Err, this crazy needs to calm down. They ask whether it's for home or business use so that if it's business, they can add it to an account/project tab. They're not tracking what you're doing, just giving contractors the ability to use the self-checkout too.

So she was happy filling in a fake zip code but not providing a fake answer to the second question?

They're only trying to fine tune the machine so that it can absorb you more efficiantly.

All I have to say is lowe's isn't much further than HD for me.

EECBs seem to be the fix all solution... for now. Eventually businesses will be come callus to these and not work in any case.

@FreeMarketGravy: She would have been really pissed when the next question asked for her bra size.

All and all, I completly understand how she feels. Even if you're not concerned about privacy and you just hate the hassel and time wasted, the only way to get around it is through more time and the hassel of speaking to someone with power.

It's a good thing you refused, HD could totally use that unreasonably complex home/business question to steal your identity and kidnap your dog. Those filthy Orwellian bastards.

I like how the story headline makes it sound like they're being detained and grilled by Homeland Security.

When a store has a right to ask you a single question that might give them insight into how their operations would better tuned to serve the customer, then the terrorists have already won. :(

@FreeMarketGravy: I'm with you. I don't quite get the issue. Push "home" and be done with it.

I usually screw around with companies in this type of ''surveys'' by putting random information. I wonder how many people actually do the same.

So when survey results come out ;)

It's useless to resist. You will be assimilated.

@Victo: Instead of random info, we should start a trend of putting specifically wrong info to skew the results. They will start to wonder why so many texans are going to new york to buy their building supplies.

I was expecting a verbal confrontation from a Home Depot door nazi. Instead, you give me some inane marketing tactic that's been pre-programmed into the checkout register. Sigh.

You must have more free time than I do.

@Gann: Sadly, we cannot enter zip codes from random countries. Nigeria would be particularly good +

It's people like this who give those of us with legitimate privacy and security concerns a bad name.

I have always used "90210" as my zip for things like that. Beverly Hills residence seems to be doing a lot of business in Ohio.

The Home Depot self-checkouts currently don't ask any questions like this. The Lowes near me does ask for your phone number but there's also a big "Decline" button available that I always make use of. If/when I get stuck having to provide details like this without a "decline" option I'll simply walk out like this lady did.

@Gann: I always use 90210 for my zip in these situations.

@Gann: If I am stuck having to provide information I usually provide the address and/or phone number of where I grew up in CT. Since I'm in Mass. now it wouldn't make for a huge demographic change but I figure it's enough to keep them off my back.

Yeah I don't really see what the problem is. From the blurb on the front page I thought that Home Depot was questioning specifically what you planned to do with it, not if you are buying items for a business. GFS (Gordon Food Services), while they don't have self-checkout, asks the same question. My assumption has always been they ask for one of a couple reasons - they might have to ring it up differently if it is a tax-exempt sale, or businesses may be able to sign up to pay later by invoice or something. I would think it's a similar situation at Home Depot; they may also be able to print special invoices if you indicate it's for a business, to aid you in charging clients.

All-in-all this is a complete overreaction and while I don't advocate blaming the consumer in most instances, I think in this case there is no reason to be upset.

For those who don't understand Helen's opposition to the question, you need to remember that corporate America likes to collect information, sell it, trade it under the guise that it is "theirs". But when something goes horribly wrong, like your checking account is pilfered, then they brush their hands and lay blame on someone else for the problems it creates.

It's far fetched to assume that answering this question is going to result in identity theft. However, it's not far fetched for Home Depot to figure out she's buying plants and tile sealer and extrapolate that into meaning she'd be receptive to phone calls from Home Depot advertising their contractor services for landscaping and bathroom refinishing. And guess what, she has an existing business relationship since she just purchased something there, so the Do Not Call list does not apply.

Helen is drawing a line in the sand saying, as anyone who has been direct marketed to death "I trusted you, you violated the trust so I refuse to tell you more about me". And then she walked out. You have to respect her for sticking to her convictions and her willingness to drive across town and probably pay more.

@esd2020: Yeah, I can understand the hassle and not wanting to be bothered, but it just strikes me as odd that she was willing to enter a fake zip code, the machine took it which means it's not verifying anything she's entering, just collecting it, but the idea of lying (or telling the truth) about whether it was a home or business purchase was just too unreasonable and drastic.

If it asked her to describe the project in a 500 word summary or provide the address where she was doing the work, *that* would be unreasonable.

Perhaps it's feeding a training module, since any HD employee I manage to find and ask questions of, generally has no clue what I'm talking about.

"You want what? Hm. Well, I have these completely unrelated items... Let me find my manager to help you."

It's probably the same reason they ask you if it's for business at Sam's Club and the like. Business purchases for resale are tax exempt, as would be the purchases by the contractor for business purposes since they are suppose to charge sales tax on the final product.

I hate these and always give false information. My zip code puts me in Beverly Hills and my phone number is 867-5309.

If asked the home or business question, I would have selected "business"; as in 'none of yours'.

But do these impact my shopping choices? Somewhat. Not to the extent that receipt checkers do, but I do avoid Radio Shack whenever possible because I can't just go in and pay for something; it's always a 3rd degree.

The info is used for direct advertising. Grocery stores started doing this in the 1970s

@FreeMarketGravy: the best part about the fake zipcode is if you do that with a debit/credit card your purchase can be denied because the billing address doesn't match up. i had that happen at a gas station when i accidently transposed the numbers in mine.

@arsbadmojo: Agreed, Radio Shack is pretty obnoxious about it.

This is the stupidest thing I've read on here.

Just put your info in, it's used in demographics and advertising not selling your info to the government.

and who cares what you buy? don't be stupid. God

While the ZIP code is used to determine where customers live, the home use/business use is possibly for business accounts, but is almost certainly for *tax exempt* status. Sales tax doesn't apply to materials purchased that are later to be resold and taxed. That would be double dipping sales tax, which is not legal.

This is a non-story if that's the case.

It would make more sense for HD to offer an opt-in option. Customers could voluntarily agree to answer a few questions--or not.

I used to shop at HD, but as I have to drive out of town to get products I can find locally and with better service, I've opted out of shopping there altogether. I probably save in gas the few dollars more the products cost at my local lumber yard or hardware store...plus my local lumber yard delivers.

@katylostherart: I had a gas pump that simply refused my card, even with the correct zip. That zip happens to be a "pobox only" zip, so doesn't match to a geographical location (directly).

It's a shame that Home Depot sent out such a vague response to your email. The response that would have been more appropriate is as follows:

"Get a life"

Geez...

Paranoia. It's a popular thing on Consumerist.

Now if Home Depot knows you're going to use your items at home in area code 11111 they'll have to trace your imaginary home to your imaginary town to do some imaginary things to encroach upon your imaginary life.

I wonder if Home Depot's black helicopters are painted orange.

Really? Who cares...

Why not just go to the regular checkout and finish the items there?

I mean, there are better ways to waste a car trip.

ANY customer should be able to DECLINE answering ANY/ALL personal questions relating to a retail purchase. Forcing clients to provide phone #s, address, zip codes, reason for purchases is an invasion of privacy. WE should have the ability to OPT OUT.

You know they often use the zip code as an additional verification check on CC/Debit transactions. I am perfectly ok with that. Also, the collected zip code data can be sorted to see that many customers are coming across town to go to the store. Then they can justify build one near you in the future.

Zip code information I am happy to provide to retailers. Much more I am not. I was at Office Depot buying 500 envelopes the other day and was asked if the purchase was for personal or business use. I responded, what does it matter? He didn't respond and moved along with the transaction.

@zentec: So they will call everyone in the zip code she entered asking for her?

Get real. It's a two question survey, and it's not designed to invade anyone's privacy. Stores usually ask for a zip code to determine where their customer base is located, to see if they need to either open up a store in a closer zip code, or to see if people are going out of their way to avoid a local store. The Home/Business thing is just to, as mentioned before, allow contractors to keep better records.

Wonder if this woman has one of those store loyalty cards ?

Wonder if she swipes that MoFo to get $.08 off a can of coffee ?

We're already down this road.

Just sayin'

I live in Canada so I'm far from an American legal expert, but...

Isn't asking something like that as a requirement of sale just a wee bit unambiguously, blatantly illegal?

Concerning the lady's fake zip then calling it quits when question #2 came up; maybe (I'm only guessing based on what my reaction would be) she was simply annoyed with the first question but anwered it in hopes of being able to continue the check out process. When the second quesiton came up, she realized that this line of questioning could go on for a while. She didn't know if the Home/Bus question was the last question and she called for help to simply get the transaction completed. When she received the 'answer or else' response, she chose the 'or else' option and left.

Ah yes, the "just bend over and take it" commenters come skeeving out of the woodwork yet again.

Look, companies have the right to ASK for information about me, but not to REQUIRE it as a condition of doing business with them. It's that simple. They didn't give her a way to opt-out of the question; therefore, they're in the wrong. She is not in the wrong for daring to shop there, daring to enter a fake zipcode, or daring not to be okay with being required to answer a question they didn't have the right to make her answer.

I hold out faith that one day you guys will learn, or at least die off so the general population can get a little smarter.

@katylostherart: Which is another reason why I enter anything about me that's public record and don't get all the paranoia about OMG MY PERSONAL INFO.

That's not how identity theft happens. Could it? Sure. It could also happen with the bank teller who opens up your credit/debit card, any teller who does anything with your account, any cashier you have ever given a check to, any transaction processor who works for any company that you've ever bought anything from that wasn't paid for with cash, etc. I'd be willing to bet (and I'd like to be proven wrong if I am) that the majority of identity theft is performed by people the victims have never met or interacted with once and who they never volunteered any info at all to.

Becoming paranoid about your information just makes things harder for you, adds worry lines to your face, takes years off your life and embarrasses anyone you're with when you throw a power-trip-induced temper tantrum. It doesn't make you any safer.

Be smart, not paranoid.

I was just at this Home Depot on Sunday. I was returning a remote control unit for a Hampton Bay fan. I hate HD and refuse to shop there. Lowes is a much cleaner and friendlier store in my experience but my parents got the fans from HD so I had to get the remote from them.

This particular HD has been going downhill for years. My best friend used to be a manager there when we were in college. He was one of the few managers who busted his @ss to make sure the customer was happy. After he and some of his friends left the store started getting ghetto.

@Snarkysnake:
True, that's why I key in my friend's card number (same as telephone #). I get my savings and my friend can have the extra discount on gas.

They're trying to make their business better. They asked you your zip code not your home address. What they should do is add a decline to state button for people who really don't want to use their information

Since the poster was planning to pay with cash, no info about her address or phone number could be obtained, so HD would be unable to market to her.

Legitimate business reasons:
As noted, to find out if it was a business account (and tax exemept). If the check out simply asked "is this a taxable purchase" maybe people not understanding sales tax laws would enter 'no' thinking they could save tax.

Second reason:
If lots of business accounts are using the self-check out, it would likely mean that the dedicated contractor check outs are understaffed (tip to HD - YES). So the info checked will help HD better staff their checkouts and properly allocate between regular and business account check outs.

That being said, all these posts and NO ONE commenting on self-check out. I despise it. The only way I'm willing to self check out is if I am offered a discount in exchange for functioning as an unpaid employee. Currently, no stores I am aware of offer this. Since all stores want to promote self check out, wouldn't offering a token (2%?) discount for self check out make sense? The food stores could do it an reap the marketing reward of doing something to help consumers impacted by rising food prices while lowering the store's overhead by reducing check out staff.

@RandoX: I used to use 90210 when I lived in Chicago but now that I live one zip code over from 90210 it kind of defeats the purpose of my marketing anarchist ways. But I guess now that I'm out here in California I can say my address is 1060 West Addison, Chicago IL 60613.

Go Cubs!!! It's your year!

@donnie5: Why is that one apparently so popular?

@DaChicken: @Chris Vee: Here in MA if I want to purchase anything tax exempt I have to provide documentation. Basically a state tax form with my tax ID. Simply basing it off of a question like "is this for business or personal use" won't work. Places like Home Depot keep a copy of my state tax forms on file at the store as proof.

@zentec and OP:

Question: How is Home Depot going to call her? If she's never given them that information, and she pops in a fake zip, they wouldn't have her number.

Now, if you use a credit/debit card, what info does that give to Home Depot? Sure, the card number, transactions number, and authorization number...but does it have your name/phone number/address linked to it as well?

Anyone know the answer (there's enough speculation)?

Unless they get her name from the credit card and then cross that against a phone book, I don't see how they are going to call.

Though I agree....you should be able to decline answering that question.

Though refusing to pay altogether...a bit much. I'd move to regular checkout and then pay with cash.No info, no nothing.

But I respect the OP's decisions....I'm saying that I'd act differently :)