Registration?

[glen ring]

I shoot often and frequent any gun store that treats me good. I am an honest person and I KNOW there are crooks out there. When I use a debit card and someone asks for my ID I have No problem showing them my Driver's license, But there is a gun store here that wants to know my Name, Address and Phone number no matter what the purchase is and even when I pay cash. That makes me kind of uncomfortable so I've started just standing at the counter with cash and I say nothing. What does this store need with all my information if I am just buying components, or a knife and I have cash in hand?

[krgriggs]

I think he has a crush on you! Wants your phone#? Better take your wife next time!

[glen ring]

I hope he doesn't have a crush on me...I think he's from some foreign land..like Kansas!

[jnyork]

He doesn't need that at all, probably selling your info to telemarketers or some such thing. I would find another store and be sure to tell him why.

[PhxShooter]

Another option is to ask him why he wants/needs that info and then no matter what his answer is simply tell him that you will not provide the requested info. Years ago my local Radio Shack REQUIRED a phone number to make a purchase. I used to just make up a number but one day I simply said "No". I was making a cash purchase. The kid at the register became flustered and finally said he couldn't sell me the items without a phone number. Well I got a little loud and demanded to see the manager. He apologized and said that the software had been set up to begin the process with a phone number but they would never refuse a sale because someone didn't want to provide it. He admitted that it was for corporate to use for telemarketing purposes. He then in no uncertain terms directed the kid to put in 7 "9's" or all zeros but to take my money! They ultimately stopped requiring or even asking for a phone number.

I do all face to face transactions with cash and refuse to provide ANY information. I deviated from that practice a while back at a WalMart. I used a credit card at the self service checkout. Well, I hadn't even made it back home and my cell phone rang telling me there was a text message. It of course was from WalMart telling me about some super deal they had going. They now had all my info from my credit card company. Fortunately that was the only contact form WalMart. I use the "Club Cards" for a couple different grocery stores. Of course all the info provided is made up. I then pay for everything with cash ONLY. The first time one uses a credit or debit card for a transaction all the original info on the club card is replaced with the correct info from the credit/debit card.

Because of the careful purchasing practices I follow, I receive maybe one telemarketing call per month and they are the robo-calls that you can't do anything about.

Sometimes the simplest thing to do is to just say "No" then stick to your guns. It will be a rare thing indeed for someone to refuse a cash sale.