After my walk out at Relay Jeans, Greenacres on Saturday I walked past Jet Stores and popped in to see if maybe they had some jeans that would catch my eye.
And, yes, they did have some that were on a special – buying two pairs would give me 21% off of both.
A quick trip to the fitting room and I took the plunge – of course the Scrooge in me was working overtime when I worked out that I would be getting two pairs of jeans for the price that I would have paid for one pair at Relay Jeans.
And so, I joined the queue – at least this Jet Store has properly demarcated queues
Getting to the counter to pay the cashier asked me for my ID Number, I enquired why as I would be paying cash and do not have accounts.
The answer was that in order to qualify for the discount I had to provide either an ID Number or a Phone Number.
Now, that in itself is strange as nowhere at the jeans counter or at the pay counter is there a notice to that effect.
So, I gave an ID Number – not my own, paid cash and left with a smug grin.
Apparently the reason why Jet Stores ask you for your details is so that they can spam you with more marketing messages.
Providing your phone number will link your in-store transaction to a unique customer profile.
Loyalty Program Integration: If you are part of their Thank U loyalty program, your ID or phone number is the unique key used to look up your account. This ensures you earn points, receive discounts, or access personalized offers tied to your membership.
Targeted Marketing: By associating your purchases with a unique identifier, Jet can track your buying habits (e.g., you frequently buy children’s wear or men’s formal shirts). This allows them to send you targeted promotions and advertisements via SMS or email that are more relevant to you.
Basically Jet Stores guilt you into providing your personal details.
BUT, here is the kicker:
While Jet Stores are within their rights to collect this data for their stated business purposes (like loyalty, returns, and security), they must adhere to POPIA’s principles, including:
- Only collecting data that is necessary.
- Informing you of why they are collecting the information.
- Securing the data to prevent misuse or leaks.
If you are not a loyalty member and are uncomfortable providing the information, you generally have the right to decline, though this might mean you forfeit the ability to return the item without a physical receipt or participate in their digital programs.
At no stage in my conversation with the cashier did she inform me of why Jet are collecting the information – all I got was a standard dummy response of that it was the store rules. At no time was it mentioned that it could also be used to honour a return in the absence of a receipt. That would have been the kicker to encourage me to actually provide my correct ID Number.
Rules are meant to be challenged!
