As someone who has worked in Sales and Marketing, I completely understand a company wanting to gather demographic information and normally, I don’t mind but they are starting to get a little too intrusive for me. Everywhere we shopped on our cross country trip, cashiers would ask for our zip code. It was funny to see their reactions when we said we didn’t have one ~ in reality, we really were homeless for those couple months.
Since arriving in NY, I’ve been asked for both zip code and phone number. Zip code is OK with me but phone number is off limits. Today, FG got her ears pierced. I had to sign a waiver since she’s under 18 and they required ID from me. At first, I showed my military ID but when I saw she was going to enter my social security in her computer, I asked for her to use my driver’s license. I still didn’t like that she entered my full name and birthdate which is now used a lot for medical records identification.
Then, I purchased a pair of leggings, for cash with exact change, at “Limited, Too.” They have way too cute clothes for girls. The cashier asked for my phone number to which I said was “unlisted.” She then asked for FG’s birth-date which made me REALLY CRANKY. Why can’t they just ask “How old is your child?” That’s really the information they want.
If companies keep annoying me like this, I’ll have to always pay cash and will refuse to give ANY usable information at all. I’ll be that person in the Visa commercial who gets the nasty looks for paying with cash 😉
Displaced Beachbums 
I just tell them I don’t care to give that info out and when they insist, on the phone# I give them my old one! 🙂 You don’t have to give them the info, it’s an invasion of privacy not to mention all the identity theft going on.
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They ask for the birthdate because they send a special coupon during the child’s birthmonth.. I think 25% off. Still a sneaky way to collect marketing info.
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