This post is a sort of modification of the privacy diary we have been asked to keep. I just wanted to reflect on an incident that happened on my most recent visit to London.
Date and time
8th April 2010 in the afternoon
Location
Maplin's, Tottenham Court Road, London
Details of privacy threat
I was returning an item and had to supply my name and postcode so that they could use their database to look up and confirm my address.
Type of privacy threat
Informational
Control
The information was requested from me, and presumably I would not have been allowed to return the item had I refused to provide it.
Privacy tradeoff
None at all! Unless you consider being 'allowed' to return something a benefit, but isn't this already guaranteed by the shop's return policy?
Additional notes
This sort of situation infuriates me, and I always curse myself for not having a 'fake identity' readily available for such occasions. I can think of no legitimate reason whatsoever for the shop to hold that information about me. I do not believe they even have a legal right to do so, though I have not researched the evidence to support this view. I guess they're building up a sinister 'list of frequent returners'. I resent the implications of this. Will there come a point at which they shake their heads and say, "Sorry, madam, but you've returned too many things"? This is gratuitous information collection. My best friend was growling about this and grumbling not-quite-under-his-breath, but there is no point shouting at the clerk as he is just following company policy.
Is there anything that can be done about this?!
Monday, May 3, 2010
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1 comment:
Just wanted to let you know that I've read your post and found it interesting, Sonja. I've been subject to this practice on many occasions and it has never occurred to me to question it. I can't think that the shop has the right to demand this information if a faulty item is being returned but if they are accepting a return on other grounds as a goodwill gesture then I suppose they can make their own conditions. It seems wrong, though, that your only way to protect your privacy in such a case is to lie, even if there are no legal implications in giving a false ID.
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