Just bought a 2m section of flexible tube for a gas stove, and the sales clerk asked first for my phone number, to which I replied “I don’t have one”. Then she asked me for my name, to which I replied “I’ll pay in cash”. She then insisted it was so “the cashier will call you by name”, to which I replied “I’m not giving you my name, I’ll pay in cash”. [Edit: she apparently got a bit upset when I refused to give info, but ended up entering “no name” according to the receipt]
Am I wrong for not wanting to give personal data for an item paid in cash, in person? No other hardware store ever asks me for my personal info.
This happened to me once when picking up pool filters and other supplies. I was paying with cash and the woman asked for phone number. I told her I didn’t have rewards with them or anything and she said they had to get name and number for anyone paying cash. The whole situation was ridiculous. I thought about giving a fake name and number but instead I just decided to leave. It was only a few hundred dollars worth of stuff, and the store won’t notice if one person stops shopping there. Though if enough people did what I did, they’d take notice. You never know if you’re refusal will be the final straw that will force them to change.
They may have one of those magic regulations nobody talks about where they have to report that kind of thing. Some pool chemicals are pretty reactive and are purchased in large quantities.
If that were the case then they’d be demanding actual ID, not taking your word for it.
More likely: saves on a fight over lost proof of purchase in the event of a return which– if it’s a purchase of hundreds of dollars– makes good sense. Just recite the details you gave and they can probably pull up the receipt.
I don’t know of a single retailer that doesn’t have a POS system, as opposed to the old-fashioned dumb register where totals are entered manually and receipts printed ad-hoc and not saved digitally. I work retail and we used to have a system where if you didn’t print your receipt, it was a huge kerfuffle to get one after the fact. Now it’s as simple as searching the time, date, and register number… details customers obviously don’t always remember themselves so scanning your loyalty card is easier. Which you can of course sign up with under a fake name and mailing address.
First name ‘Not’, last name ‘Provided’. Can spell it if you want.
Just a theory but…
That’s probably to aid in the event of a return or refund for faulty goods, but you’ve lost the receipt. Paying cash leaves no other proof of purchase.