Am I the only one getting put off by the Cabelas' clerks saying Phone Number before taking my money for their product? Or Sportsman's Warehouse saying Zip, before checking me out. I told a clerk at Sportsman's it was none of their business. They wouldn't check me out without a zip. What are we letting corporate get away with? Is it me?
Zip? Phone?
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Tmi
Too Much Information ... I tell them that for a cash transaction they don't need it and if they insist , I insist on taking my business elsewhere . I can keep track of myself so no one else needs to. I'm not trying to be a jerk I just get tired people trying to track me and mine.
Too Much Information ... I tell them that for a cash transaction they don't need it and if they insist , I insist on taking my business elsewhere . I can keep track of myself so no one else needs to. I'm not trying to be a jerk I just get tired people trying to track me and mine.
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I'll offer a different perspective. If you're not 'in their system' with your phone number or address, then you certainly won't be receiving their latest '$20 off your next purchase' card in the mail.
Or, if paying by credit card, maybe they're checking that you actually know the zip that is attributed to the credit card, maybe trying to reduce fraud?
Or, if paying by credit card, maybe they're checking that you actually know the zip that is attributed to the credit card, maybe trying to reduce fraud?
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11,188 Posts
I'm with Shawn on this one. A $20 dollar gift card is pretty nice. AND when they say "Thank you, Mr Recoil Junky, have a nice day" after you check out it's OK with me.
RJ
RJ
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1,404 Posts
Local store does the same thing. When I told them they didn't need the information was informed they use the data too track where there customers were from (I'm rural and there nearest large town). Tends too make some sense but its gotten carried away. If you buy twenty different items at twenty different stores by the end your fairly ticked off about the whole deal.
Our state highway patrol used too do surveys by setting up roadside stops.. They got hauled into court and was ordered too either stop every motorist or quite. Needless too say they quite because of the hassle, traffic interruption, potential traffic hazard and impediment too commerce.
Our state highway patrol used too do surveys by setting up roadside stops.. They got hauled into court and was ordered too either stop every motorist or quite. Needless too say they quite because of the hassle, traffic interruption, potential traffic hazard and impediment too commerce.
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Cash purchase is entirely different; it's legal tender. If you're purchasing a firearm (ammo, some places), then you've already made it through the checks that you need to before hitting the checker. If a checker is refusing to take your cash, then it's an ignorant checker and take it up with store mgmt, then the US govt.
If you don't want to receive mailings with discounts then just use cash with no personal info offered.
If you don't want to receive mailings with discounts then just use cash with no personal info offered.
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Evidently you haven't done any large cash transactions within the last twenty years or so. Any purchases over three thousand dollars paid in cash is reported to the government (suspected drug money). Any cash transactions over a certain amount receives the same treatment. I was going to pay off a debt in which the lender was a total jerk. Had planned on doing this with cash but chickened out at the last moment. During the transaction the lending official commented he was glad I didn't pay in cash because of the extra paper work that would have been necessary explaining the cash to the government. Wasn't too happy with myself for a few days because I chickened out.
Go into a USPS and try buying three $1000 money orders. Plan on filling out some additional paperwork before the transaction is completed.
Go into a USPS and try buying three $1000 money orders. Plan on filling out some additional paperwork before the transaction is completed.
I bought 8 new tires for my Motorhome last month, and paid by check. I wondered why the cashier said she was glad that it was not cash like the trucker just before me. [he bought 10 tires for cash.] I thought it was because she didn't want a lot of cash to take to the bank at closing.
the first experience I ever had with too much cash thing was when I was working for a mortgage company. A guy put $5000.00 cash down on a repo'd house. I wrote him a receipt, then went to the nearby Randall's grocery and asked for a $5,000 money order(it was late and banks were closed). I did business with them all the time and the lady sold them to me without any questions, but the max she could make each one for was $500.00 so i had to buy 10. I came back a few days later and when she saw me she informed me that she had almost been fired for selling me those money orders. I asked her why and was told that apparently it was a red flag and that somehow people launder money by doing that. I asked how would limiting the dollar amount and number of money orders stop someone from from going all over town and buying one at each place. Apparently they weren't interested in stopping the crime just making it more inconvenient for the criminal.
I never did figure out how turning cash into money orders would benefit someone laundering money.
Back to the original point of the post, just smile and give them the wrong information unless it has to do with warranty or credit card info. I like them to know i'm giving them the wrong information, if they ask for a zip code, only give them 4 numbers and when they say thats not enough numbers give them two more numbers, then they say thats too many numbers tell them to scratch one. I have never had them refuse a transaction. The cashier normally laughs and i walk out the door with my goodies.
I never did figure out how turning cash into money orders would benefit someone laundering money.
Back to the original point of the post, just smile and give them the wrong information unless it has to do with warranty or credit card info. I like them to know i'm giving them the wrong information, if they ask for a zip code, only give them 4 numbers and when they say thats not enough numbers give them two more numbers, then they say thats too many numbers tell them to scratch one. I have never had them refuse a transaction. The cashier normally laughs and i walk out the door with my goodies.
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Personally I understand some of the marketing that comes into play when clerks ask for the information. What the genius in management need too realize is this is an invasion of my privacy. Its not needed for completion of the transaction. They have a product you have the money end of transaction a very simple process. Compounding it with needless requests for personal, private information is uncalled for in my opinion.
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13,444 Posts
I don't care about giving a five digit zip code because it's not a unique identifier. I never remember the four extra digits that point to my house, anyway, so they can't get those out of me.
I can't think of any large cash transactions we've done except to buy traveler's checks for going overseas. We get them at the AAA and they've never say boo about it. Of course, they have our member information, so perhaps their computers fill the forms out automatically. That would be easy, since it's probably the only kind of large cash transaction they do regularly.
It's long been the case that bank deposits and withdrawals of $10,000 or more had to be reported to the Federal government. I was blissfully unaware of all the new scrutiny of the smaller transactions. The effect of them is to make money less liquid. It doesn't really have value if you can't spend it. It's a good argument for gold and silver coinage, if your printed money is only spendable with government permission. However, the downside is that there is only so much new production of precious metals in the world and it tends to be a lot slower than the rate of population growth, meaning a hard currency has some inherent deflationary influence as there is no chance for each generation to have as much of it per capita as the last one did. Quite a complicated mess.
Buying money orders or cashier's checks or preloaded visa cards or anything else like that are all potential money laundering devices. Laundering means cleaning. If you have marked bills, you change their form by getting the intermediate instrument, then cashing the intermediate instrument in. Bingo. No marked bills. All cleaned up. Counterfeiters like to do that, too, for obvious reasons.
Still, cash is king in many instances. Privately selling anything to strangers is one example. Computers make it so easy to counterfeit cashier's checks and money orders it is all too frequently woe to the person who accepts them for such a sale. Rackets abound wherein drug gangs use counterfeit M.O.'s or cashier's checks or traveler's checks to buy used cars from people, then drive them straight to Mexico and sell them there for real money. It takes days and sometimes weeks for a bank to figure out the counterfeits are bad. Often longer than clearing a personal check. Their system is antiquated and slow. So those instruments are virtually worthless now, to my mind, and I'm surprised there's still so much business in them as trustworthy instruments. I wouldn't sell a gun or a car to any stranger for one.
I can't think of any large cash transactions we've done except to buy traveler's checks for going overseas. We get them at the AAA and they've never say boo about it. Of course, they have our member information, so perhaps their computers fill the forms out automatically. That would be easy, since it's probably the only kind of large cash transaction they do regularly.
It's long been the case that bank deposits and withdrawals of $10,000 or more had to be reported to the Federal government. I was blissfully unaware of all the new scrutiny of the smaller transactions. The effect of them is to make money less liquid. It doesn't really have value if you can't spend it. It's a good argument for gold and silver coinage, if your printed money is only spendable with government permission. However, the downside is that there is only so much new production of precious metals in the world and it tends to be a lot slower than the rate of population growth, meaning a hard currency has some inherent deflationary influence as there is no chance for each generation to have as much of it per capita as the last one did. Quite a complicated mess.
Buying money orders or cashier's checks or preloaded visa cards or anything else like that are all potential money laundering devices. Laundering means cleaning. If you have marked bills, you change their form by getting the intermediate instrument, then cashing the intermediate instrument in. Bingo. No marked bills. All cleaned up. Counterfeiters like to do that, too, for obvious reasons.
Still, cash is king in many instances. Privately selling anything to strangers is one example. Computers make it so easy to counterfeit cashier's checks and money orders it is all too frequently woe to the person who accepts them for such a sale. Rackets abound wherein drug gangs use counterfeit M.O.'s or cashier's checks or traveler's checks to buy used cars from people, then drive them straight to Mexico and sell them there for real money. It takes days and sometimes weeks for a bank to figure out the counterfeits are bad. Often longer than clearing a personal check. Their system is antiquated and slow. So those instruments are virtually worthless now, to my mind, and I'm surprised there's still so much business in them as trustworthy instruments. I wouldn't sell a gun or a car to any stranger for one.
The clerk is "ignorant" for doing their job as they're asked to? How is that ignorant? Seems someone getting all upset at the messenger so to speak would be the ignorant one for not understanding that person i simply doing their job as they're required to do.
The zip code part helps the store see where they could put more focus on advertising and marketing. the phone number, if you're in their system already gives them an understanding of what products you buy and what way to give you specific marketing methods.
That all being said, I don't mind giving my zip code, what's that going to do? Nobody is gonna track me down with just that. My phone #...just give them a "555-" one and leave it at that. I might give them an old one I don't have now too but they're not getting my home and definitely not my cell #.
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No, I haven't. As with Nick, I'm apparently blissfully ignorant of the restrictions of cash transactions. I doubt that most transactions at Cabela's or others fall into this category. I can understand that tax issues, laundering, and counterfeiting probably caused this.
I can sympathize with a clerk that may have been instructed on cash purchase issues by possibly an unknowing supervisor about $$ amounts. That detail ($$ amounts) has not been provided in any of the posts. Apparently if it's <$3,000 and they're still refusing, seek remedy with store mgmt. Even then, counterfeiting is probably still a concern and different stores likely have differing policies.
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6,280 Posts
I haven't been bothered by giving them that information. I'm a Club member, so they have it anyway.
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I haven't had any issues making $10k+ bank deposits, but again, maybe my credit union already has that stuff figured out.
Along with Gun Control laws, the criminals already know how to get around the laws. The big thing here with the Medical Marijuana is to conduct business in weed, not FRNs.
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I haven't had any issues making $10k+ bank deposits, but again, maybe my credit union already has that stuff figured out.
Along with Gun Control laws, the criminals already know how to get around the laws. The big thing here with the Medical Marijuana is to conduct business in weed, not FRNs.
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