The buy-one-get-one-free sales that you get with your discount cards at area grocery stores could soon become a thing of the past. A Colorado state lawmaker wants to ban the discount cards on the basis they’re unfair and unregulated.
This would make me happy if it were to go through. Being someone who’s fairly concerned about security and privacy (especially after all of the recent civil rights violations that the lovely “Patriot Act” has provided for Joe Sixpack), I find this practice to be quite slimy in general.
I think the worst part about this is that you have no idea what they are doing with the data they track. They claim it’s to reward loyal customers, but how? I have never recieved any additional benefit for them tracking my shopping habits other than the same sale prices that everyone else who uses the same cards. Anyone out there have anything in particular at a grocery store which they’ve gained by letting someone collect data about them? Maybe a free store branded slinky came in the mail at random for you? What qualifies as a “loyal customer”? I’d love to know how they are “rewarding” loyal customers other than the can of Kuner’s Peas for 20 cents off.
I have gotten coupons (that I don’t use) in the mail a few times. They were all related to something I bought w/ my SooperCard, obviously.
It was generally spooky. But so is retail in general.