Refund situation at ebgames

[Talon]

Not sure where to put this as no one was sucky.

Here's the situation. Today I took a stroll down to my local EBGames outlet, hoping to get a copy of Silent Hill Origins. They were sold out, but I did find an older PC title in their bargains bin. Only there was only one CD in the box. The gentlemen behind the counter wasn't sure if the game needed 2 discs, no indication on the box. I decided to risk it and bought it.

Crappy, the game does require two discs. I've just bought a nice shiny frizbee. So I go back to return it. There's a different gentlemen behind the counter this time. He tells me in order to do the return, he needs to see my ID.

Even though I didn't need ID to buy the game to begin with, I showed my driver's licence. Here's where things get dicey: he gave me a form asking for my name, address, phone number to fill out. That set off warning bells in my head. Exactly why does EBgames need this info? What are they doing with it?

Not wanting to make a scene, I tried to play it cool, and padded the form with phony info. Then I realized: ah hell this guy's got my DL right in front of him, he'll spot the fake in a second! I asked the guy what the company needed my info for, he didn't know. I caved, crossed out the fake info, and put in my real info. Sure enough, he checked the form against my DL. I honestly felt like a criminal at that point, and not a very clever one either. So I took the honest approach, told him I wasn't comfortable with EBGames' data mining act. At least he was sympathetic. I got my money back.

I have no beef with either salesman. I wasn't sucky, but I do think I should have been more assertive. At least I should have asked explicitly would he have refused the return if I didn't allow my ID to be recorded. In case anyone thinks I've fallen to SC thinking "It's not the money but the principle" nonsense, it's not. It's a question of privacy: is EBgames selling my data to telemarketers so I can get even more annoying calls at suppertime? Worse, what if EBGames' database of customer info gets compromised by a hacker? Even if they had the means to notify all their customers of the hack, would they do so? Publicly admit they've been hacked? I doubt that!

I've no wish to get the EBGames employees in trouble, but I'm seriously thinking about going up the chain of command to ask what they're using my info for. So my question to other members is this: does your store force you to data mine customers? What would you have done in my situation?

[sunhasfallen]

I can't speak for ebgames, but when I used to work in retail my store would collect this information to try and stop scammers.

[Dreamstalker]

I've been wondering why some stores need that info as well...my understanding at least from having to do so at Target was to discourage habitual returners (i.e. track the number of returns in a time period). That return was sans receipt though so I could understand why they needed that info.

But to require such for returns with a receipt...I don't get that.

The game store had a "club" of sorts using names and phone #s...most customers were cool with joining (free, and you get a store credit after spending a certain amount), but a few went absolutely batshit with "You're just going to sell my name!" (er, unless your last name is unique there's very little someone could do with just that).

I always wondered what would happen if the network was cracked.

[Talon]

Ah yes Dreamstalker I forgot to mention, yes I kept the receipt.

If the guy doing the return had told me the data collection was an anti-fraud measure, I probably wouldn't be making it an issue. Except that he didn't know why the info was being collected. That's what got me worried.

[lordlundar]

It's actually required by law. Because of the way they operate, they are considered a pawn shop and are required by law to have the information on hand. For example in the event of stolen property.

The information actually stays in the store and not sent to corporate. The only situation where that would happen is if there is a large criminal investigation going on.

( I made it a point to ask when I worked there)

[Dreamstalker]

Huh...is that only for EBGames/stores dealing in expensive widgets, or any store that sells both new and used stuff? (the game store doesn't take any info when buying used things)

[Boozy]

Huh...is that only for EBGames/stores dealing in expensive widgets, or any store that sells both new and used stuff? (the game store doesn't take any info when buying used things)

It has nothing to do with selling, it has to do with buying. EB Games offers cash or trade-in value for games. That makes it subject to pawn shop laws that require positive identification whenever a product is sold or returned to the store.

I know, it was a return, not a sale. But pawn shop laws don't differentiate. They're trying to prevent fencing of stolen goods.

[Dreamstalker]

Ah. The game store I worked at only gave store credit, possibly to get around that issue.

[iviles]

When I asked they told me it was incase any of the games were stolen so they can track you down and ask questions. Sounds weird but I have bought a lot of used games with stickers, names, and other marks. I used to have to do that with my movies everytime my exhusband went to the field and took them because we would have a ton missing and aquire new ones as well. It was a way for the wives to track down movies that we didnt want to lose like the Disney locked back in the valt ones.

[Broomjockey]

If the guy doing the return had told me the data collection was an anti-fraud measure, I probably wouldn't be making it an issue. Except that he didn't know why the info was being collected. That's what got me worried.

Betcha $10 the guy's a short-timer, and therefore doesn't actually care. Nothing particularly wrong with that, but an employee not knowing why a procedure is excecuted shouldn't set off warning bells, unless they're acting really shifty or uncomfortable.

My theatre needed name and phone number on any ticket refunds, because they needed to be able to make sure that staff weren't just returning randomly found tickets, so if there was an audit, they'd be able to see any patterns, plus look up people and see if the phone number matched the name. Too many non-matches, they'd look and see if there was a common cashier.

[powerboy]

It doesn't bother me on it, since they told me it would help from scammers. Hell I like prices being low.

[marty]

I know it's state law here in NC doing anything involving the handling of cash.

Besides the whole pawn shop thing, it helps us to identify people who possibly steal from other places and try to trade/return things at our stores. Checking ID for returns is not mandatory, as far as I know, but most of our systems require us to type in all of your info and it makes it go a whole hell of a lot faster than asking you each question. I'm not sure why he checked your info vs ID unless their store has had a lot of problems with returns. That and the return of PC games is prohibited unless it's a special case (such as yours or if the discs are defective, in that case we'll give you another copy of the same game.)

As far as the hacking thing goes..as far as I know, none of our stores are constantly connected to the internet. I know of a few that still have dial-up, and everytime a CC has to go through, it has to dial. The name/address thing is limited to each store--if we take your info at one store, it won't be accessible at a different store. And I assure you we don't sell your info to telemarketers. We used to do customer service calls but I haven't had to do that crap in a year and half..

But yeah, agreeing with Broomjockey, that guy sounds like a seasonal who wasn't let go in time.

[Andara Bledin]

I know that with a lot of the larger store chains, there is a service they are part of to help detect returns fraud that requires the compilation of data like that.

^-.-^

[draftermatt]

I've never understood people's reluctance to giving out info like that when req'd.

Yeah it's private info, but it's also (for most of us) in the phone book. Not exactly rocket science to figure out where someone lives or their phone number.

Not to mention Google.

Unless your'e asking for my credit card number or SS# and have a reason as to why you need my info, then you'll most likely get it.

[Andara Bledin]

Unless your'e asking for my credit card number or SS# and have a reason as to why you need my info, then you'll most likely get it.

And someone's SSN is only $25 if you know where to go. $35 for the President of the US.

^-.-^