Do you agree to these terms and conditions? BAA!
Please enter your postal code. BAA!
You must enable cookies to view this website. BAA!
Last month, I had resolved to complain less using this blog as my outlet, but it’s so darn easy. And I'll be brief.
Everybody wants a record of where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing. Have a click on the typical privacy statement hidden in the deep folds of the website you’re on. Your computer has already gobbled up the info needed to remind you of the last three items you’ve browsed, what your local store address is, and on many sites, you have to unclick the ‘remember me’ tab to opt-out instead of opting-in (a perpetual pet peeve of mine). And even though I’ve repeatedly unsubscribed to their messages, I will often get a marketing email, just to keep me in the loop, in case the 15 times I’ve asked to be removed from the mailing list was just a typo. If you want to buy something or sign up for their service, prepare to be stalked. Not only will they share your email address with companies they feel you would like, how thoughtful, but first you must acknowledge their 5000-word terms of agreement that says they can collect any data they want, including your ISP to locate your address and your browser history to see what kind of websites you go to. Who needs nosy neighbours when our every move is being monitored by our computer. At least the old busybody next door isn’t selling your purchase history to marketing firms without your implicit consent. I’m not sure if it’s paranoia or common sense to cover my integrated web cam (maybe iTunes just wants to put a face to my name and credit card number?) More often than not, many people freely give personal information away rather than appear rude to the checkout person asking for your postal code before they can proceed or your phone number to record all your purchases in one convenient place. What companies offer in return, if anything, does not seem worth it. Yes, we’ll give you this download for free, you just have to allow us access to your hard drive, or the generous 5% discount you’ll receive on your $15 purchase from Old Navy for providing your email address gives them access to you long after your purchase of clothes that didn’t even hold up one season. Some cards are better than others, but several points cards, all designed to collect data on your purchasing habits, are almost insulting: when I spend a total of $1000 in merchandise over time, I get $10 off my next purchase, which expires in one month; or, for thousands of dollars’ worth of gas, you get a free bottle of windshield wiper fluid. Feeding off our need to feel a part of the club seems to be a strong motivator for our actions and companies have capitalized on it. Contrary to Mitt Romney’s statement: “Corporations are people” and the US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold this notion, this law does not make them your friend. Follow us on Twitter, take our survey, win a contest, Facebook us, stop in for a complimentary BBQ hotdog—no, thank you. If you were on my side, you would give me a discount without signing up for a three-year contract, not make me bend over backwards for a 10% discount on your lucrative mark-up, and stop calling me to say you’re in my neighbourhood cleaning heating ducts and would be happy to fit me in to the appointment schedule. I can’t help but think you may be disingenuous when you call me twice a year and I tell I don’t have a furnace but you don't listen.
Okay, so I had a little more to say about this matter than I thought. But now, I really have to go because I'm the 1,000,000th visitor to this ad at the top of my screen and as you know, opportunities like this don’t come around too often.
