Giving postcode when shopping

[lady_p_gold]

When I was in L A recently I noticed it is customary to be asked for your zip code when making most purchases and I was surprised when people gave them so readily.  However I now find out that American zip codes can apply to vast areas, unlike our postcodes which can narrow it down sometimes to just a few houses.  I have noticed that a couple of places are asking for postcodes when you shop now ... surely you are within your rights to refuse (unless perhaps getting a refund for faulty goods or something) as I do not particularly want the people behind me to know my address etc. etc.

[maggie01]

Usually when they do this in ASDA they ask if you would  mind giving your postcode so you can always say you would rather not. Its to find out how far people travel to shop at the store

[andy hughes]

I always reefuse to givve any personal information without a very good reason. In the days of cheques, cashiers would always ask you to 'Pop your address on the back ..." which would then find its way onto junk mailing lists, which the stores sell to mailing companies. I will always refuse, and if an argument ensues, I will leave the store without the purchase - but it hardly ever comes to that.

Stick to your guns, privacy is eroded every day, let's not help those who do it any more than we have to.

[Oneeyedvic]

I walked out of a shop when they said they couldn't sell me the goods without putting me on their system - which included my full address.

Companies who sell televisions will always ask as they give the information to the BBC for licence fee info

[Gef]

They don't give the info the the BBC, they give it to the TV Licencing people and they have no choice. Don't see a problem with that.

[lady_p_gold]

But do you have to give it when you buy a television ? What if the guy serving you was a weird stalker ... ??? !!!   Thanks for your replies anyway, I am going to refuse in future.

[Oneeyedvic]

Gef - always curious - do travelling folk have to give tehir addresses? And what about if you are buying it for a friend?

[lady_p_gold]

That's a thought .. what if they asked you when buying a TV and you said well I can give you my address but the TV is for someone else ... and you might not even know their address if it was a friend at work or something ... 

[Gef]

When you buy a TV the retailer is obliged to ask you the address of the premises where it will be installed (not necessarily your address). If the retailer fails to give this info to the TV Licensing people then he can be fined �1000.

Have a look at http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/tvdealers.jsp

Sorry but couldn't find any info about people with no permanent address, ie travelling folk, folk who live on canalboats etc.

[Plutus]

The requirement to give your name and address when buying a television is just typical government stupidity. If you are a normal honest citizen you will be sure to have a licence at the address given.  If you do not believe in having a licence you just give a false address - either way a complete waste of time.

[londongirl]

I worked in a store where we had to ask for postcodes on refunds, to be honest the only reason we did it was to try and make sure people weren't refunding regularly.
These never left our store, so its not because we wanted to send you junk mail. And if you really wanted then you could give a false one....same with tv licenses, when I worked at Argos you could easily give a false address. As long as you knew the postcode & street name elsewhere.