I always give them a ficticious name and address. They have NEVER asked me for
an SS number, though.....
rgds,
Mark S.

In
(Nc183d) wrote:

I always give them a ficticious name and address.

I just say no. Why play their stupid game?

They have NEVER asked me for an SS number, though.....

Nor me.

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN

gnarley posted:
I was flabbergasted at what happened today at a local Radio Shack store.

I was waiting in line with several others while the cashier interrogated
a
customer.

1) Name, first and last
2) Telephone number
3) Address
4) Social security number

I interrupted his reciting his SS number, demanding loudly why the cashier
needed to collect this information in public. The cashier, who also is the
store owner got angry and told me it is Radio Shack policy to collect this
information as part of the "Contract" between seller and purchaser. I turned
to the line of waiting customers and began lecturing about invasion of
privacy and identity theft. The owner started yelling about how I had to
leave immediately or he would call the police. So I left.

Please register your dismay at your local Radio Shack store at this policy
which is an invasion of privacy and invites crime. Do not participate in
this "Marketing Strategy" which only serves to desensitize consumers as
to
their personal rights.

On the other hand, when you are asked for this info, simply refuse to give it.
RS has asked, for years, for a name and address. I always refuse, which lead
to some hot discussions, but I always won because I was the guy spending my
money and that's really what they want.

Don

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 21:04:28 GMT, Gnarlodious
wrote:

I was flabbergasted at what happened today at a local Radio Shack store.

I was waiting in line with several others while the cashier interrogated a
customer.

1) Name, first and last
2) Telephone number
3) Address
4) Social security number

I interrupted his reciting his SS number, demanding loudly why the cashier
needed to collect this information in public. The cashier, who also is the
store owner got angry and told me it is Radio Shack policy to collect this
information as part of the "Contract" between seller and purchaser. I turned
to the line of waiting customers and began lecturing about invasion of
privacy and identity theft. The owner started yelling about how I had to
leave immediately or he would call the police. So I left.

Please register your dismay at your local Radio Shack store at this policy
which is an invasion of privacy and invites crime. Do not participate in
this "Marketing Strategy" which only serves to desensitize consumers as to
their personal rights.

Thank you & 73

--Rachel
http://www.qsl.net/k5zn/

Hmm, that DOES sound odd. Especially the SS number, the usual routine
is name, address and postal/zip code, UNLESS the customer is paying by
cheque in which case more info is required eg; phone number, drivers
license and a major credit card. How do I know this ? I worked for the
SHAFT many years ago.

TTFN

Kevin

formerly of 05-5602, 05-5619, ES23, 05-0732

K-tron wrote:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 21:04:28 GMT, Gnarlodious
wrote:

I was flabbergasted at what happened today at a local Radio Shack store.

I was waiting in line with several others while the cashier interrogated a
customer.

1) Name, first and last
2) Telephone number
3) Address
4) Social security number

I interrupted his reciting his SS number, demanding loudly why the cashier
needed to collect this information in public. The cashier, who also is the
store owner got angry and told me it is Radio Shack policy to collect this
information as part of the "Contract" between seller and purchaser. I turned
to the line of waiting customers and began lecturing about invasion of
privacy and identity theft. The owner started yelling about how I had to
leave immediately or he would call the police. So I left.

Please register your dismay at your local Radio Shack store at this policy
which is an invasion of privacy and invites crime. Do not participate in
this "Marketing Strategy" which only serves to desensitize consumers as to
their personal rights.

Thank you & 73

--Rachel
http://www.qsl.net/k5zn/

Hmm, that DOES sound odd. Especially the SS number, the usual routine
is name, address and postal/zip code, UNLESS the customer is paying by
cheque in which case more info is required eg; phone number, drivers
license and a major credit card. How do I know this ? I worked for the
SHAFT many years ago.

TTFN

Kevin

formerly of 05-5602, 05-5619, ES23, 05-0732

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.

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?

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?

K-tron wrote:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 21:04:28 GMT, Gnarlodious
wrote:

I was flabbergasted at what happened today at a local Radio Shack store.

I was waiting in line with several others while the cashier interrogated a
customer.

1) Name, first and last
2) Telephone number
3) Address
4) Social security number

I interrupted his reciting his SS number, demanding loudly why the cashier
needed to collect this information in public. The cashier, who also is the
store owner got angry and told me it is Radio Shack policy to collect this
information as part of the "Contract" between seller and purchaser. I turned
to the line of waiting customers and began lecturing about invasion of
privacy and identity theft. The owner started yelling about how I had to
leave immediately or he would call the police. So I left.

Please register your dismay at your local Radio Shack store at this policy
which is an invasion of privacy and invites crime. Do not participate in
this "Marketing Strategy" which only serves to desensitize consumers as to
their personal rights.

Thank you & 73

--Rachel
http://www.qsl.net/k5zn/

Hmm, that DOES sound odd. Especially the SS number, the usual routine
is name, address and postal/zip code, UNLESS the customer is paying by
cheque in which case more info is required eg; phone number, drivers
license and a major credit card. How do I know this ? I worked for the
SHAFT many years ago.

TTFN

Kevin

formerly of 05-5602, 05-5619, ES23, 05-0732

My sympathies, Kevin.

I also worked there for twenty years,
starting in 1972 !!

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 04:33:44 GMT, Roger Halstead
wrote:

First, any cash transaction with a business or bank of more than
several hundred dollars is supposed to be reported to the government
as it's suspicious (money laundering among other little items brought
that little problem about)

$10,000.00 is many, many hundreds.

-- Larry

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 17:34:24 -0500, pltrgyst
wrote:

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 04:33:44 GMT, Roger Halstead
wrote:

First, any cash transaction with a business or bank of more than
several hundred dollars is supposed to be reported to the government
as it's suspicious (money laundering among other little items brought
that little problem about)

$10,000.00 is many, many hundreds.

I was given the figure of "several hundred", but even if it is 10,000
that would rule out purchasing cars, homes, boats, and lots of other
stuff and services.

Paying cash for $200 worth of gas will definately cause questions.
Check or credit card doesn't even raise an eyebrow.

You'll have to fix the return add due to dumb virus checkers, not spam
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair?)
www.rogerhalstead.com

-- Larry

Roger Halstead wrote:

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 17:34:24 -0500, pltrgyst
wrote:

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 04:33:44 GMT, Roger Halstead
wrote:

First, any cash transaction with a business or bank of more than
several hundred dollars is supposed to be reported to the government
as it's suspicious (money laundering among other little items brought
that little problem about)

$10,000.00 is many, many hundreds.

I was given the figure of "several hundred", but even if it is 10,000
that would rule out purchasing cars, homes, boats, and lots of other
stuff and services.

Paying cash for $200 worth of gas will definately cause questions.
Check or credit card doesn't even raise an eyebrow.

You'll have to fix the return add due to dumb virus checkers, not spam
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair?)
www.rogerhalstead.com

-- Larry


It wasn't that long ago that I worked night shift in Cincinnati, and
had a full hour drive home. I usually carried around $300 at all times,
in case I broke down at night. It came in handy once, when I blew out a
tire on the step van I drove, and the only mobile tire service I could
get wouldn't take a check, or a credit card that didn't have a business
account with their company. $185 for the tire, and another $50 for road
service late I made it to work. By the time I filled the 30 gallon gas
tank that night, I had spent well over 200 in cash.

Several other times I stopped by the Sears, Wards or J.C. Penny
outlet stores for something and found an expensive item I needed for my
home, and for 75% off so I paid cash for it and took it with me. You
should have seem me take a full size drafting table home, tied to the
roof of a '70s Dodge Colt. I took the legs off and put them in the car,
threw a blanked on the roof to protect the finish, and tied it down.
--
24 days!


Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida