To be tired of being asked so many questions for even small things in shops?

[Iris65]

I went to ask for a passport renewal form and was subjected to a three minute sales pitch about check and send. When I said no thank you I was asked where I was going on holiday and when, then they tried to sell me travel insurance. I went through the same 5 minute ordeal to post my passport form the next day.
In a department store every time I buy anything I am asked whether I want a store card, what my name and address is, whether I want to give my email for offers advance notice of shopping.
When I buy painkillers form the chemist they give me a three minute speil asking whether I take other medicine, telling me how often I to take them and other advice. Then they ask for me email to send me offers.....
I appreciate that in the chemist they have to give the info and it's fine. I just say 'OK, thank you.' But when did it become OK for every purchase to involve dealing with long sales pitches and dealing with requests for personal information.
I had one assistant ask for personal information saying 'It's not sensitive' and following it up with wanting my name, address, phone number, which bank I used - including sort code and account number! I told her it certainly was sensitive and walked away.

Yanbu

This whole having to give your postcode thing in clothes shops is really annoying too.

YANBU - Its annoying you have to go through this. However YABU to get annoyed with the people doing it to you, they're probably told to by their managers, 'tis the life of retail.

This whole having to give your postcode thing in clothes shops is really annoying too.
I hated asking it when I worked in retail.

I had to give a postcode to buy Dc3 wellies ffs.

To see how far I'd travelled.

To see if they could open a store closer

I hate this too op. When I order my coffee at a busy site in the morning I rush I say what want. Correct change in hand. Do I want the special blend? No thanks. Do I want the store card? No thanks. You'll get free extra shots. Yes. I know. No thanks. Hurray give me my item. I was asked before the holidays, "will we see you christmas eve?" Probably not, no, I don't know!

Totally agree. Even somewhere as ordering a coffee in mcdonalds.

"Is that large?"

No I said regular aghhh

Yanbu. I bought some perfume from the Body Shop before Christmas and they wanted my name, address, email and phone number at the till. I said No.

I agree the Post Office is particularly one that does it. Chemist too, but that's more understandable.

YANBU (except for the chemist bit)

Agree OP. Shops/online stores seem to want so much from the customer. It's all about data. I refuse to give email address etc at checkouts, but wish I wasn't asked in the first place.

My DH has just renewed his passport entirely online (here in the UK). We even took the photo ourselves with him standing against the bathroom wall which is white.

Took a week. We quite simply could NOT believe it. I had told him to go and do check and send, but our postmistress is notoriously officious (I did passport check and send a few years back and she told me it was illegal to have kept my maiden name when I got married for example and claimed she would have to 'report me' ) he refused and said he would give the online service a go.

I hate this

In Wh smiths even the bloody self service tills ask if you want half price chocolate

In Holland and Barratt there can be a huge queue and they will still laboriously ask every customer if they want another item as there is a special offer, then try to open a store card. It is bloody annoying when you are waiting to pay. Just serve the waiting customers when it's busy, and when it's quiet try to open store cards

Remember you don't have to give your address out in shops - just say no.

Generally I hate it but last time I shopped in new look they asked for my email address so they could send me a copy of my receipt which ended up saving my arse a bit cos I lost my paper copy and had 3 items to return. So on that occasion it was worth the questioning

When they try to flog me something else I generally say with a firm smile, 'No, just the dog food thanks.' If they then persist with hard selling a scratch card I would ignore.

Surely one can decline to give personal details when asked? Not for returns, which is mad enough the paperwork that creates but buying wellies? Crazy.

Yanbu but it's the poor sods who have to ask that I really feel sorry for. Bet they get the same "jokers" that when asked if there's anything else I can help them with say "more money" or "the winning lottery numbers". I used to work in a petrol station and had to ask everyone if they had any fuel, that was bad enough.

Worst still is when they ask for your postcode and then give you a shocked look when you decline to give this info.

As far as the Post Office is concerned, they have to try to sell more of their services. DM runs a village PO and she hates having to do the constant sales pitch, but it's PO HQ dictat - they use secret shoppers to enforce it, with penalties if it isn't done. It's infuriating for customers and the counter staff don't like it either.

I'm more fed up with being asked if I want to buy some chocolate. Er, no. I would have picked some up if I wanted some shitty sugar and fat bars

I'm more fed up with being asked if I want to buy some chocolate. Er, no. I would have picked some up if I wanted some shitty sugar and fat bars

My dd works in retail and they're constantly hounded by management about selling store accounts, I can't remember the actual numbers but the store gets paid a pretty decent sum by the card company for each account sold

Our local PO is a very busy crown office, and there are usually queues going outside the door, and yet they still insist on doing this. It really winds me up. Even more so when someone actually expresses an interest in their broadband, insurance, etc, and that brings the whole PO to a halt. Don't get me started on passport checking, they take hours with that - just do it online and save yourself some money.

When asked for my email address I normally ask for a written copy of their Data Protection Act registration, that normally stops the conversation.
Likewise, when returning an item for refund and I'm asked for a street address, I point out that I did not need to supply an address to buy the item so I have no intention of giving one to get a refund. I am using the same credit card for the refund that I used to buy the item, if the PIN works then that is all the interaction I need to provide.

I hate it, the worst offenders I find are WH Smiths (chocolate), Robert Dyas (usually batteries!) and the Post Office (insurance, financial products etc). I say "No Thank You (very politely but firmly)the moment they start to ask the question!

YANBU! I changed banks because I couldn't bear the fake over the top 'friendliness' any longer. It was so cringeworthy! If I paid in a cheque to my child's account, they'd ask me about her birthday, did she have a good time, doesn't the time fly, hasn't she grown, etc. as if they knew her. I'd stand there like a fool, simpering out of politeness and then just as I was about to race out of the door, they'd ask whether I was alright for travel insurance, did I realise how good their interest rates were, etc. It was just ridiculous. Mothercare are terrible for this too. There's always a really long queue because people are having to give all their information and email addresses, etc. before they're allowed out of the door. It is absolutely infuriating!