Another little rant

[Muddypause]

Does anybody else order stuff over the internet?

I get a little annoyed at some of the personal questions they ask before you are able to submit the order. This morning I tried to circumvent this by ordering over the phone, and asking them why they want to know how old I am, how long I have lived at this address, what my mother's maiden name is, my inside leg measurement, and the name of my favourite pet (well alright, not all of those questions). But no, they want to be able to do a security check on me before I am allowed to buy their products.

It seems nonsense to me - it would be absurd if Waitrose or Curries or Woolworths vetted us before they allowed us to buy anything in their stores, even when paying by credit card.

The more I think about this, the more I object to it. Is this the way all transactions will be in the future - if you want to buy anything you will have to pass a security check first? I guess the proposed coming of compulsory ID cards would make this an easy scenario. It's not a version of the future that I want to see.

[Millymollymandy]

I've never heard of this before. What kind of things are you buying? I suppose the last few things I've ordered were some books from Amazon, and more recently veg seeds. No questions of any kind!

[leedarkwood]

all we ask our customers is where do you live and how do you want to pay. Sounds like datamining to me.

Lee

[ina]

I agree with Lee - these people must be in it for more than just your custom. I would refuse to buy from them (easily said, I know, but if they are the only ones selling what you need...) And I always get a bit confused if they ask me on the phone about my age, or my overdraft limit (admittedly, that was the bank) - takes me a while to remember that kind of thing.

A few weeks ago I looked at an application for one of those supermarket cards, I think it was Somerfields, which allows you to buy extra special offers - they also wanted to know every little detail of my life. No thanks! Anyway, the stuff they have on special offer never interests me, which made the decision quite easy.

Ina

[Muddypause]

'Twas for a DAB radio hi-fi system, which is something I have been promising myself for a long time. I've spent hours going through web listings of systems, and have found one that seems to tick all the boxes of features on my wish list. A couple of months ago I could only find one site selling it; now there is a different site, and at nealy half the price, so my attention moved up from 'aware' to 'interested'.

I am puzzled by their need to insist upon a security check; they said they would not use the information for any other purpose, but I don't really see how that protects them from credit card fraud, as they claimed - that's for the credit card companies to deal with. Maybe the card companies are beginning to require all traders to do security checks on their customers? That's a grim prospect. People will, of course, accept it because in return they get the chance to buy A Bargain of some sort.

It's a fairly trivial exaqmple, but what I'm really objecting to is the claimed need for us to increasingly have to 'identify' ourselves to businesses, traders and authorities. I find it intrusive, unnecessary and often plain rude. It's none of their business how old I am or how long I have been living here. I really fear the imminent prospect of the ID Card Society that we seem to be heading towards. People smuggly say that if I've got nothing to hide then I've got nothing to fear - well I've got tons to hide; that doesn't mean I've been doing anything wrong, it just means that it's nobodies damn business but my own. I've just been sent a chip'n'pin credit card; that's fine as far as it goes, but I predict a time in the not too distant future when that chip will be able to record, store and impart information about our shopping habits and our finances every time we use it. There will be a commercial imperative for it. And we won't be able to collect our pensions, spend time in hospital, apply for a mortgage or send our children to school without having our ID card swiped through a 'security machine'.

Oh dear - there seems to be steam coming out of my keyboard, now. Thank you for listening; normal service will now be resumed.

[Millymollymandy]

Well every time we go to the doctors here in France our medical card is swiped through a machine. Ditto at the pharmacy when you get your prescription. The alternative is reams of paperwork and having to pay for a stamp (50c).

I go with the card anyday!

[Andy Hamilton]

They ask so many questions as information about their customers is valuable. So they can target their demographic with advertising.

[Lyds]

Inside leg measurement? Hmmm.
The more questions I get asked the crosser I get. I tried typing in mind yours but it didnt work. We tend to avoid places that ask for too much personal info. Also I try to use cash as much as poss, not that I'm up to anything I'm just paranoid about being watched.

[ina]

Seeing that Stew mentioned the good old ID card problem, of course I have to add my bit to it...

Having grown up with one, I actually miss it. The ID card was so incredibly useful; no problems with proving your age when buying alcohol or when in a club at night (admittedly, that was a long time ago...); it was an important step in the business of growing up, because we all got one at the age of 16, which is when you are allowed to drink wine and beer in pubs in Germany (just as important as coming off age); no passport needed when going abroad within Europe (I lost my passport once on the way back to London, without my ID card I would not have made it to work in time); no having to find methods of identification (for example at the postoffice when picking up recorded mail), which here often leave me asking myself how does something without my photograph in it prove that it's me?

I must admit that our ID cards were a bit simpler than what is proposed nowadays. No swipe card, but simply name, date and place of birth, address, photo. Of course, the address bit (and the photo...) had to be updated occasionally, but then we were also legally required to notify the council of every change of address anyway.

I know it's an unpopular attitude in Britain today, but I would actually quite like an ID card again... Which doesn't mean that I think companies should ask you everything from your partner's favourite dinner to your youngest child's shoe size.

Ina

[shiney]

Ina, I would love an ID card!

I know people rant on about them being a big brother thing, but I think it would be so much easier to carry one about with my info on it. I mean, they probably know enough about me anyway but I would still like to prove my age in pubs. I WISH!

[ina]

What - they know enough about you in pubs??? I'll have to come down and visit you, I'm still looking for somebody to go to the pubs with around here; you seem like the perfect co-pubcrawler to me!

And I see you've progressed to a new avatar - the entire good life crew! When do you get that: over 250 mails?

Ina

[shiney]

I didn't put that across too well. I wish I could get to a pub more often!

I don't know when I got my new avvy ~ it's a new pic that Andy put on. We'll have to ask him.

[Wombat]

They tied to put in an "Australia Card" here in the 80s and it got howled down. Now we have a tax file number that does the same thing!

Nev

[ina]

I didn't put that across too well. I wish I could get to a pub more often!

Don't worry, I know what you meant - I didn't put you down as a drunk. That's one thing I miss about living in the country though. In town, I did go to a pub maybe once a week; here, there's just nothing within walking range (possibly cycling), and going to a pub by car just to have an orange juice, when you don't know anybody in the pub to talk to - I don't know, it's just not the same. I suppose I'm getting old and less adventurous...

Ina

[Andy Hamilton]

Dunno, I would not fancy sitting in the pub on my own with an OJ. Never liked the pub by my self even when I was in my early 20's. Pubs for me are places to hang out with friends and perhaps talk to the odd stranger or two if they end up on the same table or something.

200 posts it the whole goodlife crew. - someone metioned it a while back and I finaly got round to doing it.