A few weeks ago I purchased several items from a local CT. I made it as far as the parking lot when I realized that one of the items was packaged incorrectly -- the contents of the box were not what they should have been. So I went to the return desk. The woman working the desk was the same cashier who had sold me the product not five minutes earlier, and she remembered me. I had the original receipt, the original CT money, even the original bag (not to mention the debit card I had just used to buy the item), but they insisted they needed photo ID to do a return. Nobody, including the idiot "manager" who was called, knew why they collect the information, what they do with it, or how long they keep it. Ultimately I was able to return the item without showing my driver's licence.
Yesterday, however, I had purchased an item from a different location and went back to exchange it for a higher priced item. Once again, I was at the same store where I purchased the item, I had the original receipt, original CT money, the debit card used to purchase it, even the original bag, but they insisted on ID. The manager came and gave me what seems to be the standard nonsense about "fraud, " telling me they keep the information for 2 years and use to it see if anyone is making "too many" returns.
Following a huge fight they ultimately refused to do the exchange without photo ID. Not wanting to give them any more of my money than I already had, I relented and provided ID, but I won't be back.
And all this for an item costing less than $10.
According to an article I found online, Canadian Tire customers in British Columbia and Alberta have filed complaints under the Personal Information Protection Act regarding this policy. I'm not sure when this was filed, but the date of the article is 2006. Things seem to have changed since then.
In British Columbia, the customer filed a complaint concerning the amount of personal information requested, although Canadian Tire did provide her with a refund without receiving this information (something they generally won't do now).
The B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner concluded that the Canadian Tire store provided notice of the purpose for its collection of personal information through a posting at cashier stations, the written notice on the front and back of the sales receipt, through its privacy policy and through the oral notice that store employees gave to customers when the return transactions were initiated. He found that the notice was just barely adequate, as he felt that identifying the purpose "to prevent fraud" should actually be clarified further. He also concluded that the personal information being requested was necessary to conclude the transaction.
The Commissioner objected to the fact that the personal information was retained on the computer system indefinitely -- now they state that they retain the information for two years.
He also found that the store in some cases asked for photo identification to confirm identity but the store does not record the personal information from that identification. This no longer appears to be the case: it seems that CT is recording personal information from customers' ID, but it may not be information like driver's licence numbers (see below).
Two Canadian Tire stores in Alberta also received complaints about their refund practices. However, these investigations focused on the collection of driver's licence numbers. The practices of the two stores varied. The Calgary store asked for name, address and telephone number, and asked the individual to confirm identity with photo identification. This personal information was retained in the store's computer system. The practice at the Sherwood Park store was to collect name, address and telephone number from the customer and then to ask for picture identification such as a driver's licence to confirm identity. However, this information was not stored in the store's system.
Both stores agreed that simply authenticating and confirming the identity of the individual returning goods is sufficient for their loss prevention purposes. The Office of the Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner concluded that this was a concession by the stores that collection and retention of driver's licence numbers is not necessary for the business purpose of deterring fraud. The Office concluded that the Calgary store had contravened the Personal Information Protection Act by requiring customers to consent to collection of personal information that was not necessary.
The Calgary store agreed to stop collecting and recording drivers' licence numbers. The store agreed to record only that the name and address had been confirmed with photo ID, as well as type of photo ID reviewed by the staff, but not the driver's licence or other particulars of the ID itself.
I have emailed CT regarding their policy and requesting my personal information be removed from their system. I doubt they will comply, but it's worth a try.
But I'm sick of being treated like a thief by businesses trying to make money from me. I won't shop at a place that requires the provision of personal information for a simple exchange (especially when it's the store's fault!), or that doesn't trust me enough to carry a bag in their store, but expects me to happily entrust my belongings to their care.
Yesterday, however, I had purchased an item from a different location and went back to exchange it for a higher priced item. Once again, I was at the same store where I purchased the item, I had the original receipt, original CT money, the debit card used to purchase it, even the original bag, but they insisted on ID. The manager came and gave me what seems to be the standard nonsense about "fraud, " telling me they keep the information for 2 years and use to it see if anyone is making "too many" returns.
Following a huge fight they ultimately refused to do the exchange without photo ID. Not wanting to give them any more of my money than I already had, I relented and provided ID, but I won't be back.
And all this for an item costing less than $10.
According to an article I found online, Canadian Tire customers in British Columbia and Alberta have filed complaints under the Personal Information Protection Act regarding this policy. I'm not sure when this was filed, but the date of the article is 2006. Things seem to have changed since then.
In British Columbia, the customer filed a complaint concerning the amount of personal information requested, although Canadian Tire did provide her with a refund without receiving this information (something they generally won't do now).
The B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner concluded that the Canadian Tire store provided notice of the purpose for its collection of personal information through a posting at cashier stations, the written notice on the front and back of the sales receipt, through its privacy policy and through the oral notice that store employees gave to customers when the return transactions were initiated. He found that the notice was just barely adequate, as he felt that identifying the purpose "to prevent fraud" should actually be clarified further. He also concluded that the personal information being requested was necessary to conclude the transaction.
The Commissioner objected to the fact that the personal information was retained on the computer system indefinitely -- now they state that they retain the information for two years.
He also found that the store in some cases asked for photo identification to confirm identity but the store does not record the personal information from that identification. This no longer appears to be the case: it seems that CT is recording personal information from customers' ID, but it may not be information like driver's licence numbers (see below).
Two Canadian Tire stores in Alberta also received complaints about their refund practices. However, these investigations focused on the collection of driver's licence numbers. The practices of the two stores varied. The Calgary store asked for name, address and telephone number, and asked the individual to confirm identity with photo identification. This personal information was retained in the store's computer system. The practice at the Sherwood Park store was to collect name, address and telephone number from the customer and then to ask for picture identification such as a driver's licence to confirm identity. However, this information was not stored in the store's system.
Both stores agreed that simply authenticating and confirming the identity of the individual returning goods is sufficient for their loss prevention purposes. The Office of the Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner concluded that this was a concession by the stores that collection and retention of driver's licence numbers is not necessary for the business purpose of deterring fraud. The Office concluded that the Calgary store had contravened the Personal Information Protection Act by requiring customers to consent to collection of personal information that was not necessary.
The Calgary store agreed to stop collecting and recording drivers' licence numbers. The store agreed to record only that the name and address had been confirmed with photo ID, as well as type of photo ID reviewed by the staff, but not the driver's licence or other particulars of the ID itself.
I have emailed CT regarding their policy and requesting my personal information be removed from their system. I doubt they will comply, but it's worth a try.
But I'm sick of being treated like a thief by businesses trying to make money from me. I won't shop at a place that requires the provision of personal information for a simple exchange (especially when it's the store's fault!), or that doesn't trust me enough to carry a bag in their store, but expects me to happily entrust my belongings to their care.
.... Canadian Tire does not in fact store the information because 75% of the employees don't give a shit so they select whatever name comes up unless you appear to be supiscious or act rudely which it appears that the majority of you begin you return process as....So Fuck of and get a life if you want to really stick it to the man run for prime minister and shoot yourself!