AIBU to push back when shops ask for my details when I just want to pay?

I really dislike it, and it is time consuming beyond belief, but the discount offers and codes are usually produced by the online arm of a business if you are a member and signed up to mailing emails and associated benefits already (and hence suited to online orders more than in-store). Here you said you wanted to use the 20 percent off.
The person at the till will have had to verify the details against online customer information they can view, to have the best chance of getting the temporarily-released 20 percent code to work, and potentially any longer lasting membership discounts that are in the background alongside that.

I always say no even if I am on the list if I am in a rush 😂

I get your irritation! LOL

On behalf of sales assistants everywhere can I just say that it pisses us off as much as it pisses you off 🫠🤣

I’m an assistant manager - our store is graded by Head Office based on what percentage of returning customers we have and what percentage of new customers we get to log their details. It simply logs a copy of their transaction on our system so we can trace their receipt easily.

We’re maybe a tad less annoying due to the fact we only send 2 marketing emails per year (if a customer wants them) simply advertising the first day of our sales.

Can I just add that as a sales assistant it’s horrendously annoying when a customer kicks off over being asked for details because they just want a paper receipt - then they come back the following week to return an item without said receipt and expect me to refund it because I “should remember them” 🙄🤣 I then need to go through the faff of getting them to show me the transaction on a bank statement, getting the last 4 digits of their card number then trawling our system to find the transaction and the receipt number before I can then actually do anything for the customer. All the while they’re getting shitty with me again because it’s taking so long and it’s “ridiculous that you can’t just refund!” 🤣

All of this shite drives me bonkers ! Also this needing an' App 'to pay at the self service registers in order to avoid the unbelievably slow and sometimes nearly comatose sales assistants .I just put the stuff back at this stage and walk out Feck that!

It's just for their marketing emails, it's why they want to email you a receipt.

Does anyone remember years ago when shops would refuse to sell you a tv if you didn’t give them your email address? Because they had to notify tv licensing 🤦🏽‍♀️ I remember having rows in Currys and tescos about it

Sometimes we just want a quick and easy transaction, without the spelling of our surname.

other times we don’t want to give a retail outlet our email address because they e had several data breaches and are slow to report them and haven’t corrected the areas which led to them in the first place.

I have just received my online order (trousers) made from New Look. Was exactly what I wanted and I have a blue light discount. I have just ordered a second pair. So much easier than the shop bullshit. They will never see me in there again.

Their online system has just superseded the need to me to endure the F2F crap. Obviously they do have my details but that is a given. It’s a consensual arrangement that I enter in to online.

If I go F2F then there is no advantage any more…. I can return items online if they don’t fit.

You can stop this immediately by saying No thanks, I never give out my email address unless it's essential, which it isn't in this case. Then
pay. No need to feel intimidated.

I usually just say ‘I’d like a paper receipt’ except in New Look, New Look are an absolute nightmare insisting that they cannot give you a paper receipt which is a bold faced lie, so now when they say ‘can I have your email address for the receipt’ I just say ‘No’, and if they ask again I say ‘No you can’t’ and if they tell me they have to have it, I ask them for a copy of their Privacy Policy and a mechanism to refuse consent for marketing and processing of personal data. It never goes beyond that’s their printer suddenly starts working and I get a pointed comment about not losing the receipt because I won’t be able to return the item without it.

I'd be half tempted to play them at their own game and sign them up to be spammed and hassled by companies that repair printers - considering their extraordinary run of bad luck with them!

Otherwise, just keep insisting that you can't give them your email address, as "It doesn't work". When they ask how your email address can just not work, tell them it must be hosted by the same company that they keep buying all of their substandard printers from

Like the supermarkets who preach to the consumers about not wasting plastic, whilst they sell bunches of bananas in utterly pointless plastic bags!

It's fine to say just politely decline. In 99% of shops I've done this no problem.
Not New Look. I felt like I was holding up the queue on a busy Saturday afternoon because the guy flatly refused to give me a paper receipt.

Then I go to Primark and I have to get a paper receipt to scan and exit the self service till area.

Bonkers.

You're right to compare their actions to those of the chuggers in the street.

Although the individual staff in the stores may have little choice as to how they earn a living, essentially, many of them are being trained to scam you. Of course, the big bosses will frame it as 'encouraging positive customer engagement', but it is in reality just scamming customers - the only difference being that their desired 'prize' is your personal data for aggressive marketing purposes (playing the long game to get your money) rather than directly coming after your money like 'traditional' scammers.

Just politely (and firmly) decline. That's what I do and have never had an issue. In fact, it shuts the conversation down right at the beginning before it really gets going.

The only time I do give my details at point of purchase in a store would be in one such as Currys if buying a large household appliance for which they are needed for the delivery and the warranty. That's not very often though as I usually source those through AO.com these days if needed.

When they start asking for the mobile number or email I know they are seeking my personal details to sign me
up for marketing. If I’m not signed up for the loyalty program and/or have no time, I ask for a paper receipt in a friendly, yet firm voice. I haven’t had a problem yet.

Most stores use this annoying system. Staff have to ask, they are marked on email addresses on their KPI report.
The staff member was following procedures.
Next time, just say I'm not interested.

Well if it say I am a member of whatever shops loyalty system unless I give my details how on earth would they know them just by looking at me I dont think they can link my details to me by carrier pigeon

You dont have to join just say no to joining and pay like normal, they are doing their job it is not because they are bored and have nothing better to do

Well, what I have learnt from this thread is not to shop in New Look!

I don't want to spell out my email address in the middle of a shop and have it used for endless marketing spam.

Also can't believe they would push the "save the trees" excuse in a shop full of polyester fast fashion...

Yes, this is quite irritating too and is off putting when buying anything.

I don't want to donate to a charity of your company choice even if it is a small amount and I want a paper receipt. My email address has my full name on it so I never give it out to any old random shop that requests it.

I usually just ask for paper, and if occasionally pushed further for an email said sometimes use the ‘oh, I’m sorry, I don’t have an email address’ and that always works, even in blasted New Look.

Clarks are buggers for this. Insisting on email addresses, claiming their printer isn't working, then saying the printer is only attached to the other till so they would have to restart the transaction if you are sure you only want a paper receipt etc. It can be a mildly entertaining game to play occasionally, how many hoops will they try to make you jump through and how big will they let the queue get before agreeing that you can in fact have a paper receipt.

I think they are if they demand them for refunds.

The last time I was in New Look, which is about a year ago, the shop assistant was very adamant she simply could not give me a paper receipt as they don’t do them any more “because of the environment.” I just put my foot down and kept insisting and eventually she gave me a paper receipt but warned it would be the last time she could do it.

No need to give anyone short shrift

Just say ‘no thanks, I prefer not to be on mailing lists’

’no thanks, I prefer paper receipts’

You might have to repeat yourself once or twice but it’s always worked for me.

It’s not the shop assistant or even the manager - it’s head office who want to use your details for marketing including sell your personal details to third party companies.