4 ms·

Seems like there might be at least a cottage industry in small wearable devices that would foil this kind of thing. Though, extending this thought experiment a

Seems like there might be at least a cottage industry in small wearable devices that would foil this kind of thing. Though, extending this thought experiment a bit, if you asked the average shopper how much they would pay for such a device, I’d imagine the most common answer would be nothing, since the average shopper cannot perceive the cost to them of this surveillance. Which in turn suggests that maybe a better countermeasure would be some way to show consumers what those costs to them are, in estimated dollars.

lotsofpulp 6y ago
Almost all people willingly hand over their grocery shopping information for very transparent discounts. I would similarly bet that people will readily exchange their purchase history for discounts/convenience. Even I find it convenient to not have to save every receipt for returning items and just be able to enter my phone number.
- Krasnol 6y ago
  I know 2 persons who "willingly hand over their grocery shopping information for very transparent discounts". But I live in Germany where a significant amount of people have a healthy relationship to their data and have learned their lesson from history.
  - LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
    I doubt that. Why else I'm almost always asked: "Sammeln Sie Punkte?" or seeing and hearing others being asked that, and mostly they show their card, or nowadays smartphone with app. Why else https://www.payback.de/ https://www.payback.de/ and countless other things like it would be a thing? Latest is Lidl Insider/Plus. /me: "Abärr isch abäh gaa kainäh Ändieh!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO2lZrlduZ0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO2lZrlduZ0
    - Krasnol 6y ago
      You must live in some parallel universe. I rarely see anybody getting out their phone or card after being asked and it surely is not "almost everybody". Also I see more and more shops which stopped asking. Finally.
      - LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
        I don't know? Hamburg. You?
        Krasnol 6y ago
        Frankfurt/M mostly: Tegut, REWE, Lidl. Other than that: Bauhaus, IKEA, Bäckereien.
        LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
        Various EDEKA, various REWE, real,- , Kaufland, Lidl, Aldi-Nord(does never ask anything!), Penny, Netto, Rossmann, DM, Budni. Though I changed my shopping to early morning, just before going to sleep, instead of "last minute shopping" before closing, after getting up late. So I'm a new face to most cashiers. Idea is less virus load after a night with no people and aircon having sucked it away. I'd hope. Can't say anything about IKEA or Bauhaus atm. Haven't been there for years. Didn't need to. Bakery? KNÄCKEBROT! edit: But asking for some points collection scheme seems to be the default here, except for Aldi. And at least about half of the people do it.
      - freeflight 6y ago
        > Also I see more and more shops which stopped asking. Finally. I've noticed that this is mostly down to the cashier recognizing you and not some kind of policy change. At my regular EDEKA some of the cashiers know me and know I don't do points collection, so they usually don't ask but sometimes still do just out of habit. Cashiers that don't know me will still always ask. Another EDEKA, where I only shop every couple of weeks and nobody recognizes me, I always get asked for the card.
- np- 6y ago
  Slightly tangential, might be common knowledge by now but just wanted to throw out there in case anyone doesn't know - if you want the discounts but not the tracking, enter in your area code plus Jenny's number from the famous song (867-5309). This should work at most chains in the US.
  - grogenaut 6y ago
    Several chains I've been to have blocked this number. I just tell the cashier's I forgot my card. They just grab one off the stack and scan it.
    - elcritch 6y ago
      I’ve heard people use the number of the store they’re at. It worked at a local Safeway when I tried it.
    - jackson1442 6y ago
      Yup. Every time I'm at Kroger I tell them I'm not interested in a Kroger card and every time they just grab one and scan it. This, of course, depends where you are. Randalls requires the card/phone number and the cashier won't even prompt you for it; you have to type in the number on the pinpad or hand them your card before paying. I recently moved away from central TX where HEB is prevalent and that's one of the things I miss the most- they don't use any of this card nonsense and treat their employees well. Up here I'm stuck with Kroger and Walmart.
  - zeta0134 6y ago
    I invent a random number with my area code, and 555 as the second group. This block is reserved for fictional numbers (which is why it shows up so often in television) and again, most systems accept it. This way I get to pick a last 4 that I can remember, and which other patrons in my area code are less likely to randomly choose. Of course, I'd prefer not to provide a phone number at all, but some of the local businesses (especially hair salons, for some reason) get downright hostile when I try to explain my preference. It's like it's completely unheard of to not hand your phone number out to strangers. This gives me a way to "relent" without causing a scene.

lotsofpulp 6y ago

Almost all people willingly hand over their grocery shopping information for very transparent discounts. I would similarly bet that people will readily exchange their purchase history for discounts/convenience. Even I find it convenient to not have to save every receipt for returning items and just be able to enter my phone number.

Krasnol 6y ago
I know 2 persons who "willingly hand over their grocery shopping information for very transparent discounts". But I live in Germany where a significant amount of people have a healthy relationship to their data and have learned their lesson from history.
- LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
  I doubt that. Why else I'm almost always asked: "Sammeln Sie Punkte?" or seeing and hearing others being asked that, and mostly they show their card, or nowadays smartphone with app. Why else https://www.payback.de/ https://www.payback.de/ and countless other things like it would be a thing? Latest is Lidl Insider/Plus. /me: "Abärr isch abäh gaa kainäh Ändieh!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO2lZrlduZ0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO2lZrlduZ0
  - Krasnol 6y ago
    You must live in some parallel universe. I rarely see anybody getting out their phone or card after being asked and it surely is not "almost everybody". Also I see more and more shops which stopped asking. Finally.
    - LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
      I don't know? Hamburg. You?
      - Krasnol 6y ago
        Frankfurt/M mostly: Tegut, REWE, Lidl. Other than that: Bauhaus, IKEA, Bäckereien.
        LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
        Various EDEKA, various REWE, real,- , Kaufland, Lidl, Aldi-Nord(does never ask anything!), Penny, Netto, Rossmann, DM, Budni. Though I changed my shopping to early morning, just before going to sleep, instead of "last minute shopping" before closing, after getting up late. So I'm a new face to most cashiers. Idea is less virus load after a night with no people and aircon having sucked it away. I'd hope. Can't say anything about IKEA or Bauhaus atm. Haven't been there for years. Didn't need to. Bakery? KNÄCKEBROT! edit: But asking for some points collection scheme seems to be the default here, except for Aldi. And at least about half of the people do it.
    - freeflight 6y ago
      > Also I see more and more shops which stopped asking. Finally. I've noticed that this is mostly down to the cashier recognizing you and not some kind of policy change. At my regular EDEKA some of the cashiers know me and know I don't do points collection, so they usually don't ask but sometimes still do just out of habit. Cashiers that don't know me will still always ask. Another EDEKA, where I only shop every couple of weeks and nobody recognizes me, I always get asked for the card.
np- 6y ago
Slightly tangential, might be common knowledge by now but just wanted to throw out there in case anyone doesn't know - if you want the discounts but not the tracking, enter in your area code plus Jenny's number from the famous song (867-5309). This should work at most chains in the US.
- grogenaut 6y ago
  Several chains I've been to have blocked this number. I just tell the cashier's I forgot my card. They just grab one off the stack and scan it.
  - elcritch 6y ago
    I’ve heard people use the number of the store they’re at. It worked at a local Safeway when I tried it.
  - jackson1442 6y ago
    Yup. Every time I'm at Kroger I tell them I'm not interested in a Kroger card and every time they just grab one and scan it. This, of course, depends where you are. Randalls requires the card/phone number and the cashier won't even prompt you for it; you have to type in the number on the pinpad or hand them your card before paying. I recently moved away from central TX where HEB is prevalent and that's one of the things I miss the most- they don't use any of this card nonsense and treat their employees well. Up here I'm stuck with Kroger and Walmart.
- zeta0134 6y ago
  I invent a random number with my area code, and 555 as the second group. This block is reserved for fictional numbers (which is why it shows up so often in television) and again, most systems accept it. This way I get to pick a last 4 that I can remember, and which other patrons in my area code are less likely to randomly choose. Of course, I'd prefer not to provide a phone number at all, but some of the local businesses (especially hair salons, for some reason) get downright hostile when I try to explain my preference. It's like it's completely unheard of to not hand your phone number out to strangers. This gives me a way to "relent" without causing a scene.