Republic (maybe other stores) demanding email address before purchase

bod1467

misssarahleigh wrote: »

My example. When I fill out the dentist form it asks me how much I drink and smoke of at all.

They have legitimate medical reasons for asking this, as smoking and drinking can affect the health of your gums, hence your teeth.

System

bod1467 wrote: »

They have legitimate medical reasons for asking this, as smoking and drinking can affect the health of your gums, hence your teeth.

Yes what a ridiculous example, there is a difference between handing over an email address to a shop and providing pertinent medical information!

misssarahleigh

bod1467 wrote: »

They have legitimate medical reasons for asking this, as smoking and drinking can affect the health of your gums, hence your teeth.

goater78 wrote: »

Yes what a ridiculous example, there is a difference between handing over an email address to a shop and providing pertinent medical information!

I understand the medical need, but really don't think the question is a nessacery part of my routine examination. Why not ask how much fizzy pop i drink, how much orange or citrus fruits/juice i eat, how much chocolate/crisps i consume etc etc

There's a long list of things that isn't very good for your mouth and teeth, but they only ask those 2 perticular questions. I personally drink a lot of fresh orange and do so through a straw to slightly reduce the effect of citric acid on my teeth. That poses more of a risk to myself than 1 bottle of fruit cider a month, but they don't ask that.

Plus, i've never actually seen the dentist read this bit of paper nor does he mention it during my examination, so not much use really. Should he personally ask in relation to an issue i have i will answer truthfully, but until it's relevant, i choose not to.

And i agree that shops can impose any conditions they like. Thats not to suggest those conditions are 'reasonable' (although the email quesiton isn't unreasonable) i think what the OP is saying, is that if the conversation as stated is correct, then i would prefer not being 'forced' into giving my email address (fake or real) in order to make a purchase so they can later send me emails i don't want (if real) that they will then sell to others (which they do)

geordieracer

Bit silly not answering a health professional questions about your health and how you look after yourself before they do an examination on you. Whatever your reasons.

misssarahleigh

geordieracer wrote: »

Bit silly not answering a health professional questions about your health and how you look after yourself before they do an examination on you. Whatever your reasons.

I answer all questions related to any HEALTH and MEDICAL conditions. If they would like to assess my teeth based on my diet and the alcohol/smoking questions fine, but they don't and this information isn't mentioned during the exam.

And they are not health professional questions. If my dentist asked i would. These are run of the mill questionnaire's given to everybody.

Anyway, but off the OP's topic so shall not comment further as i'm stealing their limelight lol

geordieracer

misssarahleigh wrote: »

I answer all questions related to any HEALTH and MEDICAL conditions. If they would like to assess my teeth based on my diet and the alcohol/smoking questions fine, but they don't and this information isn't mentioned during the exam.

And they are not health professional questions. If my dentist asked i would. These are run of the mill questionnaire's given to everybody.

Anyway, but off the OP's topic so shall not comment further as i'm stealing their limelight lol

misssarahleigh wrote: »

My example. When I fill out the dentist form it asks me how much I drink and smoke of at all. I write across the section. None of your business. I have done before for something else as they may WANT to know but they don't NEED to.

So your dentist does ask you then? even if its on a form they give everyone who registers it is still your dentist- A health professional - who is asking you a question relating to your health.

System

If you don't think the question has any medical relevance I don't understand why you think they are asking the question? What do you think they would use this information for if not for medical purposes?

Obviously republic want your email address to send you marketing information. However I can't think of any reason (except for medical reasons) why a dentist would be interested in how much you drank or smoke!

Cleany

Heh thanks sarahleigh :-)

Anyway a lot of people are saying shops can serve who they like, but surely that's simply not true. What about discrimination and disabled access laws?

I've no problem if they did it to me, they would serve me without any information you can be sure of that. The real point is that people who don't know their rights or understand about privacy (a big issue at the moment in case anyone noticed) are simply going to get conned into giving up their email address. Ok this would mostly mean getting more spam, but I'm not ok with that nor are a lot of people. And that's the best case scenario. Email addresses can be used fraudulantly as I hope everyone is aware.

misssarahleigh

geordieracer wrote: »

So your dentist does ask you then? even if its on a form they give everyone who registers it is still your dentist- A health professional - who is asking you a question relating to your health.

goater78 wrote: »

If you don't think the question has any medical relevance I don't understand why you think they are asking the question? What do you think they would use this information for if not for medical purposes?

Obviously republic want your email address to send you marketing information. However I can't think of any reason (except for medical reasons) why a dentist would be interested in how much you drank or smoke!

Would you like me to start a thread so we can discuss this further? i'd be quite happy.

brook2jack

The fastest increasing cancer in the UK is oral cancer. More people die of it in my area than cervical cancer.

The biggest risk factors are smoking and drinking. A lesion in a non smoker/moderate drinker may not need the urgent investigations that a similar lesion in a smoker/drinker would.

The most prevalent disease in the world is gum disease, the two factors affecting it are cleaning and smoking. Some gum treatments are not suitable for smokers or have vastly inferior success rates.

Some antibiotics prescibed for dental problems interact with alcohol.

Excessive bleeding after extractions etc can be dangerous, one of the factors that can affect clotting times is drinking. Dry socket infections after extractions are most often started by smoking.

Certain dental treatments eg implants have a vastly reduced success rate (less than half) on smokers and many dentists will not do certain treatments on smokers because of poor success rates /risks of complications.

Should I continue?