Big Wide World

look it, i think business practices have gotten a little out of hand. when did companies start needing our personal information to let us buy stuff from them or give them our money. i don't feel like giving my personal info such as my name, last name, phone number, and address just to get an estimate about what it would cost to rent a truck or otherwise to help me move some stuff. seriously, the rep from one of these companies said that in order to help give me better information on what it would cost to rent a "-haul", she first NEEDED all the above personal information that i mentioned. WHAT? why? you need to know my last name to give me a quote, before i decide if i even want to give you my business, and want to give you my money?? i don't think so.. and to top it off, SHE got mad at ME b/c i didn't want to give it to her (i was being uncooperative apparently-cause it's their "company policy") and when i refused to give it to her, she wouldn't give me a quote. so i said that i'd call another company (she said "fine") and i hung up. they would rather lose my business then just use some customer service skills. what is going on? when did we, the customers, the spenders, the consumers, become expendable. if i don't want to give you my info, you can't tell me how much money i would be spending for your services? we have let these companies treat us this way. maybe they're making more money selling my info to other companies than they would ever get out of me. and its not that i'm being anal, i just have enough with my fax getting random advertising and using up my ink (could they make the ads more bold and black- are they going to buy me more ink, dont' think so). and don't they realize that i'm not going to give them my money specifically BECAUSE they have now annoyed me? you know why we're having such problems with identity theft? b/c we're a little to quick to give everyone all of our info. you don't have to give them info that is personal, like your address, and on applications, you don't have to give your SIN number. let's get a little more diligent, and stop adding to the problem. companies love to sell our info not just to other companies, but ppl that are willing to pay for it (and who will use that info to take your economical life away from you). next time a company wants personal info from you for no real apparant reason, don't give it to them.