Coast to Coast AM: Supermarket "loyalty" cards and how they track you, RFIDs

Coast to Coast AM ^ | 10/1/05 | me

[BurbankKarl]

Katherine Albrecht, founder of CASPIAN, a consumer group fighting against supermarket 'loyalty' cards, will join Liz McIntyre to share an update on Radio Frequency Identification products (RFID). Related site:

[PeterPrinciple]

Green Stamps were a better idea but they sure didn't taste very good.

[Cheapskate]

Hey Karl, I have a Kroger card issued to my mother. but it very seldom gets used(I call it ( THE MARK)

I just don't go there very often.

[pageonetoo]

just get a card under an alias. why give up $$$ into their wallets, when it can stay in yours.

I have three po boxes, in two states. I can send mail to any of them, and keep some of my anonymity... but I can't pass up Breyers for $2.69 (last nite at Food Lion, MVP) v. $4.59 regularly and cokes for $2.99 v. $4.19!

[ovrtaxt]

Man, I keep procrastinating about buying your book.

Seems like you've crystallized the worst case scenario that I've bounced around in my own head. All this Patriot Act stuff, the Able Danger type programs, TIA, carnivore, etc. is all well and good for protecting the country- as long as Janet Reno isn't the attorney general.

Once we elect some nutjob again, we're closer to totalitarianism than we ever were before, due to precedents set by this Administration.

I would prefer a formal declaration of war, and suspension of habeas corpus according to Article 1 Sec. 9, until we're somewhat out of the woods with regard to the Islamists. What are your thoughts? (You'll probably just say 'read the book' and I'll find out!)

[meadsjn]

Recent news reports hold that Able Danger has been shut down and all the data destroyed. Anyone familiar with "disaster recovery", or "continuity of business", recognizes that to mean "restoring the system in another location, and continuing as if nothing happened".

durasell: Potential misuse of data by the gov't can be dealt with via laws.

Apparently not.

LTC Shaffer is on the hot seat precisely because neither party, nor any of the involved agencies, wanted the general public to know about such operations. They could care less about foreign terrorists (who simply provide the basis and funding for the inception of such programs). It is the tax-paying citizens who must be monitored and controlled.

[durasell]

I'm not big on the whole Big Brother thing -- though George Orwell's real name was Eric Blair. What was he trying to hide?

[AD from SpringBay]

Here's what I did - I got the card and never filled out the paperwork. The card still works. Try it and see - fight the power!

[AD from SpringBay]

My theory has always been that those cards are a way to charge people on the government nipple (WIC, Food Stamps, etc...) more for their food since I've noticed a many few times when people on welfare in front of me never have 'the card' - just another way to get big mama D.C. to pay more.

[Beckwith]

It's called behavior modeling and it's based on demographics and psychographics.

Every corporation in America does it to one degree or another.

[sinclair]

I never use my tracking cards when I buy bomb making materials, illegal drugs. alcohol or guns. I only use it when buying toilet paper and Coca Cola products.   

[varon]

Let me see. I have a CVS card, Wegman's Card, Giant Card, Dick's Sporting Good's card,....

You're doomed ;-)

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Dick Swinger Clint Torres Ima Fibbin Agnes Morehead

You left out: Dixie Normus

And Hugh Jass...

[Vinnie]

I had a Krogers card under Wm. Clinton.

Krogers ran a give-away contest for card holders, the prize was a new Buick.

Told my wife just my luck Slick would win my car.

[Veggie Todd]

Peter Dangles Dick Swinger Clint Torres Ima Fibbin Agnes Morehead

LOL Reminds me of the DiNero skit on SNL last year.

[SauronOfMordor]

Yrt another reason to use a made-up name and address when getting the cards

[wtc911]

I never had a card. When they ask if I have one I look befuddled and say "Yes, in my wife's bag." They use a store card to give me the discounts every time (they want you to come back). I do this at Pathmark and Stop & Shop.

[SauronOfMordor]

My card at the grocery store was submitted under the name of George Allen.

And the first time you ever use a credit card to pay for a purchase, the name on the credit card gets tied to "George Allen", and the computer notices that the last names don't match, and that's another data item to mine for

[BunnySlippers]

I HATE supermarket loyalty cards. I am seriously thinking about opening up several with fake names and addresses to stop their tracking me.

[BunnySlippers]

Without the cards you pay outrageously high prices. Why should I pay $3.49 for something when with the card I pay $1.99. Over the whole order it REALLY adds up. My contention is that the item is only $1.99 to begin with and they tack on the extra to make it prohibative to buy ... therefore you get the card.

But shopping without it is throwing away lots of money.

[vrwc0915]

The discount cards are not such a big deal you can always use a different nombre, your credit card purchases are.
I can see big sister ( Thanks for that one Matt) having a big push to eliminate cash in the future as the guardians at the ministry of love can't make sure you are making healthy purchasing choices. Let's see a NYC resident bought some handgun ammo in VT better send SWAT to make sure he has a permit for the pistol he obviously has.