For example: it’s illegal for any company to request any PII when doing a return for a product, unless explicitly required to facilitate the return. For example, if someone needs to come to your place to pick up the return then requesting your address is within reason.
But if you bring the product back to the store, and have the receipt and payment method (debit/credit card) then it is illegal for them to refuse to process the return if you decline giving out your name, phone number, email address, home address, or any other PII.
Canadian Tire had a few lawsuits within the past decade regarding exactly that.
Stores still regularly insist on it saying “it’s store policy and they can’t return the item unless I give that info”, but I flat out tell them what they just asked is illegal under Canadian privacy laws and their tune quickly changes.
I used to work at London Drugs up until very recently and their POS systems still prompt for that information. I never asked for it simply because I felt it was an unnecessary violation of privacy but I was there for years and nobody mentioned it was actually illegal.
Yes, we absolutely do.
For example: it’s illegal for any company to request any PII when doing a return for a product, unless explicitly required to facilitate the return. For example, if someone needs to come to your place to pick up the return then requesting your address is within reason.
But if you bring the product back to the store, and have the receipt and payment method (debit/credit card) then it is illegal for them to refuse to process the return if you decline giving out your name, phone number, email address, home address, or any other PII.
Canadian Tire had a few lawsuits within the past decade regarding exactly that.
Stores still regularly insist on it saying “it’s store policy and they can’t return the item unless I give that info”, but I flat out tell them what they just asked is illegal under Canadian privacy laws and their tune quickly changes.
I used to work at London Drugs up until very recently and their POS systems still prompt for that information. I never asked for it simply because I felt it was an unnecessary violation of privacy but I was there for years and nobody mentioned it was actually illegal.