Sainsburys - don't want business

Gracewoods

I had a very disturbing experience at my local Sainsburys tonight. I went to buy my daughter a new TV for her xmas. At the very busy checkout I was asked to fill in a form for a TV licence. I said that I am already have a licence and a TV so object to filling in random forms with personal details at a checkout. I went to customer services and was told that I had to fill in the form as it is the 'law'.I asked what law and was told '76'. The 'customer service' person then said that if I refused to fill in the form she would refund my money and remove the TV from me. She would not let me leave the shop with the TV, which I had already paid for. As a large queue was forming I filled in the Sainsburys form and left. I will never shop in Sainsburys again, but am really concerned about the details I have given. I bought a TV from Argos recently and didn't have to give any details. Does anyone have any idea what law I would have been breaking if I didn't fill in the form?

savemoney

Lots of retailers do this not sure if its legal requirement or not but its fairly normal

I doubt Sainsburys were being particularly troublesome

I_luv_cats

It is a legal requirement - the retailers would get fined.

I had to give my details to Argos for a Freeview Pvr and lcd dvd combo.

What personal details are retailers required to record and disclose to TV Licensing when a person purchases or rents television equipment, and how is this done? The Schedule to the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 (as amended) prescribes the information that retailers are required to record and notify to TV Licensing, which is: date of sale/letting; name and address of buyer/hirer; address of where the set will be installed; and whether the device is for colour or black and white reception.
Retailers’ record information electronically or using a paper form supplied by TV Licensing. Most notifications are transferred electronically and processed automatically. The information is held by TV Licensing in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

I_luv_cats

Are retailers required to inform people who buy or hire television equipment that their personal data will be disclosed to TV Licensing? It is up to retailers to inform their customers, in accordance with their obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998, about why they are processing customers’ personal data. The processing of personal data by retailers is lawful because it is necessary for compliance with their legal obligation under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 (as amended).


How much TV Licence fee revenue does notification from retailers generate? TV Licensing’s retailer notification procedures generate around £16 million in licence fee revenue annually (2009).

Gillyx

I work for Morrisons and is now a legal requirement, people getting arsey about it just makes my job more difficult. If you have a tv licence why would it matter to take a few seconds to fill out the form, infact in our store we usually fill it out, just ask the customer the details and fill it out ourselves

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

I bought a TV in Tesco once and (with my permission) they just copied my name and address from my Clubcard details.

Gracewoods

I have a licence, but the TV wasn't for me. If the Act has been in force since 1967, why is it just a recent legal requirement? I have been buying TVs for years and have never had to fill in one before. What is new?

Poppycat

OP your in the wrong so next time dont take it out on the staff or the shop your own ignorance was to blame. Fair enough we all make mistakes from time to time and no one likes given personnel data out under normal circumstances

Gillyx

I think the form says "address at which tv will be installed" not address of person purchasing, but I could be totally wrong.

ERICS_MUM

Gillyx wrote: »

I work for Morrisons and is now a legal requirement, people getting arsey about it just makes my job more difficult. If you have a tv licence why would it matter to take a few seconds to fill out the form, infact in our store we usually fill it out, just ask the customer the details and fill it out ourselves

I would get "arsey" if the person asking me to fill out the form couldn't properly explain why, as the OP described.

Mk14:37

Agreed - though the thread title is misleading, Sainsburys clearly do want business but want to keep within the law too!