Creepy "Big Brother" moment

January 23, 2018, 12:38 PM

This weekend I checked out a new coffee place in Atlanta. When I made my purchase, I used my credit card. About an hour later, I received a text message on my cell phone from this coffee place thanking me for my purchase and awarding me loyalty points.

This freaked me out and bothers me a great deal. My credit card is not tied to my cell phone and I didn't give these people my cell number. I plan to call their corporate office to discuss, but with all the knowledge here, I estimate that someone can tell me what invasive technology this company used to get my cell number.

January 23, 2018, 12:43 PM

TigerDore

Update: I just got schooled by my tech guys. The credit card capture machine was a "Square". I have used Square before and had the receipt texted to me. Apparently they keep all my info.

Still creepy to me.

.

January 23, 2018, 12:45 PM

HRK

all your data belong to us

January 23, 2018, 12:51 PM

TigerDore

quote:
Originally posted by HRK:
all your data belong to us

Apparently the only way to lose the data is to give it to Hillary or the FBI.

.

January 23, 2018, 12:54 PM

isthatasiginyourpocket

I don't know what's so creepy? When you set up Square don't you have your preferences set regarding how you want to receive receipts? You provided Square with your phone number, they didn't pull it out of thin air.

January 23, 2018, 01:31 PM

Sigmanic

quote:
Apparently the only way to lose the data is to give it to Hillary or the FBI.

^^^

January 23, 2018, 01:34 PM

Perception

Yeah, we use PayPal for a charity I work for. I find that most people who buy things from us are already in the system. We've never sold to them or seen them before, but I can choose to send their receipt to email or text without any entry on their part.

"The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford, "it is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards."
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in."

January 23, 2018, 02:04 PM

Jaywendland1981

How about the UPS delivery guy calling me on my cell phone to let me know he couldnt get into the gate to drop my package off and offering to meet me somewhere close to home, how did he get my number?

January 23, 2018, 02:53 PM

TigerDore

quote:
Originally posted by isthatasiginyourpocket:
I don't know what's so creepy? When you set up Square don't you have your preferences set regarding how you want to receive receipts? You provided Square with your phone number, they didn't pull it out of thin air.

When I paid through Square before, I didn't understand what it was. I was just paying by credit card with the guy that gives me BJJ lessons. When he asked if I wanted my receipt texted to me, I assumed that it was something he was doing, not something programmed into the data base of the third party processor. And I definitely didn't understand that they stored that data, along with my CC info. I didn't give Square that permission and don't like it at all.

January 23, 2018, 02:58 PM

JALLEN

quote:
Originally posted by Jaywendland1981:
How about the UPS delivery guy calling me on my cell phone to let me know he couldnt get into the gate to drop my package off and offering to meet me somewhere close to home, how did he get my number?

Perhaps your sender put it on the form.

Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me.

When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson

"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown

January 23, 2018, 02:58 PM

sig229-SAS

quote:
Originally posted by TigerDore:
Update: I just got schooled by my tech guys. The credit card capture machine was a "Square". I have used Square before and had the receipt texted to me. Apparently they keep all my info.

Still creepy to me.

That is exactly how square operates, to get your recipt you provide them with a email address which is stored for all future transactions with that card. I use square at every art show and my customers have no issues at all.

.

January 23, 2018, 03:30 PM

rbert0005

That’s what cash is for.

Bob

January 23, 2018, 03:51 PM

TigerDore

quote:
Originally posted by sig229-SAS:
quote:
Originally posted by TigerDore:
Update: I just got schooled by my tech guys. The credit card capture machine was a "Square". I have used Square before and had the receipt texted to me. Apparently they keep all my info.

Still creepy to me.

That is exactly how square operates, to get your recipt you provide them with a email address which is stored for all future transactions with that card. I use square at every art show and my customers have no issues at all.

.

If you know what you are signing up for, no issues. I didn't knowingly sign up for this. I get it now.

January 23, 2018, 03:54 PM

LBTRS

quote:
Originally posted by Jaywendland1981:
How about the UPS delivery guy calling me on my cell phone to let me know he couldnt get into the gate to drop my package off and offering to meet me somewhere close to home, how did he get my number?

The sender always puts a phone number in the information when they ship the package just for this reason.

January 23, 2018, 03:56 PM

Ozarkwoods

We stopped the other day at a small BBQ shop in Del Rio before we got back to the motorhome an hour later my wife got a text to rate the restaurant. We paid cash

January 23, 2018, 04:05 PM

TigerDore

quote:
Originally posted by Ozarkwoods:
We stopped the other day at a small BBQ shop in Del Rio before we got back to the motorhome an hour later my wife got a text to rate the restaurant. We paid cash

January 23, 2018, 04:12 PM

slosig

quote:
Originally posted by Jaywendland1981:
How about the UPS delivery guy calling me on my cell phone to let me know he couldnt get into the gate to drop my package off and offering to meet me somewhere close to home, how did he get my number?

I miss my UPS gal (she retired). She used to call if she needed an adult signature and ask I wanted to meet her or if she should pencil whip it and leave the package in a shady spot inside the gate.

January 23, 2018, 04:35 PM

Ronin1069

quote:
Originally posted by TigerDore:
Update: I just got schooled by my tech guys. The credit card capture machine was a "Square". I have used Square before and had the receipt texted to me. Apparently they keep all my info.

Still creepy to me.

.

Square is tied to Apple. In my prior company we used square and I got near weekly calls from customers furious that they received a text or email from us with a copy of their receipt.

They were convinced that we were somehow stealing their data. As tactfully as I could I would always answer the same way, "Don't blame us, Blame Apple".

___________________________
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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

January 23, 2018, 06:37 PM

trapper189

quote:
Originally posted by Ozarkwoods:
We stopped the other day at a small BBQ shop in Del Rio before we got back to the motorhome an hour later my wife got a text to rate the restaurant. We paid cash

Did you use their free WiFi while you were there?