Say No To Compulsory Sign Ups !!!!!!!!

windswept

I only use sites that require registration if I am going to be a regular, like with amazon.
On my website I do not make customers sign up with an account as it does put people off. I do need a phone number when someone orders though, especially as a lot of my products are fairly high value and it is another security / anti fraud measure that you can check to verify your customers identity.

BoltonMinx

IMHO I believe that online, fraudsters make the requirement to positively identify customers a must. The question is really to what degree is reasonable, especially as in some sectors, proving you have adequate fraud controls is the only way to receive rebates from the financial companies handling the transaction.

So if a shop was selling high value / risk items then I'd expect them to have quite a bit of customer verification. But if they sold items in the lower value end of the market I'd balk at filling in a lot of information.

Saying that, it is quite difficult to prevent data from being gathered about us and not just from the usual suspects electoral roll, BT phone book, credit reference agencies etc etc