Mr Lee, shall we form a club? I've just stormed out of Canadian Tire, they wouldn't give me a refund without my disclosing to them my phone number I made one up but it was too late in the discussion by then and they didn't believe me. I left the goods and receipt on the counter and told them to shove it

This happened to me also. I didn't give them my phone # and told them it was unlisted for a reason (although it's not), and that they didn't need my number to make the purchase.

I received a full refund after about ten minutes of arguing my case.

What is that all about anyway?

I've argued it successfully in Superstore (well, if 10min, 2 managers, 2 refusals and then finally they agreed counts as a success!) but no luck in Canadian Tire today. I should have given a fake one off the bat, but it annoys me so I always decline so that it at least goes on record that X number of customers are refusing to give their personal info. If we didn't get 20 junk calls a day I might not have been as reluctant also...

I have no idea about consumer rights/privacy laws here, so I couldn't argue any better than I did. I'd have shuffled off home with my goods and made a written complaint if the 2 staffers hadn't been so utterly rude. Still, cut my nose off to spite my own face by leaving the goods and receipts there, didn't I?! I expect they've put them aside in anticipation of a complaint though

Don't suppose you could tell them that you dont have a phone?

I always get asked here when paying by cheque for my phone number in case it bounces. I am ex-directory for a reason so I have been giving out a false number for years now!! No one checks just a thank you.

Can you send someone else in for you to sort it out? Maybe they could pretend to be a lawyer

I always start with "ooh, sorry, don't know it off by heart yet" - and everywhere except Superstore and Canadian Tire today have taken that without batting an eyelid. I guess it's a convincing line with the foreign accent. Valid point though, not everyone even has a phone... They should make it clear you need to be a phone-owner and willing to share your number before you shop there

I shop in the US at least once a week and they're always happy to make up a phone number or stick in a blank zipcode for me... not sure why these 2 twerps at CT were so hung up on "store policy" today. For a whopping 12.99 item I might add Perhaps because it's 85 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and they were at work

On occasion we give out our fax number, which is unlisted (so no reverse lookup), if they do call they just get the fax tone. One time I gave them their own number and they put it in the system and did not even notice

That's brilliant!!

Aha - that's a good idea.

A knowledgeable Brit sent me this link - http://www.privcom.gc.ca/cf-dc/2006/361_20061114_e.asp - seems it's my tough, they can store my phone number if they want and they tell you about this on the back of every receipt now (since the complaint in the link was received I suppose).

The gits! Mr Lee, let's march

Is it displayed in the store though? I had a recent heated discussion with someone at Boots about there policy and was told it was clearly displayed. When I asked where I was told on the back of my receipt never looked there and told them what idiot puts it in a place no one looks!!:curse:

You need the Rejection Hotline

Local numbers for Canada:

403-775-9982 Calgary
780-669-5270 Edmonton
905-963-0318 Hamilton
519-488-2355 London
514-667-0361 Montreal
613-686-3620 Ottawa
647-476-4910 Toronto
778-786-8557 Vancouver
250-984-0686 Victoria
204-272-3976 Winnipeg


Rob.

That's karma-worthy, thanks Rob, I'm memorising mine now!!!

Ooo that's great! They have other numbers too, like "bad breath notification" number!!

Yep, it's on the back of the receipt - I checked another one, I've never looked there before either. It's not on the back of my Mark's Work Wearhouse receipt though and obviously they have the same policy.

But it seems I've got no complaint, the smarmy twits can insist on it, it's my tough luck. I'm not a big customer there anyway but I won't buy from them again. I'm still amazed that a phone number isn't considered personal data (ex-directory so patients can't bother Mr B at home) and can be stored for spurious reasons like that. But now we all know

Funny that none of us willingly give them our real number though... is that a sceptical Brit thing or are Canadians giving them made-up ones too? If so, in what way does it stop fraud?