A retailer requests my personal details

[[XAP]Bob]

abuse@<company_website>

It's an RFC mandated valid address, and should stay on their own servers...

If you know their CEO's email address then that's another option.

[Ruadh495]

Halfords. Again the excuse is an e-receipt and since I was buying a number plate I had to give all kinds of details anyway...

but they do use the email to send spam.

[Pastychomper]

I read an article years ago about a possible way to deal with this. I'm pretty sure it was in the Feedback column of New Scientist, probably in the '90s, but I couldn't find it on a quick search.

A customer was paying by cheque for an item and for some reason had to give his address, so he wrote a short contract on the back of the cheque - along the lines of "Mr X's details will not be used by Company Y for any marketing purposes. If they are, Mr X. will be damaged, and the damage will be to the value of £1,000. Acceptance of this cheque will be taken as acceptance of this contract."

The story went that the cheque was accepted after some discussion, and a few weeks later, Mr X started getting junk mail from the company. He complained to them the first time, and when that didn't work he took the company to court and won the £1,000.

As for me, I'd also refuse to buy any small item if the shop wanted details like my address. It's probably cheaper on Amazon anyway, and they never ask for my... oh wait...

[rmurphy195]

Pesonal details, email address, do you want our credit card - I just politely refuse, never been a problem.

Nearly shot myself in the foot the other week though as we were at the ceckout in Debenhams - my wife was making a purchase and gave the habitual "No thankyou" to the credit card offer, just as I was looking at a sign that said "20% off purchasestoday if you take out and use our credit card". "Does that mean we get £20 back?" I asked. "Yup" was the reply. This then became a no-brainer, we got the reduction immediately, card will be disposable!

[Cyril Haearn]

What about info on these fora, some do not use pseudonyms, should we be careful with our political opinions/facts for example?

[Cunobelin]

Your email address does not have to be anything to do with your personal details.

I have lots... even my car keys have their own address so I can be contacted if they are found.

Simply use that email address for these purposes, then move the receipts to a receipt folder. IF you start getting Spam, simply discard the addresss and start with e new one

[Cyril Haearn]

Hardly get any spam these days %-)

I only have two private e-mail addresses! One of those is in my real name but I hardly use it

I would not want to discard the other, there must be thousands of mails on it, I have given the address to many people who might contact me after a gap of years, who knows?

[Cuddly Ocelot]

I just have an email address which is given to all retailers such as these. It my "junk" email address and is never opened. Saves a lot a "spam" clogging up my in-box.