FC: Duncan Frissell on the morality of gaming Safeway Club Cards

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Previous Politech messages:

"Brad Templeton on terror probes, and grocery discount cards"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-03830.html

"Fed up with those supermarket discount cards? Make your own"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-01677.html

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Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 14:35:03 -0400
From: Duncan Frissell <frissell () panix com>
To: declan () well com
Subject: Wired News: Gaming the Safeway Club Card

Libertarians who have been concerned about those who provide false 
information to obtain shopper's discount cards (or swap the cards or 
barcodes after obtaining them) can relax.  At least as far as Safeway is 
concerned, there's no contractual breach.  A spokesman with apparent 
authority to bind the Corporation has informed us that Safeway doesn't mind 
how creative its card users <get:%A0>get:

http://wired.com/news/print/0,1294,59589,00.html

For its part, Safeway isn't concerned about Cockerham's project and shrugs 
off any Big Brother accusations. "It's an odd sort of prank with not any 
significant impact at all on the operation of our card business," says 
Safeway spokesman Brian Dowling. "We work hard to protect the privacy of 
our customers, and don't believe there is any sound rationale behind what 
(Cockerham's) doing. But he can do whatever he wants."

One can assume (in the absence of contrary evidence) that other companies 
share the same attitude towards their customers.  So I don't want to hear 
any more lectures about how we have to provide truthful info on card 
applications or forgo the discounts.







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