Retail Purchase Tracking Data - FYI

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  • ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    In my process to remove personal information online I found one company conversantmedia.com which had an option to view the actual data they collected from you. Instead of simply requesting the deletion, I decided to ask for the actual data. You enter your personal info on their website, which must include your address. They then about 2-3 weeks later they mail you an actual letter with a security token (32 digit alphanumeric code) You then enter into their website to see the report.



    I had no idea what this company collects or how they collected their information but after looking at the report it appears that they have relationships with over 170 physical and online stores which capture your transactions in some way and then use this data to create targeted marketing tools for other retailers. The thing that strikes me as most obvious is the 1665 purchases at Dunkin Donuts, from 2012 thru 2019. I do stop and grab a coffee at the same dunkin donuts about 4/7 7 days a week and have been doing so since my kids were little (probably 2007). I do have a dunkin rewards card so I suspect that's how these purchases are being logged. I still go there so they may have stopped participating in this service after 2012 which would explain the recent gap in the data. I do shop at Home Depot and Staples often for home and Business purposes. I have a staples Reward card but I DO NOT HAVE any sort of Home Depot rewards card, so I have no idea how they could link to my address, unless they have captured this in some other way and link it to my credit cards. Still very interesting. There are some on the list that I do not recognize, or may have been used by my wife with my credit card, or somehow just linked to our home address.



    Anyway, here's a look behind the curtain. I deleted the companies where there were no transactions (and potentially embarrassing ones like www.mylittlepony.com)

    fbbe74c2db2fe985c794bec173b28a1e.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    Your internist called and suggested you need insulin for those 1665 trips to dunkin.

    I am sure mine is deeply embarrassing. In my defense the only fans subscription helps a poor cousin through college.
     

    FrankOceanXray

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 29, 2008
    12,028
    Ya, I have installed Google survey. As soon as I make a purchase, a survey is available. Plenty of times they are a few days later even, noticed you were at/about this store, did you stop in, make a purchase, credit or debit...

    Your cell phone is the perfect tracking tool.

    Your bank cards are no different. Can say for nearly a fact you were there on this date and time and with a little more research video , itemized list, etc.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    Interesting.

    Any idea why conversantmedia shows up as a purchase across several years?


    No, I’m not sure. Until I started down this rabbit hole I had never heard of them. There are other sites that I don’t recognize either not have I personally shopped there. As I’m finding as I remove data from the other online sources, I can see that sometimes things get scrambled up in the data. Sometimes my dad is listed at my address. For years I’ve gotten AARP direct marketing stuff, so maybe somehow other people’s data has gotten tagged to me.
     

    PapiBarcelona

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 1, 2011
    7,342
    Right, most people have no clue. Tons of corporate America retailers use third party stuff like that.

    It's real big on tracking a person's buying/returns. People who are likely commiting fraud/chronic returns are "flagged" and blacklisted from not only the place they are trying to get one over but any other retailers that uses the same stuff. I think you won't be able to return something for a few months/year even with a receipt.

    https://www.theretailequation.com/
     

    FrankOceanXray

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 29, 2008
    12,028
    Tool,

    When I go to that site, where did you request your info?

    And then how do you go about getting it deleted?
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    Tool,

    When I go to that site, where did you request your info?

    And then how do you go about getting it deleted?


    I’m trying to figure that out too. I’ve been using the list that I posted in the other thread so I know it is one of those companies. I think it’s Epsilon but they must operate under multiple names. I will take a closer look when I get home.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    someone's getting a lot of bj's.....


    June 12th 2021 is a day I’ll never forget…..


    But in all seriousness, that data point must be wrong. I didn’t really analyze it until your joke. there is no way that I had 34 transactions in one day. June 12th was a Saturday and if I do go to Bj’s it’s usually Saturday morning but still it would have only been one trip.

    I think it highlights the business model for these data broker organizations. I suspect it’s all about quantity (quantity of data points) not quality of the info. That can be good and bad. Do I really care if some company incorrectly said I went to BJ’s 34 times in one day? No, not really. However what if I was defending myself in a civil case and in some dataset they had incorrectly listed that I went to Joe’s corner watering hole 600 times in 2 years? That might be a problem for me if the opposing lawyer was trying to make a case that I was derelict alcoholic.

    Bottom line is, to work to get your information removed where you can. That just seems like the safest approach.
     

    FrankOceanXray

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 29, 2008
    12,028
    aha
    ahahahahahahahahahahh
    ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

    Wife had the TV on yesterday. A mentor of Zuckerberg had bulleted bits beside him as he spoke. One fix was to make it illegal for social media to sell to third parties. That have me a bigger laugh. Then who will the gov buy from?
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    Thank you.

    That took literally seconds.


    I would be interested in hearing your reaction to what you discover. I’m really trying to decide, how much is a free cup of coffee worth, and if it is more valuable to me to not have info like that collected at all.
     
    Last edited:

    FrankOceanXray

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 29, 2008
    12,028
    Lots of things are collecting without your explicit permission.. just downloading an app or having a phone seems to waive many opportunities you'd rather have control over.. apps that need access to contacts, pictures, email...

    There is a balance needing struck. Right now it is the wild west of data collection, packaging and reselling. I get a free sandwich every four weeks, others are building custom yachts from it. I applaud the effort but not at my expense.
     

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