Two Stores, Two Policies

Carpet cleaner with rugs gathered for cleaning in basement.

     It should have been a routine visit to a hardware store.
     I asked a clerk about renting a carpet cleaning machine. She quoted me a price. Another employee--a person with some authority--showed me how to operate the unit.
     So far, I was a happy customer.
     The clerk handed me a rental contract form. It required me to fill in my home address, my email address, my home telephone number, and my cell phone number. On the top of the form, in large type, was the name of the corporation that built the machine.
     Alarm bells rang inside my head.
     I asked the clerk if this personal information would be sent to the corporation. She confirmed my suspicion.
    I conveyed to her a polite objection. That corporation, by obtaining my personal information, could spam me with email. They might call me with marketing pitches. They might even sell my information to other companies. 
     I asked her to not pass along my information to the corporation. She said it wasn't her decision. The man in charge strolled over. He did not agree with my request.
     I said I wouldn't give away so much personal information. His reaction was brusque. He mumbled something and wheeled away the machine.
    Several miles away, another hardware store rented carpet cleaners. I paid it a visit. All they wanted to see was my driver's license. No personal information would be kept or shared. Fair enough.
     The first hardware store lost a once loyal customer. The second store, because it respected my privacy, gained a new and long term customer.