RadioShack puts customer personal data up for sale in bankruptcy auction

[Eugene]

Source: PCWorld

RadioShack puts customer personal data up for sale in bankruptcy auction

Jared Newman
PCWorld
Mar 25, 2015 7:23 AM

For years, RadioShack made a habit of collecting customers’ contact information at checkout. Now, the bankrupt retailer is putting that data on the auction block.

A list of RadioShack assets for sale includes more than 65 million customer names and physical addresses, and 13 million email addresses. Bloomberg reports that the asset sale may include phone numbers and information on shopping habits as well.

The auction is already over, with Standard General—a hedge fund and RadioShack’s largest shareholder—reportedly emerging as the victor. But a bankruptcy court still has to approve the deal, and RadioShack faces a couple legal challenges in turning over customer data.

As Bloomberg points out, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has argued that selling the data would be illegal under state law. Texas doesn’t allow companies to sell personal information in a way the violates their own privacy policies, and signage in RadioShack stores claims that “We pride ourselves on not selling our private mailing list.” Paxton believes that a data sale would affect 117 million people.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2901028/radioshack-puts-customers-personal-data-up-for-sale-in-bankruptcy-auction.html

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Ok, who didn't see that coming?

Never gave them a real name, address, or phone number when I did business with them back in the day.

[hughee99]

22. I didn't, but only because I figured they

We're already selling them. On the upside, someone is about to buy a whole bunch of out of date addresses.

[Kelvin Mace]

26. Yeah,

30 year old mailing addresses will be very useful, which is the last time Radio Shack was a going concern.

[Initech]

31. I used to give my address as 123 Fake St.

[FBaggins]

2. Nothing unusual there

I doubt that they have a choice... It isa company asset.

[Xipe Totec]

3. All three of them? nt

[Sherman A1]

4. Charming

simply charming.....

[bemildred]

5. I guess we need to copyright all our "personal information" to keep these weasels from

thinking they can buy and sell it like turnips. Information is free, except when some capitalist wants to sell it to you at a high price.

[brooklynite]

14. No, all you have to do is decline to give it to them.

[bemildred]

19. I already do that.

And I avoid businesses run by the sort of assholes who make their employees harass me about it too.

[hobbit709]

6. Whenever a store wants my phone number I give them the local time and temperature number.

[IDemo]

7. I always gave them 867-5309

Even though I don't resemble anyone named Jenny.

[Fawke Em]

9. I'm just honest and tell them it's none of their business.

Why do I need to tell them anything to give them money?

[JimDandy]

23. When I declined to give my phone number, UPS REFUSED to mail my package

this past Christmas time.

I then gave them a made up phone number. The woman asked if I actually could be reached at that number and I said no---and she accepted my package anyway!

[Nye Bevan]

11. When a store asks my zip code I say 90210 (nt)

[reflection]

18. I do the same thing.

Bought a pair of shoes from a low-end shoe store recently and handed out that phone number. The young lady behind the counter squinted at the screen, screwed up her face so tight all of her piercings clinked together, and said "Mr. Tutone, you sure do buy a lot of shoes!" Apparently someone or several someones had the idea before me.

[Jenoch]

8. Now I am glad that I never gave them

any of my contact information.

[Nye Bevan]

10. Someone's going to know that I bought a 4-pack of AA batteries there in 1998 (nt)

[pipoman]

12. Sounds like a waste of money

Who gives accurate info to anyone asking these questions? And didn't RadioShack change policies a few years ago and quit asking?..

Until 2004, RadioShack routinely asked for the name and address of purchasers so they could be added to mailing lists.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RadioShack

[Rex]

13. So does this mean I will now get spam to buy batteries?

I doubt I even gave them a real address, been so long that I don't remember. Doesn't Standard General own all the Dollar General stores?

[AllyCat]

15. Great. My husband gave them our phone number years ago and every time I went in for so

much as a battery, they knew who we were (small town) and would punch in the name and up popped our phone number. I never could get rid of it.

Wonder how many pieces of junk mail and stupid tele-marketer calls we will get now. And yes, I am on the Do not call List. They call anyway.

[sendero]

16. They are just continuing to do...

.... what got them to bankruptcy, fucking their customers.

[TRoN33]

17. I haven't shopped radio shack for well over 20 years.

Now I'm glad that I didn't!

[tosh]

20. All those earthlink and juno email addys?

Have at it!

[Orrex]

21. A dismal shithole to the very end.

[lpbk2713]

24. The main reason I shopped there only a handfull of times.

They would ask personal info even on cash purchases.

I won't miss Radio Shack.

[Gormy Cuss]

25. Why are old, out of date contacts still valuable?

1. Because by following data bread crumbs they can be updated and made current. Een if you gave an invalid ZIP or phone number this is easy unless you paid with cash.

2. Because this database represents consent to the owner to data mine and profile individuals.


We need real privacy laws in this country.

[Faux pas]

27. I shopped at radio shack once, maybe

20 yrs ago. Moved a lot since then and sure didn't have email then. On the subject, it's dastardly.

[Wella]

28. Another reason to pay in cash and not use store cards or ID

Or the store should start compensating us--at our price--for our information. I want a cool million for mine.

[awoke_in_2003]

29. Oh know...

people are going to know my address is 1224 Oak Dr, Hurst, TX. That is the fake address I always gave them when I had to deal with them. I hope they wasted money on postage sending to a fake address.

[orleans]

30. i just saw this & was looking to see if anyone posted about it yet

radio shack--ugh!

i like what was written near the end of the article:

"Why this matters: As if RadioShack wasn’t obnoxious enough when you had to turn over a phone number just to buy a cable splitter. Now, the store’s trying to go back on its promise to keep that data to itself."

yes. as if radio shack wasn't obnoxious enough is exactly right.

[raven mad]

32. I'll probably be on the list, even though I never gave them any info.

I paid once with a credit card. That's all it takes.