this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2026
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Mildly Infuriating

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Just bought a 2m section of flexible tube for a gas stove, and the sales clerk asked first for my phone number, to which I replied "I don't have one". Then she asked me for my name, to which I replied "I'll pay in cash". She then insisted it was so "the cashier will call you by name", to which I replied "I'm not giving you my name, I'll pay in cash". [Edit: she apparently got a bit upset when I refused to give info, but ended up entering "no name" according to the receipt]

Am I wrong for not wanting to give personal data for an item paid in cash, in person? No other hardware store ever asks me for my personal info.

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[–] Xtallll@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 2 days ago (2 children)

"I'm Devin Null, but I prefer Dev, I live at 777 segfault drive, phone number (192) 168-0101."

Hopefully someone is going to lose a day tracking that down when they validate the database.

[–] Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Last time I bought something at Dunhelm Mill in the UK:
"Can I have your email address so we can send you the receipt?"
"Lol, no."

Edit to add: OP should have said: "Coincidentally, my name is Cash. Johnny Cash."

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[–] adistantmirror@lemmy.world 39 points 2 days ago (1 children)

My doctor's office had a space on the form you fill out when you come in that said nickname. So just for fun I put in Your Royal Highness. I didn't realize that was the name they called when they were ready for you to Go to the exam room. They had to repeat it twice before I noticed.

[–] phx@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

LoL. I wonder if they were amused or annoyed by that nickname

[–] PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago

MD here 100% the staff and provider got a kick out of it. Top notch giggles m8.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 47 points 2 days ago (4 children)

It's not your fault, but it's also not the cashier's fault.

Their boss signed up for some shitty customer management app under the guise that you can get online receipts or see high-value customers and sell to them.

Best you can do it no, sorry I don't want to give out my information, If i'm going to be tracked, I'll just buy it online.

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[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 21 points 2 days ago (2 children)

No they're gathering data to sell you shit. Fuck them, the employees may be mandated to ask for it though so don't be hard on them. Feel free to lay into management if they make a stink about it.

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[–] expletivedeleted@lemmy.zip 34 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

No, not wrong. But I usually give a silly name, like Glutomis Maximus! Yes, there is an exclamation point in the name.

Had a server who laughed at this and retorted, "oh, so it is an ironic name, like they called the bald stooge Curly."

Yes, I have no ass. Bitch. I am going to tip you so hard now. 30%.

[–] Trigger2_2000@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Biggest Dickus, I want a Biggest Dickus. /s

[–] expletivedeleted@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Hilariously, I am wearing a Monty Python shirt at this moment,

"I fart in your general direction."

Did I find a soul twin?

[–] Trigger2_2000@sh.itjust.works 1 points 13 hours ago

Wouldn't say quite a soul twin, but I like it too.

In case you haven't seen it, look up Red Dwarf.

[–] Snapz@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago

Well you see now this is just a but embarrassing... my name is actually "Fuck-Home-Depot"

[–] myplacedk@lemmy.world 214 points 3 days ago (8 children)

"So the cashier will call you by name" means they don't care if it's your real name, just react when they call it.

[–] Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de 41 points 3 days ago (2 children)
[–] Kevlar21@piefed.social 49 points 3 days ago (2 children)
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[–] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

As a webdev, I'm proficient in coming up with names to test the limits of the interface. I would probably have to stick to ‘Konstantin Konstantinovich Konstantinopolsky’, since they are unlikely to accept the last name of ‘O'er-thirtythree-thirtythreefootfences-Istretchmyleg’.

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[–] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (2 children)

Bruno is my go-to name. No matter where I am in the world, Bruno sounds right.

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Yeah, places have done that on and off since the 2000's. Brick and Mortars want your data just as much as online places.

It's always been easy to just say no and move on and if they insist because their managers are corporate junkies, I've always given out random area code + Jenny's number along with any given random name. Dirk Diggler will live on buying things as long as I live.

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 144 points 3 days ago (17 children)

Not wrong at all. More people need to learn to say no instead of mindlessly complying to every request.

Like the guy at Walmart that wants to look at your receipt when you leave. I just say "no thank you" and keep on walking.

[–] diemartin@sh.itjust.works 57 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I always found that really weird. Like, what's the point of self-checkout then? Just hire a damn cashier, or two.

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[–] normalentrance@lemmy.zip 4 points 2 days ago

I live near a microcenter and they are like this. I had to pick up an Ethernet cable and I just paid cash. When I didn't want to tell them my phone or email the cashier looked at me like I kicked a puppy.

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 2 days ago (2 children)
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I work in retail at a small business. Our boss wants us to get the name and email of everyone we can. He's got some belief that it's useful. It is nice to get someone's name just so we can connect a receipt to a name in case of a return. None of us really push it much though, I don't even ask if people are buying something small.

[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (2 children)

You're not weird or paranoid. They're assholes. I have a catch-all email address for my mail domain, so I test clerks who ask on those rare occasions. "BestBuyCanSuckmyBalls@mydomainname.tld."
It's entertaining to see the look they get when they're faced with typing it in or just taking my fucking cash.

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[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I used to work for a major outdoors chain, and since so many cashiers would just skip past the phone number prompt to speed things up, corporate started tracking a cashier's phone number capture rate, and if it fell below like 95% it counted against the cashier in their evaluations.

I just got good at making up random numbers using local area codes.

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[–] Crashumbc@lemmy.world 36 points 3 days ago (2 children)

No some shit is stupid. I once took 20 minutes on phone trying to cancel ADT because "I had to give a reason" to which I refused.

[–] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 29 points 3 days ago (3 children)

"Because I don't want it anymore" should be reason enough.

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[–] Babalugats@lemmy.world 66 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A new water company (currently the government want to privatise these) was checking water meters last week. long story short they broke one and the cap on the hole keeps popping up outside my house on the pathway. Rang them today to tell them about it "what's your address?"

I had to obviously give them that - I guess I could've said I was a neighbour, and just given them the location. Wanted my name and phone number. I said "I don't want or need to give that, I am just telling you about the manhole cover."

"I need to get your name and phone number to continue"

"I don't know my phone number, my name is private Jones. I have been put on hold two times already. a lady and a child already tripped over this cover, I don't care if you can't continue. I have given the information, and it won't be me that anyone sues if they break something tripping over it."

I stayed polite and we ended the conversation. but holy shit. You are not wrong to not give it to them. They are wrong for persistently asking for it.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 41 points 3 days ago

I had the same issue when I called a utility company to report a cable hanging about sedan level on the street. I was on my way to work and got annoyed and said something similar: it's your cable, so if it damages someone's car or decapitates a motorcyclist, I guess the lawyers can cal you. What's your name?

They thanked me for the time and when I got off work, it was fixed. 🤷‍♀️

[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago

I don't think you will find someone on Lemmy who thinks you were in the wrong here. Unless you are buying something that is legally regulated and requires you to identify yourself there is no good reason to be demanding personal identifying information. I always just say "no thank you, I get enough junk mail and spam already" and try to keep it friendly. Every once in awhile they might insist and I tell them I am not going to do that and then they give up. I think most cashiers are at best ambivalent about their employer and don't really care about enforcing company policy, as long as you are friendly and respectful they would really rather just drop the issue and move on with their job.

[–] riquisimo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

First thought was that they were flirting with you.

...I guess not though.

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 29 points 3 days ago (7 children)

Why the heck did they ever need to call your name? For stuff like starbuck, sure, but then it's entirely unnecessary since number can works too. These practices are unnecessary as heck and work as a way to gather data. Unless required by law(pharmacy, for tax reason, etc), If any shop asked for name/phone i would've just say no, if that's unacceptable i would walk.

[–] diemartin@sh.itjust.works 22 points 3 days ago (7 children)

I'd dare say not even Starbucks needs to know your name. You should get an order number/code like everywhere else.

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[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 16 points 2 days ago (2 children)

My name's Mantis Toboggan, and my phone number is 8647 6767

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[–] Bruncvik@lemmy.world 49 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (30 children)

Local area code + 8675309. Used it since the early 00's. As an added bonus, many places have discounts set up for that number.

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[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

I would just play the witchy card, true names have power. Plus im onto that fey crap, you may not have my name, you can call me John. Now would you mind holding this iron horseshoe?

And no your not wrong, refusing to feed the infromation economy is the first steps to freeing yourself from it. It is effort, the modern world has too many traps, but you can do it.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 44 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I remember Barnes and Noble asking for my phone number to buy a paperback copy of 1984.

I was like nah man.

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[–] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago

Machine Mart (UK) has done this for decades. Back in the day, before the internet was a thing, they would use this database to send catalogues. I became suspicious of it and started providing bogus names. They currently greet me as Yuri Tarded and I say 'not so bad yourself'

[–] myyass@lemmy.world 25 points 3 days ago

My name is Sargent Slaughter and my phone number is 867-5309.

[–] Pistachio@lemmy.zip 32 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I now use 8675309 because I'm old and the people taking my "info" don't catch on or don't give a fuck.

I also give the name "Nünya" and tell them its French

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 27 points 3 days ago

They don't care either way.

They are working retail jobs and harassing you for personal information is just one in a long list of things they have to do to get paid.

I myself just go with a "no thanks" , "I'm good" or sometimes a "I don't believe in (thing they are asking for)"

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Saul Goodman 1 (505) 503-4455

[–] CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world 34 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I’ve told people “I don’t have a phone number” on autopilot because that’s what I always say when they ask for me email address. I’m sure no one believes I don’t have an email but I KNOW they don’t believe me when I say I don’t even have a phone number. No one has ever pushed back through they’re like oh… uh, ok? Then I just get on with the transaction. It’s not like they won’t sell it to you if you don’t have an email or phone number. I’ve never felt the need to fully decline giving a name I just give them a random name if need be. I think you handled it just fine, if you don’t have to and you don’t want to, don’t! Exercise your agency!

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