Foodtown / Woollies Onecard - It Knows What You've Bought....

[Squeak the Rat]

Just got an email from Foodtown / Woolworths. You can now see recent purchases from your one card on their website! Way cool.

The other cool thing is if you ticked “non-smoker” on your insurance and you get lung cancer, the insurance agency can get this info from foodtown and see that you’ve been buying 8 packets of ciggys for the last 15 years. Choice!

Does any one shop at foodtown / woolies and not use their one card for paranoia/privacy reasons? I don’t use it if my shop consists of a frozen chicken, 2 dozen extra strength condoms, glad wrap, lube and a toothbrush, but apart from that……..

[Pumba]

The one card has only ever been a method of collecting marketing data about who, where, how, and what people are buying so there advertising can reflect this and target specific audiences, now the decided to let us see what we brought as well via the majic of the inter web thingiee.

But hey as long as I keep getting my discounts Ill keep usig it

[Guitana]

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!!!!!!

[judecatmad]

The other cool thing is if you ticked “non-smoker” on your insurance and you get lung cancer, the insurance agency can get this info from foodtown and see that you’ve been buying 8 packets of ciggys for the last 15 years. Choice!

Only if they get a court order - otherwise Woolies/Foodtown are breaking the Privacy Act.

But a good point well made - Fly Buys is the same. They monitor your purchases and send you bonus offers based on your buying pattern.

There was an article in Consumer about it this month.

It's amazing who has personal info about you just from the everyday stuff you do. Kinda scary too, but only if it's misused.

[Squeak the Rat]

True they need a court order, but surely that's not too hard in the example of the insurance company trying not to pay out $100,000 in medical or life costs.

It is a good marketing tool though. And quite cool that you can see what you bought and think eeeek, lay off the booze, biscuits and frozen chickens. Plus they'll get smart and start target marketing - they can inform sue bradford of specials on mung beans for example.

I'm just a little uneasy about all the information collected about individuals, but maybe that's just paranoia. But just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean they're not out to get you!

[Smorg]

I don’t use it if my shop consists of a frozen chicken, 2 dozen extra strength condoms, glad wrap, lube and a toothbrush, but apart from that……..

frozen? Your a hard man

[judecatmad]

True they need a court order, but surely that's not too hard in the example of the insurance company trying not to pay out $100,000 in medical or life costs.

It is a good marketing tool though. And quite cool that you can see what you bought and think eeeek, lay off the booze, biscuits and frozen chickens. Plus they'll get smart and start target marketing - they can inform sue bradford of specials on mung beans for example.

I'm just a little uneasy about all the information collected about individuals, but maybe that's just paranoia. But just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean they're not out to get you!

Hard to prove that you were actually doing the smoking of the ciggies tho - just cos you buy them.....they could be for your significant other and you could have lung cancer from passive smoking (ooh, I shouldn't work in insurance, I should be a lawyer! LOL)

And I'm REALLY starting to worry about this frozen chicken thing you've got going on...!!

[knight rider]

use mine maybe 3 times a week. wollys is 24 hours & since I work late nights right next door to it I can't help but go get a V drink, pie, chocalte, chipies.......

[knight rider]

ohh & the occational apple

[ManDownUnder]

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!!!!!!

FFS - like that's news (not having a go at you Guitana)

Every airport you go through internationally... esp in the US... fingerprinted, thermally scanned, face recognition SW etc... and that's only the stuff they've disclosed.

If I was going to start worrying about all the things I didn't know of I'd lose (what's left of) my mind.

Foodtown card info has always been captured, it's always been stored in a database where transaction patterns are developed over time, and no they're simply publishing it. The amount of data collected is not changing, is simply the presentation of it back to you.

Car number plates are scanned on the Harbour Bridge, every Police contact is recorded etc etc etc.

*yawn*

You want to watch my boring little life... go for it.

[imdying]

Doubt they need a court order... you probably signed your rights away when you applied for the card

You did read the fine print didn't you?

[Squeak the Rat]

The other problem is that you can see fat-bastard information like this

[judecatmad]

Doubt they need a court order... you probably signed your rights away when you applied for the card

You did read the fine print didn't you?

Certainly did Always do!

They can use the data they've collected only for the purpose for which it was collected (ie. they can pass it to other companies for marketing purposes if you've said they are able to do that [I never give that permission!]).

They are not allowed to pass on info for using for a purpose for which the data was NOT collected, without jolly good reason.

However, this very interesting (??? I need to get out more) bit of the Privacy Act states...

"Personal information shall not be collected by an agency—
(a)By unlawful means; or

(b)By means that, in the circumstances of the case,—
(i)Are unfair; or
(ii)Intrude to an unreasonable extent upon the personal affairs of the individual concerned."

Depends on your definition of 'unreasonable extent' I guess, as to whether these agencies are collecting a wee bit too much info. I mean, do really want your supermarket to know all about your regular Friday night dates with their frozen chickens???

[MOTOXXX]

well if i was goign to buy anything i didnt want people to know about i would use cash and wouldnt use some kind of loyalty card.

its kinda like being married and using the credit card to pay for a hooker.

paper trail...

[judecatmad]

well if i was goign to buy anything i didnt want people to know about i would use cash and wouldnt use some kind of loyalty card.

Ooh, but the dilemma......the quicker STR collects points for the buying of his chickens, the quicker he gets a free chicken......what to do, what to do.....