Why do some stores now ask for your phone number...

[mjarrels]

Next trend in box stores will be admission fees... $1.00 entry fee ($2.00 off coupon provided with admission fee). Once accepted in community, $2.00 admission fee with a discount $4.00 coupon, etc. Most coupons will not ever be used and the admission fee can be justified service provided. Mark my words... it is going to happen.

mark

 

[TrippleT]

Reread my posts! It doesn't matter how much you trade with them, and I do know them. And I have never wrote a hot check.
We have a bearing business here, that will not take money. You have to write a check or a credit card.

 

[Dusty]

Next trend in box stores will be admission fees... $1.00 entry fee ($2.00 off coupon provided with admission fee). Once accepted in community, $2.00 admission fee with a discount $4.00 coupon, etc. Most coupons will not ever be used and the admission fee can be justified service provided. Mark my words... it is going to happen.

mark

Too late to mark your words. It is already happening. They are called Sam's Club, Costco, BJ's, etc. They all charge a membership fee for the privilege of shopping there and giving them your hard earned money. In many instances you have to buy quantities that are greater than in any other store, and the cost per unit is higher than in the other stores. So much for the discount clubs saving you money. I saved money by not renewing my wifes membership in Sam's Club. She no longer buys 2 when 1 is all we need....
Dusty

 

[Slamfire]

About 15 years ago, grocery stores in So. Cal. began asking for your work phone number. Since my employer at the time had a strict policy of not giving out the number, I'd simply say, "That's classified". That always worked, then one wiseacker, says, "Ok if you tell me you have to kill me, right"? Instantly I replied, "Oh no, I don't work in that department". I thought the kid would die on the spot.
A clerk at a furniture store asked my wife for her SS number when she ordered a small item that wasn't in stock. That person came closer to death than any survior I've ever seen.
I really like Jenny's number and will begin using it.

 

[Dargo]

Hot dang it!! I just went to Lowes last night and now they too are asking for my phone number for me to pay cash for any item!!! Even though I wasn't real slick about it, I did use one idea I came up with since I started this thread; I looked up "dial a prayer" and wrote the phone number down on the back of a business card in my wallet. When the guy insisted on my phone number (odd too, he literally was an angry dwarf - I wasn't sure how to react, really), I fumbled in my wallet for the number. I think I mumbled something like "uh, new number", and then read off the dial a prayer number from the card. He replied with a scowl "area code?!" I gave the local area code and then he poked in the number.

I about fell over when he then blinked a couple of times and grunted "you're a funny man!", and took my money. I can only assume from my angry dwarf episode that I must not have been the first person to give "dial a prayer" as their home phone number. But, still, I don't understand why more stores are wanting this info. I've already tried "it's private", and "I don't want you calling me" and most other reasonable objections. I generally get dumb responses such as "we won't call you", to which I politely state "good, then you don't need my home phone number" which does no good. This is one of those "Grrrrr" things for me. Too much personal information that I'm not willing to give. I guess I'll just stick with my dial a prayer or time and temperature numbers. It seems that I'm not the only one.

 

[Carld]

Has anyone tried, "If I told you I'd have to kill you".

 

[Bird]

For 6 years we were full time RVers before the days when we had cell phones, so we traveled all over the country and I was asked for a phone number many, many times and I always just replied, "I don't have one." And not a single place turned down my money or credit card. Actually, we had a mail forwarding service so our mailing address looked like an apartment number, which was actually our account number, and the mail forwarding service had an "800" number that served as an answering service also, but we only gave that number to people who might need it; i.e., family members.