05 November 2008

Privacy Intruded!

A few weeks ago, I received a few unwanted phone calls from insurance telemarketeers. It is not that I hate insurance (since I bought two) but where on earth they get my number? Well... this is the answer...Look at the photo below:

A Reward Card! They got my number from the reward companies. I have Bonuslink too... I was called by telemarketeers saying that they got my number from Real Reward, Bonuslink and Reader's Digest. And they called me at the wrong time.

My MBA lecturer told me once that people promoting the reward card which we signed up for free, are actually in the INFORMATION SELLING business. They gather our information such as, our personal particulars, our income, what we buy, how much we spend and where we buy our stuff. Then they will sell our information to other companies who need information for marketing purposes.
Let say, a Coca Cola company want to sell coca cola in Sarawak, instead of gathering information by sending its personnel or hire extra staff to go to all over Sarawak, they will just approach the Bonuslink or Real Reward to ask for data on our spending habit. But of course Coca Cola company have to pay Bonuslink or Real Reward for that info. No wonder Bonuslink and Real Reward are eager to upgrade their free gifts so that we will swipe our reward cards more often and the more information they get, the more money they receive.
Don't get it wrong, Parkson don't give money to Bonuslink, Petronas don't give money to Real Reward...it's our spending information that they are selling. Gee... As the economist said, "There is no such thing as Free Lunch"

7 Messages:

Tia said...

yup... someone told me about this. they call it underground marketing... and it's a very good business..

Coffee Girl said...

Benarkah willie? That is intrusion of privacy in its worst form. no wonder i'm always annoyed when i get these type of calls. they're really persistent.

Willie a.k.a Reptoz said...

Mama > how could they. I think we need to get their brochures and read the terms and conditions stated there. They like to make the writing small so that we will feel lazy to read. In the end, when we argue with them, we lose.

One other > I guess so, because the telemarketers told me that they got my number from those Bonuslink and Real Rewards and Reader's Digest. If you got a call from 03 ++++ KL number, and u know that you don't have friends from KL, just ignore it. Don't answer. Hehehe

abang sardon said...

some people abuse technology to sell packs of lies. and that is sad...and annoying.

Pn Hamidah said...

Whenever I received such calls I would simply give them an excuse by saying that I'm not interested and plz don't call again.That's a way of telling them off hehe.

Anonymous said...

omg this is really big news. u know, u could get the press to cover this if u've got solid proof.

Willie a.k.a Reptoz said...

sardon > YEs it is indeed annoying.

Hamidah > That's cruel.

Samantha > I think it s true. And there's nothing to hide. Many business ppl know about this. I guess it is not new. Except that the public is unaware of this.