Menace of asking for phone numbers everywhere

Photo by Maxim Ilyahov on Unsplash

A recent annoying trend is asking for phone numbers everywhere even if it is for having a tea. I was once refused a sale in one of the retail chains when I said I don’t have a phone number just to avoid sharing the number; but because of the commotion I was creating I was allowed to take the goods and pay for it without a phone number.

The moment you share the number there are so many spam calls and messages. It is of no use to complain and get it settled because the design is to make it a problem for us a casual shopper to make it harder and harder to shop without compromising privacy.

The problem is so profound that I had to get a secondary number and make that as sink for all spams but it still links to my name. I am just avoiding spams but sacrificing privacy.

Try the following tricks to avoid giving phone numbers at all

1. Say that you do not have a mobile phone.
2. Sternly refuse saying that you don’t want any loyalty programs, unless you are greatly benefitting from it. That is one way of coaxing you to give your phone number.
3. You will be refused to exchange if your dress does not fit because phone number will be acting as a key to get your bill. Make sure you buy only after trial, let the person in the counter let the security know that you have bought items and not carrying a phone so you can walk away without being harassed.
4. Say you are a NRI and not having a local number yet.
5. Last resort, have a sink phone number for all spammers does help with privacy but reduces spam encounters greatly.