Oh, and OP? Suggestion for you for next time. Use 289-459-1088 next time you want to order from them. See what happens.Sparkster wrote: ↑ I just went to place an order with Canada Computers & Electronics Yesterday.
I had about $800 in computer components in the cart and then went to the checkout.
Checkout looked fine so I clicked 'next'.
Screen went dark and a small white box comes up in the middle: "Please verify your mobile number for checkout"
Options are "OK" or an "X" to close the popup.
After much fiddling I found there is NO way to go through the checkout unless I give them a valid mobile phone number, and let them verify it via SMS.
Here's the problem. I don't have a cell phone. I mean, I DO have one. An old Nokia basic phone that "lives" in the car for emergencies.
It's on a pay as you go plan that costs me 30 cents a minute if I use it so I am not giving out the number for it. It does what I need it for. Nothing more. Nothing less.
I'm not sure if it does texts or not. It only has the standard alpha/numeric 12 button pad. (So "texting" is extremely difficult even if it could do it.)
Call me a Luddite if you want. I'm 70. Really into computers and electronics. But I have no need or want for a cell phone. To me it would be a useless expense with no value in return.
(For what it's worth, 40% of Canadians over 65 - that actively use the internet - don't have smartphones. StatsCan data.)
Is this even legal? It appears to be discriminatory to demand you supply a mobile number they can verify.
I opened a trouble ticket about it and the response from Customer Service essentially said "We must verify who you are so that's why we must have this. 'Thanks for understanding'."
I'm pretty sure I could go into 7-Eleven, buy their cheapest phone, a SIM card, and a $25 card, all paid for with cash, activate the phone, and do exactly what they ask.
How would that verify who I am?
My last order with them was mid-March. So around 45 days ago. Didn't have to supply/verify a mobile number then.
Doesn't placing an order and paying for it by Visa, Interac, or Paypal give them all the information about me that they should ever need?
I might be wrong but the only reason I can think of for them doing this is to get a verified mobile phone number they can spam with texts about the latest deals and special offers.
Opinions?
I did make it clear I don't have a cell phone on that ticket.
This was the reply:
"Privacy" is becoming a thing of the past it seems.
C