Can a company website refuse to allow me to sign up without a mobile number?

user1977

unholyangel said:

Imo a policy that makes a mobile number mandatory would possibly fall foul of this. 

If it were (unlawfully) discriminatory then I'd expect to have seen some relevant cases reported.

eddddy

unholyangel said:

The company can have any policy they like, as long as it doesn't directly or indirectly discriminate against protected characteristics. 

Imo a policy that makes a mobile number mandatory would possibly fall foul of this. 

I suspect many companies have carefully trained their call centre agents in how to deal with this.

For example, if you call them and say "I don't want to provide a mobile number" - they'll reply by asking you why.

• If you answer, "because I don't want to be spammed" - they'll say that a mobile number is mandatory.
• If you answer, "because of my age/disability, I don't have the dexterity to use a mobile phone" - they'll offer a suitable adaption/alternative

whalemoney

custardy said:

Of course its lawful. They can sell/not sell to whomever they wish.
Using your supermarket example.
Tesco have a special set of instore prices only available if you provide them with personal details. They call it Clubcard.

What on earth are you on about.  My example is a supermarket wouldn't be allowed to refuse entry.  So your Tesco Clubcard example is utterly ridiculous.  Tesco aren't refusing to allow entry to customers that don't have a clubcard are they.

whalemoney

MarkN88 said:

The bottom line is your going to need to provide it or not have access to that website/service. 

That's useful.

user1977

whalemoney said:

custardy said:

Of course its lawful. They can sell/not sell to whomever they wish.
Using your supermarket example.
Tesco have a special set of instore prices only available if you provide them with personal details. They call it Clubcard.

What on earth are you on about.  My example is a supermarket wouldn't be allowed to refuse entry.

Why wouldn't they? I mean, it would be a bit odd for them to have such a policy, but who would stop them from introducing one?

whalemoney

vacheron said:

whalemoney said:

Hi I'm noticing that a number of websites are demanding mobile numbers now in order to send a verification code when signing up to their websites.  I refuse to give my mobile number as it simply isn't necessary.  They're clearly doing this so they can either spam your inbox with texts and promos. (Myprotein a big offender in this regard) and/or they're selling the number onto other companies that call and generally hassle you........

They are "clearly doing this" because they provide two-factor security (as do many others now) to prevent fraudsters from accessing your account. 

Yeah I guess that's a real concern we should all be mindful of, fraudsters accessing our accounts to gain fraudulent access to the exact gyms we use.  It's on the rise apparently.  Fraudsters have given up on hacking bank accounts etc they're just all going to gyms using other people's identities.  They do this so that they can put on some bulk and then make money modelling activewear etc.  It's known as a longcon and these cyber criminals a making hundreds, if not thousands of pounds.

unholyangel

vacheron said:

whalemoney said:

dinglebert said:

Yes it is perfectly legal.  They are doing it to protect themselves and you, ensuring that they are actually dealing with you and not someone pretending to be you.   You analogy with supermarkets is also wrong.  

Again, how does a mobile number verify an identity?  I'll wait.

https://lmgtfy.app/?q=how+does+two+factor+authentication+work
Please have a read as all these replies you are firing off accusing everyone of everything are really starting to make you look rather foolish. 

OP said 2fa doesn't verify your identity, and they're correct. 


All it proves is they had access to your device, and it doesn't even need to be physical access. So while it may potentially make the account more secure and prevent randoms from brute forcing (aka guessing) it doesn't in any way prove the person accessing the account is who they say they are - like seeing them and their driving licence/passport would. Nor is a mobile phone number more secure than an email address, landline number or a postal address (it's actually less secure). Plus, better security could be garnered from limiting password attempts before it locks you out, than comes from requesting a mobile number. 

Lastly, how much security does a gym account need? If it really needs to be secure then the most secure way would be no online access at all. Or a random code generator that's a physical device/not online. 

Abbafan1972

whalemoney said:

Hi I'm noticing that a number of websites are demanding mobile numbers now in order to send a verification code when signing up to their websites.  I refuse to give my mobile number as it simply isn't necessary.  They're clearly doing this so they can either spam your inbox with texts and promos (Myprotein a big offender in this regard) and/or they're selling the number onto other companies that call and generally hassle you.  I am trying to sign up to Hussle (formerly payasugym) and I cannot do so without first providing my mobile tel.  Customer service have replied to my complaint stating that I can't sign up without a mobile number.  They have refused to provide a reason why my number is needed.  I have been a customer of Hussle in the past and therefore I know first hand that the mobile number isn't in any way linked to your user ID, so the gyms you go to don't require any kind of mobile verification.  It's not as if they need to text you a code every time you go into a gym, so it's completely unreasonable to request customers hand over their mobile number.

My question therefore is it even lawful that companies can withold services if you don't obey to their demand of disclosing private information such as this?  If customers were to walk into a supermarket and security were to tell them "you can't enter unless you disclose your mobile number" they'd soon be in trouble. I can't see how these companies can get away with this, especially as the number has nothing to do with accessing Hussle gyms, logging into the app or logging into the website.

With regards to entering a Supermarket - a loose example of this is if you want to use the Scan & Go (I use Asda one).  You have to provide your mobile number and an email address.  Then when you want to get a scanner you have to enter your mobile number and it automatically recognises you.  I don't have a problem with it to be honest. 

PragmaticMoneySaver

whalemoney said:

Again, how does a mobile number verify an identity?  I'll wait.

Very easily! 

Whilst it is "only" a gym online account as you have mentioned previously it is nonetheless an account where your personally identifiable information (PII) is stored.  The business has a legal duty to take reasonable precautions to safeguard that information.  The mobile number doesn't verify that your information is correct in the sense of identity verification, however, the individual (you) who provided that PII also provided the mobile number and so it is reasonable that the person holding that mobile number has access to that PII.  So in this case Yes a mobile number does provide a level of authentication to allow the business assurance that you should be able to access/view/amend that information.

PragmaticMoneySaver

unholyangel said:

Nor is a mobile phone number more secure than an email address, landline number or a postal address (it's actually less secure). 

I'd beg to differ.

In the scheme of multi factor authentication a mobile number relies on the "something you have" principle so you physically have to have the device.
An email address has no physical presence so cannot be the physical element of something you have.
A postal address is "somewhere you are" so addresses another principle