Argos - Asking for e-mail address in store

moneyuser

Use the self service machines and don't get asked

Evil_Olive

I was asked for postcode/house number when buying a telly some years back and was told I couldn't have it if I didn't cough up as it was required by the tv licencing people so they could nab anyone buying a telly who didn't have, or subsequently purchase, a TV licence. Legitimate purpose perhaps but still very 'Big Brother' - what if I didn't have a telly myself and was buying it for someone else? Cue years of hassle and threatening letters/visits?...

elsien

B&Q wanted my postcode and house number but failed to recognise it was their own details I gave them instead.

robatwork

Evil_Olive wrote: »

I was asked for postcode/house number when buying a telly some years back and was told I couldn't have it if I didn't cough up as it was required by the tv licencing people so they could nab anyone buying a telly who didn't have, or subsequently purchase, a TV licence. Legitimate purpose perhaps but still very 'Big Brother' - what if I didn't have a telly myself and was buying it for someone else? Cue years of hassle and threatening letters/visits?...

Melodramatic.

I bought a TV for work last year. Gave them the name & postcode as requested. The TV was purely for training courses to be connected to a PC.

Got two letters requesting TV licence. Binned. That's it.

Hardly years of hassle.

[Deleted User]

Give them this address: spam@barracuda.com

Evil_Olive

Hi robatwork,
I'm speaking from the experience of a friend who refuses to have what he calls an 'idiot box' in the house.

The TV licencing people regularly send him letters which are quite threatening in tone and could probably be quite frightening to a more vulnerable person. He also receives several doorstep visits every year.

This has been going on for over 20 years. He always lets the doorsteppers in to check for any illicit tellies :rolleyes: and has written several times over the years stating that he doesn't have a telly, they've seen he doesn't have a telly, he's not going to get a telly and can they please leave him alone now thank you, but they still keep coming.

I wondered whether this could be construed as harassment or stopped via legal action of some sort but he said he had already looked into that and preferred to bin the letters and let the doorsteppers in from time to time rather than go through the hassle of a legal route.
He'd thought about not letting them in any more but says he enjoys their discomfiture when they can't find a telly

If you google, you'll see that this is very common.

mttylad

If at argos the email address to give is "nospam@argos.com".
If at anywhere else - use the same method

timbstoke

Evil_Olive wrote: »

Hi robatwork,
I'm speaking from the experience of a friend who refuses to have what he calls an 'idiot box' in the house.

The TV licencing people regularly send him letters which are quite threatening in tone and could probably be quite frightening to a more vulnerable person. He also receives several doorstep visits every year.

This has been going on for over 20 years. He always lets the doorsteppers in to check for any illicit tellies :rolleyes: and has written several times over the years stating that he doesn't have a telly, they've seen he doesn't have a telly, he's not going to get a telly and can they please leave him alone now thank you, but they still keep coming.

I wondered whether this could be construed as harassment or stopped via legal action of some sort but he said he had already looked into that and preferred to bin the letters and let the doorsteppers in from time to time rather than go through the hassle of a legal route.
He'd thought about not letting them in any more but says he enjoys their discomfiture when they can't find a telly

If you google, you'll see that this is very common.

His problem is letting them in. The last conversation I had with them was a couple of years ago and went like this:

TVL: Good evening sir, we're doing TV Licensing checks and I notice I don't have a record of a TV license at this address
Me: That's right
TVL: Do you have a TV?
Me: Yes, but it's only used for games and Netflix
TVL: I see. Do you mind if I come in and verify that?
Me: Sorry, I don't allow callers into my home without an appointment
TVL: We can't really make an appointment, it rather defeats the point of us calling
Me: Not my problem. If you want to come in, write to me and make a proper appointment.
TVL: You're not being very cooperative, are you sir?
Me: I don't need to be - I'm not the one who wants to come in.
<end scene>

robatwork

Evil_Olive wrote: »

Hi robatwork,
I'm speaking from the experience of a friend who refuses to have what he calls an 'idiot box' in the house.
He'd thought about not letting them in any more but says he enjoys their discomfiture when they can't find a telly

They aren't the police and have no legal right of entry. He should tell them "until you come back with a warrant and the police you won't be coming in". They won't come back.

dragonsoup

I think I can now top all of these.

I was referred as an NHS patient to the local new shiny private clinic - on check in I was asked if they could take my photograph...