Why do people give out so much information?

Every time you use your Boots Advantage card, your Tesco card, your bank card etc. you are providing data to these companies (who already know your name, address and bank details). Everything you look up on your computer is logged and provides marketing info to allow you to be targeted for advertising purposes. Depending on your phone you may even be eavesdropped on when the phone is not in use.
We are in the age of Big Brother, some people just refuse to recognise it.

Oldwoman 70 To get something for nothing ,who can resist, is at the back of our minds and many have succumbed to answering personal questions and lived to regret it. Cold calls ? I let the caller have their say its their money they are using phoning me, then no thanks ending the call.

Rosina, I think that timeshare scam has been banned in Portugal now but I am sure they still hand out invites to a reception but as long as you know why you are going that is ok.

I foolishly completed an on line questionnaire thinking it was from Sky (which it well might have been) I never usually do them but did on this occasion. Biggest mistake ever. I have around 250 spam emails every day and my phone to start with was forever ringing from all kinds of companies. I managed to block most of them but still months after still get the occasional call come through - I will NEVER ever again complete an on line competition

Useful tip when completing forms online: where it insists you put a phone number you can usually get away with putting the appropriate number of zeros. Works 90% of the time.

We once got a family pass for SeaWorld in Florida for sitting through a timeshare sales presentation, while eating a fabulous American breakfast. When we said we couldn't afford the timeshare now, the teeth were very gritted while handing over the pass. Well worth it!

My mother used to sit and knit through various presentations, just to get the free offers at the end of it. Priceless!

I agree. That is exactly how they get emails from people and eventually, it may not be the ones getting them off you but I believe they are sold down the line. I don't take part in these things at all. I don't think you are a suspicious young woman either. You are just smart and we have to be these days.

I agree with curlilox. I never ever give out more information than the barest minimum and if I'm filling in stuff on line, I only fill in the 'starred' sections. Even on american visa forms you don't need to give them more info than necessary....................! And I wouldn't trust those 'free holiday' people at all

I love word games so entered a competition to win a holiday in Florida America for four people . I won!!! And guess what the prize was?...Accomodation only. WE had to find our own fare. Needless to say, We turned it down

Similar to Witzend, we knowingly attended a UK 'presentation' which was, of course, a time-share sales pitch.

We accepted the holiday (good-quality accommodation, flights included) and jogged along to 'find out about the beautiful resorts'. After several hours, we were still quite happy but... we were asked to leave. Why? The chap presenting (i.e. selling like mad) was a smoker, he needed a ciggie and as he told us, his next 'client' was due in ten minutes. Us 1. Time-share company 0!

We had known exactly what would happen and knew our strategy (could afford it but didn't want their product) and ourselves to be strong enough to resist the silly sales tricks, i.e. ringing a bell (really!) when someone signed up.

There is no such think as a free lunch, as has been said this data all has value which is why people collect it and at even pennies a person they easily gather enough to cover a freebie or two and profit. I have fake emails and phone numbers and addresses I use for all these things if I'm backed into a corner to answer. I too have been inundated in the past when I provided genuine details so don't do it anymore, I don't do surveys or provide my data for free when others are paid for it.

howcome I was coming on to post the exact same thing. It amuses my daughters!

With regard to the time share "presentations" a friend told us he was going along to one - we advised him against it because of the hard sell but he just laughed and said he was going for the freebies and they could never persuade him to buy one.

Next time we saw him he told us he had bought 2!! He said they were a great bargain and in any event the company could sell them on for him if he wanted to get rid of them. He never used them and was still trying to unload them 3 years later.

Just never ever talk to cold callers- if it is not someone I know I hang up immediately. Sometimes I am rude but usually just say ' I don't know you' & hang up. If there is no immediate response when I pick up receiver I hang up anyway.
99% of calls on house phone are cold callers as most people use my mobile anyway.

I'm with coconut. These people now know where there is an empty house! Having had a break in years ago while on holiday perhaps I'm just being overly cautious but perhaps not!!!

I have had phone calls where they have told me they would like to give me a holiday in return for my details, my reply is " you could not afford to give me the kind of holiday that I take "

If in this situation, my name is always Eileen Dover and my husband Ben Dover. I also state my age as much younger and not my real birthdate.

I have had phone calls where they have told me they would like to give me a holiday in return for my details, my reply is " you could not afford to give me the kind of holiday that I take "

Oops, where did that come from ?

stkilda could we all become The Doovers please?!

Ha ha St Kilda, good idea! There may be lots of Eileens and Bens now!!
This has given me good for thought, I'm a bit too trusting, although never give out info over the phone. Once fell for timeshare presentation in Tenerife, hours wasted for a bottle of wine as a prize in the end!

I enter every competition going and have won loads of times with no strings attached- a holiday in USA to meet JR Ewing in Dallas, safari in S Africa and all inclusive in Cyrus as well as a car, tv, cash, books etc. I never answer my house phone but do 1471 and see if I want to call back - I have all day calls included in my contact anyway -all junk post goes to recycling and I just block scam emails.

We did attend a timeshare meeting in Spain years ago which advertised a free meal for attending for an hour's talk and tour. We said at the end that we had no interest, let out toddler draw all over the interviewer's paper work and he was glad to get rid of us in the end!!

If it looks like a reputable company I'm happy to give details. I've worked in both market and social research in the past so I know how they operate. Companies can get your details anyway whether you give them freely or not so why not take the chance to win something !!

If I do have to deal with people and give info, nine times out of ten when they ask for my landline and mobile number I change one digit of both numbers. If I do feel the firm concerned would genuinely have to contact me and it might be in my interests to be able to contact them I give an accurate number - but only then.

OH didn't and used to be plagued with cold callers and nuisance calls.

I know that they also call, saying that they have been given your information. I asked one caller how she got my information and she said ' you filled in a form while you were on holiday '. I said ' I'm sure I didn't '. She said ' oh, I expect you just filled it in while you were by the pool or in the bar and have forgotten about it'.
I said, no I haven't, I haven't stayed anywhere with a pool or a bar, we only ever camp'. She said 'ew' and ended the call!

I agree with quizqueen and enter various competitions, although haven't been as lucky in the prizes I've won.

About a month ago the phone rang and the caller asked who I was. I wouldn't say until he said his name. It was a local radio station ringing about a competition which I had entered, and I had won £2000. We went and collected the cash the same day.

Have won various prizes this year, but am very careful about which companies I share details with.