Edited by Martin Cadwell, Thursday, 2 Jan 2025, 05:48
Why is it that when we buy something online, other than on Ebay, we
have to tacitly agree to marketing messages, and to agree to be
contacted. For me, here is the order; here is my address; here is the
payment; Now just send it and DO NOT contact me. I have no interest
in where it is or when it will be delivered beyond the initial
estimate. I don’t carry a mobile phone with me because nothing is
important enough for me to be contactable at a moment’s notice.
Mobile phone plans have provision for voicemail. So, we can just
collect the messages later anyway.
Why does a business
need my FULL name; my EMAIL ADDRESS; my TELEPHONE NUMBER; and my bank
card details when I have selected the option to Click and Collect.
No-one needs my name, address, or contactable device details when the
item is to collected in person.
I will tell you why
– for marketing purposes. AND, I will outline a part of the GDPR as
it affects business that is conducted either partially or in full in
the UK.
Ordering something
online from Argos, the shop not the place, requires a full name,
delivery address, email address and telephone number to be entered.
The Argos web page states that these details are used solely for
delivery purposes. Under GDPR, this means that if the purchaser is
going to collect the order there is no need to collect the
purchaser’s name, address, or any other contact details. This means
that Argos breaches the GDPR on a daily basis. How do I know this.
Sainsbury’s owns the Argos brand, which operate separately. I have
never given Sainsbury’s any of my contact details, so when I got a
marketing email I knew where it had come from – Argos. I emailed
Sainsburys and requested that Argos removes my details from their
records (computer storage). The response I got from Sainsburys was
that because Argos operates separately so I would need to contact them
directly. I then requested that Sainsburys remove my details from
their records. Even HMRC rules for businesses could not force Sainsburys to
keep my records for 6 years after a transaction with them, because
there has never been a transaction that is related to my identity.
Sainsburys requested that I give them all my details, full name, age,
telephone number, email address, and home address to they could check
for any transactions with their different operations to remove my
details. If I had done so, I would have needed to again request that
my details are removed from their records. I imagine that their
response to every request would be to seek all my details to check
their different operations to remove my details over and over again.
When we order
something from an online business and they use a third party delivery
business the GDPR should prevent the online business from giving any
information to a third party other than the name and delivery
address: Certainly, the delivery business should not have your email
address. I received a survey from Yodel to ascertain how happy I was
with their recent delivery. How did they get my email address when I have
NEVER had ANY interaction with Yodel prior to receiving the item on
my doorstep? I did not give the delivery person any personal details.
I didn’t even identify myself.
We do not need
updates on where the order, is or when it will be delivered. I mean
who among us can leave work and be at home within the thirty minute
window that we are given by text as the penultimate update?In any case, if the items does not arrive, we will definitely let them know, 'toute en suite'.
My phone’s ability
to receive texts, and my email address are for important things –
not for aimless chatter, and especially not for telling me something
I already know and couldn’t care less about.
If it is urgent – phone me
Need to give me Minor Details
(directions to an location, web address or link, or a code number) –
only text it
Perusal of Contracts and full
details of technical aspects – send an email.
Above all, stop
making me pointlessly look at my phone throughout the day. An
unsolicited text message should be sent ONLY to request information
when the request is not urgent.
Do we not know what
protocol is anymore?
What can we do?
Stand up to these
pernicious businesses breaching GDPR that was set up to protect our
privacy, safety, personal details, and peace.
Help me to set up a
national initiative to stop the promiscuous promulgation of
information. We might give out a unified email address that
automatically responds with a request to remove the details of the
purchaser from the seller’s records. We might give a unified
telephone number that instantly deletes every text message so NO-ONE
ever sees the contents.
Promiscuous promulgation of information
Why is it that when we buy something online, other than on Ebay, we have to tacitly agree to marketing messages, and to agree to be contacted. For me, here is the order; here is my address; here is the payment; Now just send it and DO NOT contact me. I have no interest in where it is or when it will be delivered beyond the initial estimate. I don’t carry a mobile phone with me because nothing is important enough for me to be contactable at a moment’s notice. Mobile phone plans have provision for voicemail. So, we can just collect the messages later anyway.
Why does a business need my FULL name; my EMAIL ADDRESS; my TELEPHONE NUMBER; and my bank card details when I have selected the option to Click and Collect. No-one needs my name, address, or contactable device details when the item is to collected in person.
I will tell you why – for marketing purposes. AND, I will outline a part of the GDPR as it affects business that is conducted either partially or in full in the UK.
Ordering something online from Argos, the shop not the place, requires a full name, delivery address, email address and telephone number to be entered. The Argos web page states that these details are used solely for delivery purposes. Under GDPR, this means that if the purchaser is going to collect the order there is no need to collect the purchaser’s name, address, or any other contact details. This means that Argos breaches the GDPR on a daily basis. How do I know this. Sainsbury’s owns the Argos brand, which operate separately. I have never given Sainsbury’s any of my contact details, so when I got a marketing email I knew where it had come from – Argos. I emailed Sainsburys and requested that Argos removes my details from their records (computer storage). The response I got from Sainsburys was that because Argos operates separately so I would need to contact them directly. I then requested that Sainsburys remove my details from their records. Even HMRC rules for businesses could not force Sainsburys to keep my records for 6 years after a transaction with them, because there has never been a transaction that is related to my identity. Sainsburys requested that I give them all my details, full name, age, telephone number, email address, and home address to they could check for any transactions with their different operations to remove my details. If I had done so, I would have needed to again request that my details are removed from their records. I imagine that their response to every request would be to seek all my details to check their different operations to remove my details over and over again.
When we order something from an online business and they use a third party delivery business the GDPR should prevent the online business from giving any information to a third party other than the name and delivery address: Certainly, the delivery business should not have your email address. I received a survey from Yodel to ascertain how happy I was with their recent delivery. How did they get my email address when I have NEVER had ANY interaction with Yodel prior to receiving the item on my doorstep? I did not give the delivery person any personal details. I didn’t even identify myself.
We do not need updates on where the order, is or when it will be delivered. I mean who among us can leave work and be at home within the thirty minute window that we are given by text as the penultimate update?In any case, if the items does not arrive, we will definitely let them know, 'toute en suite'.
My phone’s ability to receive texts, and my email address are for important things – not for aimless chatter, and especially not for telling me something I already know and couldn’t care less about.
If it is urgent – phone me
Need to give me Minor Details (directions to an location, web address or link, or a code number) – only text it
Perusal of Contracts and full details of technical aspects – send an email.
Above all, stop making me pointlessly look at my phone throughout the day. An unsolicited text message should be sent ONLY to request information when the request is not urgent.
Do we not know what protocol is anymore?
What can we do?
Stand up to these pernicious businesses breaching GDPR that was set up to protect our privacy, safety, personal details, and peace.
Help me to set up a national initiative to stop the promiscuous promulgation of information. We might give out a unified email address that automatically responds with a request to remove the details of the purchaser from the seller’s records. We might give a unified telephone number that instantly deletes every text message so NO-ONE ever sees the contents.