Terry wrote:


Think you are wise to be concerned!

We 'signed up' with our Post Office system to NOT RECEIVE junk
(i.e. not specifically addressed) mail such as the weekly sales
brochure from several s.markets, cosmetic companies, you name it!
It worked; much less junk in the mail box!

However I found that once I had given my address and name to RS
they send me advertising brochures and other 'flyers', in others
words 'their junk mail'. Because I have made a purchase/contract
and they have specific information about me. They have never
asked for my SS number; it would be illegal btw.

Yawn. I have actually given my 'real' name and address to RS over the
years HOPING for some thrilling flyers or Heaven Forbid, a friggin catalog.
No seegar. My 'friends', whose info I have borrowed for the address
interrogation, haven't received these valuable flyers either...unless
they are just lying to me and don't want to share.
Seems to me that the whole RS outfit doesn't have a clue and all these
ID steps are nothing more than warranty registration as a previous
poster suggested.
Its not like their little cashier computer is tied into some big
Ashcroft-Federal database that may peg me as a terrorist and they should
try to tackle and subdue me for trying to make a purchase.
Fer Chrissake, these register kids are simply doing what "corporate"
tells them to do to fill in the screen to earn their minimum wage.

-Bill



rts

I know one person who hardly ever gives a true address, anywhere;
judging by the amount of MY junk email he's smarter than I!

In this country it is 'supposed' to be illegal to use the SS
number for anything but government related communications and one
'does not' have to give it to anyone else. It doesn't really work
out that way; for example a bank has to send me a statement at
income tax time if I have earned interest on an account, under my
SS number. However they are not supposed to use that number if
they are contacting me to sell some other service, let's say
insurance or a credit card, which would not involve the
government.

SS numbers have been abused/misused; for example my employer and
my credit union at one time !15-20 years ago!) used Social
Insurance numbers to identify employees/clients accounts! They
were advised to stop and have since used a different system.

With the extensive use of credit cards and/bank debit cards these
days the use of cheques is now extremely rare. Many companies
will not accept personal cheques at all. Some will accept a
printed cheque that is obviously negotiable and valid such as a
government issued cheque. Even then there have been a few
forgeries of such cheques which has 'hardened' retailers attitude
towards accepting cheques at all. Quite apart from cheques any
way, direct deposit, usually electronically, to ones account, is
faster and accurate.

Terry. Small province in eastern Canada.

PS. We call them SIN (Social Insurance Numbers). Has a nice
sin-ful ring to it. Eh?