers and I always say, “Not unless you’re giving me recipe ideas from the ingredients.” No one has stopped me yet, or offered any recipes.
They really can’t stop you.
If they honestly suspect that you are stealing, and have evidence, (They are recording and watching you at all times) they will take note of what you stole, but they won’t call the cops until they’ve caught you three times, or you’ve taken over $1000 worth of stuff. (Amount may vary by state) That way, they can easily prove that it was no accident, and that you have a pattern of shoplifting. It’s an easier case to win, and you get a third degree felony, instead of a misdemeanor or summary charge.
I thought places that identify as a membership club could ask to look at receipts.
Yes. That definitely is an exception.
The reason you always have to stop for inspection at those places, is because you legally agreed to it in the terms of membership.
If you decline, they can revoke your membership.
Depends on if that’s part of the membership agreement.
Oooh - now the game has advanced rules! I love it (I mean, I don’t really love anything about it, but am just trynna stay sane and fight the power).
As much as I recommend giving the finger to authority, always make sure you aren’t doing something that’s ACTUALLY illegal. If you’re drawing attention to yourself while committing a crime, you’re not accomplishing a damn thing.
With things like that are, $1000 is like a weeks groceries for a family…
Mine stopped doing it. I always said no but I’ve seen numerous people flip out on them after just leaving the checkout. Not even the self checkout. I flipped out on them once also after a long day.
I’m sure it cuts down on shoplifting, just the illusion of someone checking. They wouldn’t pay someone to stand there and do that if it didn’t work.
Absolutely! Appearing secure is MUCH more effective than actually being secure.
Appearing secure is MUCH more effective than actually being secure.
Cheaper too.
A new water company (currently the government want to privatise these) was checking water meters last week. long story short they broke one and the cap on the hole keeps popping up outside my house on the pathway. Rang them today to tell them about it “what’s your address?”
I had to obviously give them that - I guess I could’ve said I was a neighbour, and just given them the location. Wanted my name and phone number. I said “I don’t want or need to give that, I am just telling you about the manhole cover.”
“I need to get your name and phone number to continue”
“I don’t know my phone number, my name is private Jones. I have been put on hold two times already. a lady and a child already tripped over this cover, I don’t care if you can’t continue. I have given the information, and it won’t be me that anyone sues if they break something tripping over it.”
I stayed polite and we ended the conversation. but holy shit. You are not wrong to not give it to them. They are wrong for persistently asking for it.
Local area code + 8675309. Used it since the early 00’s. As an added bonus, many places have discounts set up for that number.
You as a matter of course pronounce the last digit “ni-e-yine”, do you not? De rigueur, I would think.
Why do places have discounts for that number? Guessing you’re american, I have no clue what that number is.
It was a popular song in the 80’s.
I hate that’s where the hyphen is, my brain is strongly telling me it should be 8675-309
Thanks. Why would that give a discount, though?
Lots of places have Reward Points for handing over your phone number. I’ve used Jenny’s number for years to get discounted gas. Usually only $0.03 but one time I got $0.40 off per gallon… been chasing that dragon ever since, lol.
So, after that song rose in popularity, phone companies de-registered it entirely. Because it’s a number that no-one has, my guess is that some stores/businesses use it as shorthand to put a discount under for something like employee discount or for “we messed up, here’s a discount” discounts.
I local plumber chain uses that number. YEARS ago they used to run a spot where they recited it with the same cadence of the song, but w/o the notes.
Apparently it’s been used for other promotional things like a cancer helpline. I think that’s pretty cool.
Interesting.
A bit odd, because the US is specifically the one country that definitely has an area code that’s mostly reserved from civilian usage, i.e. 555. Although not all numbers in it are reserved, afaiu they aren’t given to randos anyway, and the store’s spam system could be set up to never text or call these numbers.
I once looked up if there are numbers that I could safely use for testing purposes in my country, and we only have numbers from old popular songs, which curiously were also later referenced in tv shows. But it’s a toss-up as to whether they’re definitely unregistered in any particular area code. I’ll probably have to use ‘+1555…’ instead.
+1(555)867-5309 :)
oh, that makes sense
So, after that song rose in popularity, phone companies de-registered it entirely
In my area code, the number was intentinally bought by a local guy who runs a small ISP. He has it connected to an answering machine that plays the song.
Yeah. Apparently that’s a thing. But there was a rise in prank calls that caused phone companies to just remove it from public use. But I guess that doesn’t account for people or companies specifically requesting it.
Because so many people use it that it racks up tons of loyalty points.
Companies want you to associate your transactions with a phone number so they have data on who is buying what. For instance if you go to Safeway it’s common that the price of ice cream will be twice as expensive if you haven’t registered a phone number with them. But you can give someone else’s phone number that has already been registered and that will also work, or register a fake number, a number lots of people would have thought of is likely to have already been registered. At least that was how it worked last time I checked, that was a long time ago.
Oooh, not the store you’re giving the number to, but you can buy that number from a carrier as a dummy number for a discount because no one wants it due to prank calls?
Tommy Tutone had a hit in the '80s called 8-6-7-5-3-0-9, “Jenny”.
Any gen-x can sing it with no effort.
I’m not American; just gen-x.
God damn, I grew up in the '80s and I would have sworn that was a Huey Lewis and the News song.
Its Jenny’s number
??
Where I live that goes to a working number that plays a recording of the song.
Apparently it’s owned by a guy who runs a small ISP who did it just for the lulz.
deleted by creator
No some shit is stupid. I once took 20 minutes on phone trying to cancel ADT because “I had to give a reason” to which I refused.
I’ve told people “I don’t have a phone number” on autopilot because that’s what I always say when they ask for me email address. I’m sure no one believes I don’t have an email but I KNOW they don’t believe me when I say I don’t even have a phone number. No one has ever pushed back through they’re like oh… uh, ok? Then I just get on with the transaction. It’s not like they won’t sell it to you if you don’t have an email or phone number. I’ve never felt the need to fully decline giving a name I just give them a random name if need be. I think you handled it just fine, if you don’t have to and you don’t want to, don’t! Exercise your agency!
I just flat out say no thank you - most clerks couldn’t care less
I’m like this, a simple “no thanks” has worked for me and I don’t have to construct a whole narrative about being a hermit.
No thanks is the best because it’s pretty universal.
“Do you have a loyalty card?”
“No thanks”
Answers both the initial question and the, “would you like to sign up” follow-up. Saves everyone time.
I can’t remember what I was buying or where this happened now, but recently I was buying something (by cc) in store and they would not let me pay without providing a phone number
no you’re not wrong. if they super persist, your first name is the name of their store.
My doctor’s office had a space on the form you fill out when you come in that said nickname. So just for fun I put in Your Royal Highness. I didn’t realize that was the name they called when they were ready for you to Go to the exam room. They had to repeat it twice before I noticed.
LoL. I wonder if they were amused or annoyed by that nickname
MD here 100% the staff and provider got a kick out of it. Top notch giggles m8.
My name is Sargent Slaughter and my phone number is 867-5309.
I work in retail at a small business. Our boss wants us to get the name and email of everyone we can. He’s got some belief that it’s useful. It is nice to get someone’s name just so we can connect a receipt to a name in case of a return. None of us really push it much though, I don’t even ask if people are buying something small.
I’ve never gotten pushback with “I’d rather not”.
I do occationally, especially if it’s a new cashier who is still worried about pleasing the boss.
My usual workaround is:
First name: cash
Last name: sale
Yeah, i always refuse phone number or email when they ask and have never had a problem. Just say no when they ask
Yeah a simple “no thanks” or “I don’t want to” has always worked well for me.
Should have given your name as Skibidi, James Skibidi.
Well you see now this is just a but embarrassing… my name is actually “Fuck-Home-Depot”
This happened to me once when picking up pool filters and other supplies. I was paying with cash and the woman asked for phone number. I told her I didn’t have rewards with them or anything and she said they had to get name and number for anyone paying cash. The whole situation was ridiculous. I thought about giving a fake name and number but instead I just decided to leave. It was only a few hundred dollars worth of stuff, and the store won’t notice if one person stops shopping there. Though if enough people did what I did, they’d take notice. You never know if you’re refusal will be the final straw that will force them to change.
picking up pool filters and other supplies
They may have one of those magic regulations nobody talks about where they have to report that kind of thing. Some pool chemicals are pretty reactive and are purchased in large quantities.
If that were the case then they’d be demanding actual ID, not taking your word for it.
More likely: saves on a fight over lost proof of purchase in the event of a return which– if it’s a purchase of hundreds of dollars– makes good sense. Just recite the details you gave and they can probably pull up the receipt.
I don’t know of a single retailer that doesn’t have a POS system, as opposed to the old-fashioned dumb register where totals are entered manually and receipts printed ad-hoc and not saved digitally. I work retail and we used to have a system where if you didn’t print your receipt, it was a huge kerfuffle to get one after the fact. Now it’s as simple as searching the time, date, and register number… details customers obviously don’t always remember themselves so scanning your loyalty card is easier. Which you can of course sign up with under a fake name and mailing address.
Just a theory but…
That’s probably to aid in the event of a return or refund for faulty goods, but you’ve lost the receipt. Paying cash leaves no other proof of purchase.
I used to work for a major outdoors chain, and since so many cashiers would just skip past the phone number prompt to speed things up, corporate started tracking a cashier’s phone number capture rate, and if it fell below like 95% it counted against the cashier in their evaluations.
I just got good at making up random numbers using local area codes.
But have you thought about the metrics?? No, you only think of yourself! /s
