To be fed up with shops demanding my email address for no good reason

[Levie]

I am so sick of this in shops! I just want to buy something, pay and walk out with my shopping. I don’t want to share my details with you. I don’t want to have my name & details put into your database. I don’t want to receive details of special offers.
I just tried to use a gift card I’d been given as a present. The sales assistant asked me for my email address. I asked why she needed it- ‘it’s so we can send you an email to say you’ve used the voucher’.
Me-‘that’s fine. I know I’ve used it so I don’t need an email’.
Her-‘if you don’t give me your email address then you can’t use this voucher’.
If I’d thought more quickly I’d just have given a made-up address. I will definitely do this next time! It doesn’t sit right with me that businesses are increasingly refusing to provide goods or services unless customers hand over their data.

Same here. All my junk to a junk email

I have a burner email for this reason!

It takes up so much time while other people are waiting to be served.
I just say no thank you

I always say yes, ofcourse. Its spamcrap at yahoo dot com.

if there's someone out there who actually has that email address then I would apologise but really it's your own fault.

I had the reverse of this many years ago.

I use to work in Index (like Argos for those who don't remember). We had to ask the customer's first name when they paid for their order. It was just for collecting the item. I've seen take out coffee shops write your name on the cup so orders don't get mixed up.

Some people would refuse and get so wound up. I'd gently suggest that we couldn't send them junk mail as we weren't asking for their address (pre internet days). You'd be surprised how many people couldn't grasp that if you're Bob and your order has a ticket with 'Bob' on it, it made things quicker for us and all the Bobs. (Although if they were all called Bob the streamlining system would be redundant). 🤔

I just say no thanks I cant be arsed standing there spelling out my email address and I resent it also

I'd have left the item and not bought it. Then complained to head office. I've been asked for it, asked why and they said for a receipt. I said no thanks I'll have a paper one. Embarrassing to give an email just for this stuff rather than saying no thank you. Don't be so wet.

Have you checked their terms and conditions?

Can you make up a NSFW/sweary/obvious joke email and give them that? I usually just say no but if they pushed then I'd be tempted...

I have a feeling that I did some training on this a few years back when GDPR came in. I think there was some rule that a business could not refuse to sell to customers who objected to data collection - unless, of course, the business had a legitimate reason to need the data. Does anyone know if this is the case?

Omg, totally off-topic but thank you for the reminder of Index. Memory unlocked!

Lots of old folk will not have an email address. This is not legal. They cannot insist under any circumstances on an email address. It is discrimination.

Well, no one has ever 'demanded' my email address. I've often been asked for it and I just say no.

It's not hard!

I was told by a certain branch of a clothes shop I couldn't have a return if I didn't give them my email

I wonder what proportion of customers refuse. I was in a shop recently and the cashier noted a tally mark when I declined to give my email address. So they must be keeping notes.

I don't see how that's legal. For example my (now late) mother never had an email address in her life. How could a store refuse to give her a refund or let her use a gift card because she didn't have an email address?

Same with mine, never goes online ever!

They should allow you to opt out of marketing. I like it for receipts as I’m disorganised and lose things easily (adhd) but they never give you the option.

I always say ‘Just a paper one, thanks.’ The only shop where I got any pushback on this was River Island, assistant went on and on and said in future they would stop doing paper receipts so I’d have to use my email. She was very cross with me actually.

Just create an email address for this purpose only so the spam mails are all grouped into one place?

I also find it annoying but as pp have said, the shop staff have been told to ask for it and I don’t want to be rude the pleasant and helpful assistants.
I’m quite old so I might get away with saying I haven’t got one - I’ll try that next time I’m asked.

I tell them that I don't want to give them my email and they print me the receipt instead. I only ever have this in Halfords

I have an email address specifically for this. Another for SM subscriptions. It's much easier to monitor spam etc and set up advanced filtering if you split your activity in this way.

Yes, this If they question it say it was hacked so you shut it down and now only have a work email which you can't use for personal things.