Why do Screwfix want my mobile number so badly?

Jun 27, 2020 Last reply: 6 years ago 26 Replies
C

The screwfix website really wants my mobile number when I place an order: phone number is a required field on the order page, and SMS is the only way to receive notification when the order is ready for collection.



Why do Screfix want my mobile number so badly? They send me an order confirmation email, so why can't they send me another email when the order is ready for collection? Surely most people can receive emails on their phone nowadays.



Toolstation use email, so it's not like it can't be done that way.


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A

I can't receive texts on my BT Relate 80 either :-(

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A

Possible because so many tradesmen using Screwfix seem to do everything on their phone including during these times sitting in their vans in the car park and ordering for click and collect.

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S

Stop showing off because your phone's got last number redial and my Tele 782 hasn't :-)

Owain

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D

Er, have you tried sending a text to the landline number that that phone is connected to?

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N

And SMS is quick and convenient. My "exercise" watch will display incoming SMS as well as email, but SMS is quicker to read and identify.

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T

I had the same thing with another company yesterday. This data grab obsession is just weird.

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R

No more weird than the associated paranoia.

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D

I suspect they feel SMS is more reliable and not subject to SPAM filters.

Dave

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A

Sometimes useful. When having items delivered, especially bulky items, the delivery driver will often send a text to say that they are 10/15 minutes away. Possibly an automated service based on his position and pre-planned delivery route.

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C

Yes, but I wish they would accept that [some] landlines can accept SMS, our Gigaset phones do and I'm *much* more likely to notice and read an SMS sent to the landline than one sent to my mobile.

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T

Virgin landlines supposedly accept texts. But IMLE they garble them incomprehensibly.

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T

Ya know, when you look at all the problems caused by people having other people's data, (it's a multibillion pound per year industry) it's quite naive to misinterpret saying no as paranoia.

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R

Could've saved a few keystrokes by stopping before "having".

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A

What with ?. I don't have a mobile :-)

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G

If you bought a modern smartphone you could get a Grindr account and leave the rest of us alone.

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G

I wonder if it's related to trying to find the tradesperson who placed the order to deliver to on a site?

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J

They can, but only if they have setup email on their phone. SMS will work out of the box. Since they have probably made it part of their social distancing mechanism for click and collect orders it makes more sense than relying on the email address.

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J

email me your number, and I will text it...

(you will get an automated call form BT that will read out the text using a voice synth)

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