Why do they require personal details on purchase laptops?

Hi all. Sorry if this is the wrong forum i'm new here.

Wanted to ask if this is common with others. I will not name the shop to advertise it or give a bad name. All I can say they have shops all over the world and are well known.

Now on to my question/encounter. I had been replacing some computers at home and spotted a nice laptop for a price that was about double last time I saw it, thus I grabbed the box and walked to the cashier to make my payment.

I never use credit cards or other cards and like to pay in cash. So she first asked what is your area code? And i said that I don't like to give that kind of information. She replied and said its a area not at your door.

Again and friendly I denied her request and asked if we now could continue the payment. She said sure. I need your ID to make up the paperwork for the case the product is not working and must be returned.

For a moment I thought she was making a joke and said I never had someone asked me this question. And to try get out of the issue told her its a present for someone else and giving my personal details would be of no use at all.

Now the strangest thing happend. She pressed the button of her mic and requested security. I stood there stunned and people behind me in the line also looked in disbelieve.

To make a long story short. When security came I said keep your product and consider me no longer a customer of your store. And was then escorted out of the shop like I was some kind of criminal that had been caught.

Why do they want to bind personal details to laptops/pc's? Is this normal? And did i do right or acted like a paranoid lunatic!?

 

Re: Personal details required at purchase laptop

Hi mdev,

Not sure where you live, but here in the UK we have a pc store that is nationwide, and I had an issue with them similar to yours although it didn't result in any security guys being called in, but rather me just walking out.

I wanted to buy a printer, took it to the checkout and offered my payment by debit card in the normal way. I was then asked to give my address details, and I asked why, and was told by the cashier this was normal store policy. I then told him that it was none of the stores business where I lived and if the store wanted my custom then to simply process my transaction.

This seemed to throw him and he said he didn't know how to proceed without entering the details. I told him if he couldn't accept payment for an item that a customer wanted to purchase... then I would take my valuable custom elsewhere. I promptly left the store, leaving the printer on the checkout.

As it happens, I then went to another similar store nearby, and found the same printer but at a lesser cost. I felt quite pleased when the checkout went as normal, no intrusive questions asked, and me feeling happy.

It seems to becoming that big stores think they can get all sorts of private data at these checkouts. Well I simply refuse to participate in such practices.

In your case... just look at it as a little drama you entered into there and laugh it off. If you ever go back to that store again you will now be prepared in advance for these antics at the checkout and can respond in whichever way you feel appropriate at the time.

 

Re: Personal details required at purchase laptop

Here it is customary on most purchases with a receipt (manual receipt) to give a name and address. The accepted address is normally just a general location such a city or neighborhood name not exact address.

 

I was using MasterCard at Radio Shack for a $75 purchase. The young fellow asked for my address, I was in a hurry and said no. He became flustered and didn't know what to do but fortunately a supervisor was near and heard me say "Ring it thru or put it back on the shelf" (I was nicer than that...) and the super jumped on the boy and said "Ring it thru.......". Yes, Radio Shack wanted to mail their flyers but those were just clutter to me.
So, the Security Escort is a bit surprising......