Buying at Screwfix .ie

Yes a customer number will suffice.

Then they ask you to confirm your name and address.

Are you near a Screwfix?

I can see if there are investment opportunities for people indicating properties that need my professional "services" while their occupants are shopping a few hundred km away :-)

If you have a mobile and spend a few hours a day "browsing" their terminals, we could do business :-)

They do not ask for customer details for the customers benefit and after being scammed in England, I resent giving them my details for a simple purchase.

How long before others jump on the bandwagon and see that data collection can be very lucrative?

It's another little erosion of what one once took for granted.

No they do not have to.

In the UK all I had to do was say "I prefer to remain anonymous" and that was the end of it.

Here a manager is called and then I have the unwanted and uneeded explanation of how it's such an advantage if I lose my receipt to be able to call up my purchases. Then after that little waste of time they find or make up a customer to put on their system.

All I want to do is buy some odd item of trivia, Unlike the UK they are not that good on price compared to others in the area. I have yet to see anything they don't do cheaper on Amazon if I cannot source it in Ireland anyway.

Sorry did I not make this clear on the original post?

The bit where the manager gets involved?

This was the whole point, if I had time to spare to entertain and occupy a number of Screwfix staff members, then I would not have a problem.

As it is, I prefer to call into a shop to buy things. Anything that adds complexity to I give them money in exchange for goods is unwanted.

In a crowded shop this also raises other issues. What if a customer Googles my name and "Altar Boys", or "Schoolgirls", or even "Duck billed Platypus wearing see through lingerie"?

Why does the website say "shop our latest offers" and call its outlets "Stores"

I use Dunnes Stores and don't give details.

If their status changes a buyer/ provider relationship, surely it needs to be made clear?

Every time I provide data to be stored on a database, I expect to be fully informed what it's for.

Electricfix isn't here yet, but I only ever get scammed once! It will not happen with Screwfix again.

That would be dishonest.

I used something that anyone with sense would take as a "going with the flow, don't bother me further" approach.

I don't lie to people, I didn't when working and I don't intend to start at this time of my life.

I know, thanks!

I have my odd little foibles I'm afraid.

The other thing is that being a Brexit escapee from England, I now value the truth more than ever.

An entire country wrecked by lies the quality of which makes Santa and the Tooth Fairy look like candidates for a professional institute!

I will go elsewhere, at least online pricing tells me what the goods are available at should the worst occur.

Only one item I bought lately was significantly cheaper at Screwfix anyway. I don't know what they are like in the UK these days, but they were pretty good along with Toolstation [ A similar setup].

Actually Screwfix used to be bad in the UK because it attracted totally clueless individuals who would spend twenty minutes or so asking either totally obvious questions about stock items or totally irrelevant questions. So sometimes there was a queue just to buy an article.

Here you can queue for that time just to get a price for an item on display.

All to often the "if you have to ask, it's too dear" seems to be the philosophy.

Make no mistake they are not moral values!

They are simply concerns as to security and timewasting/ misadvertising.

As I said previously Toolstation, an equivalent in the UK gave my details to a colleague without my knowledge or permission. All I got was an apology, not even the 200 euro an English bank gave me for losing all the details needed to open an Irish current account with Ulsterbank. In fact the complaint was conveniently tranferred to Ireland because it was cheaper, less liability although the data was handed over in paper format in Stoke On Trent.

Electricfix scammed me. Maybe you don't use Screwfix in the UK, but no one gets one over on me twice.

Dont look into "human rights" for everything, a lot of what we do is governed by acceptable practice such as the odd "please" and "thank you", something I also feel I have a right to expect and a duty to provide.

Remember while you are giving personal details out someone else may be using them. Do you really think that's impossible? The other thing is that it targets advertising that I have no use for.

As I clearly pointed out, I will shop somewhere else. There is the point that if one outlet gets away with it and finds a slight advantage, everyone else will also.

Anyway I get the impression that the store was out of order, I had a belated reply from the UK and I should indeed be able to simply say "I want to remain anonymous" as I do in the UK without them or indeed their oppo's Toolstation batting an eyelid incidentally.

Does it really seem so odd to want to keep personal details to yourself regardless of the use a third party puts them to?

I could have arrived on the car park in a bullet proof Mercedes.

I dont think people normally would, but in an age when people scan luggage labels at airports and stations to find people to rob, why allow an avenue into my personal life?

I used to use Screwfix in the UK for work. Sometimes I would be buying in Scotland and my house was empty and an eleven hour journey away.

Let me put this another way, why would you want someone selling you a tube of glue to know your name and address?

It appears in this case the branch was in the wrong anyway. I had an explanation from the UK and it appears that Screwfix in Ireland should operate in the same way as the stores in Britain, so If I do receive a direct confirmation of that, there is no problem.

That is entirely your business and your choice.

I only want an alternative choice.

Why do you post messages under an alias, as everyone critical of my approach does, isn't it the same thing, in fact using a real name with your postcode on the end shouldn't be a problem should it?

The only other comment I would make to your post is Srewfix has my name and both adresses. For the very rare occasion when I do need to interact with them on a purchase other than over the counter ask and pay, I do need up to date details. It seems pointless to use an obsolete address, that I do not see a reason for, surely you would be as well to close the account if you don't update a pretty important detail?

I have to have a lot of respect for a person to compromise my moral philosophy and lie to them.

So far I have not met that human being.

I should neither have to provide personal details or lie to buy a piddling little trifle across a shop counter.

I did lie when buying cigarettes in my youth. I still have long sleepless nights tossing and turning.

Maybe that is the problem and not my enlarged prostate after all :-)

And others happily send a few euro or even bank details to a Nigerian banker sitting on a chest of gold without a care in the world, apart from what sort of house to buy with the proceeds.

How can One lose out when shopping by being careful with their personal details?

Can you suggest when it's a bad idea to dish out personal details to people you don't know? Just two or three examples will do.

I was interested to see how others felt about it, nothing more, nothing less. I see nothing wrong continuing as I currently do, I have heard no single fact or suggestion in favour of providing my details.

Funny really, how everyone seems to think it very negative not to give something away is it not?

I mean when you give a few coins to someone in the street, you get a bit of a warm feeling if you are not aware that you are being conned. Dishing out your name and postcode to a shopkeeper does not quite provide that feeling does it?

No infringement of rights or freedom ever comes suddenly unless as an act of war.

I think I should have the freedom to give personal data to who I choose, it really is that simple.

Why is it not a valid thing to be concerned about? No one for all their useful suggestions has explained that fundamental property that is the basis of the problem.

Spot on, you have summed up things perfectly. It is kind of nice to see that someone can see things in context.

My simple approach is that because I dished out my details to all and sundry anyway, which is a risk, then that is no logical reason to supply details to all and sundry + 1 if the +1 is not going to provide goods or services the benefit me.

I trust we are still in tune?