Re: Grocery Store Cards

[Michael Clark <mclark@cdt.org>]

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Trading your grocery store cards with unknown others could be an even 
worse problem. If you fell in the store and decided to sue, but John 
Smith used your card to buy alcohol, the alcohol will still be held 
against you when the grocery store looks in their marketing database. 
Or when the grocery store merges with the health insurance company, 
they'll decide to raise your premiums because "you" buy lots of 
cigarettes, or prescription drugs, or whatever else they don't like 
the look of. It is better to not use the "club card" at all or if you 
do use it, give a fake name, address, and other contact info. Just my 
opinion, Michael


>I remember hearing about the grocery store customer who slipped and fell
>inside a grocery store and decided to file suit.  the customer lost his
>lawsuit.  the grocery store used the marketing info it had gathered each
>time the customer used his "club card" to receive discounts:  that the
>customer purchased a lot of alcohol.  they used their marketing info
>against the customer to prove he had a drinking problem...
>
>Anyways, i don't remember all of the details regarding this case, but i
>do remember a fantasy i had about what to do about it.  what if we had a
>worldwide "everyone trade their grocery discount cards with someone
>else" day! then none of the info would match the customers and their
>databases would be all screwed up!


- --
Michael Clark, Assistant Webmaster
Center for Democracy and Technology
1634 Eye Street NW, Suite 1100    Washington, DC 20006
voice: 202-637-9800    fax: 202-637-0968
mclark@cdt.org         http://www.cdt.org/
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