Why do people give out so much information?

stkilda could we all become The Doovers please?!

Oops, where did that come from ?

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 "

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!!!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

I make it a rule that I never give any information or answer any questions asked by anyone I don't know I can trust. Especially not on the phone.

Totally agree!

Re timeshares - back in the late 70s/early 80s my folks were invited to a timeshare sales thing, relatively new then. Everyone attending was promised a free clock/radio - these were quite expensive at the time.
Since they wanted one, they went along, with no intention of buying a timeshare. They stayed till the bitter end - my father in particular making sure to consume as much of the free tea/coffee/biscuits as possible, and when worked on by salespeople he even told them that they'd only come for then clock radio!
Which the sales staff were finally obliged to give them, through gritted teeth, so to speak.
I have since heard of the psychology they used to sell these things - one of the last resorts being, 'Well, of course if you can't AFFORD it...'
They hadn't reckoned with my folks...
Still amuses me to think of their ' 'fun day out'.

I think that you are right to be suspicious as there are a lot of scams out there, many of which are very sophisticated - an easy trap for even the clever to fall into.
When these youngsters get to our age they'll hopefully have become just as wary as we are while hopefully not falling into the worst traps.

Yes, I agree with IngeJones.