Whats with Freestyle & other film sellers ??. .

Hello. I am sure many who are members of this forum (and other forum) must obtain their film stocks and chemicals thru mail / on-line sources. For years Freestyle Sales of LA has been a source for me. Go on line, select & check out. . . ez ? not any longer. FS wants me to "open an account". . .no other way to buy.

Is this "account only" happening in other sources for film? I will not do business with any enterprise that requires me to open an account. Goobs of reasons & not enough time to write them out ! My money should be the only reason they want me as a customer.

Any body else feel the same? Aloha, Bill

Hello. I am sure many who are members of this forum (and other forum) must obtain their film stocks and chemicals thru mail / on-line sources. For years Freestyle Sales of LA has been a source for me. Go on line, select & check out. . . ez ? not any longer. FS wants me to "open an account". . .no other way to buy.

Is this "account only" happening in other sources for film? I will not do business with any enterprise that requires me to open an account. Goobs of reasons & not enough time to write them out ! My money should be the only reason they want me as a customer.

Any body else feel the same? Aloha, Bill

I agree.

I don't see any problems. All they need is your email address and a password to open an account. I haven't ordered anything from freestyle, but if it's like BH photo video, they have my credit card number and shipping address already for when I place an order. No sweat!

It drives me nuts, but I’m under no illusions about my data being all over the net like a rash already,so I do it. If I buy something in a Halfords shop (automotive/cycles etc.) here in the UK they ask for your name and address. I’m paying in cash, why the hell do you need my name and address!!!

As my daughter said to me:

"Aw, Dad, privacy is such a 20th century issue"

 

When I pay cash and they want my telephone number I just give the number for the store.

Many web stores have "check out as guest", but not all.

 

Even for ones that require and account, they usually have an option not to store credit card numbers.

For most, I don't save credit card numbers if I have the choice.

 

Sites that save data, such as images for photo printing sites, obviously need an account.

I think the proper etiquette ... ie data protection laws etc is what glen_h mentions here. You should have the option. But like many posters.. I am not too paranoid. The basic question we learn in data protection classes is; information is provided on a "need to know" basis so I truly understand why many find this request over the top! Keep up the objections.. traders will learn how far they can go...the hard way only. When they have to abide by the law!!

 

I have an aside I want to share ; much like JD mentioned... Back in the days I traveled a lot for work. I invariably needed small electronic items snips ,crimps for wires etc and visited Radio Shack. This is the mid 1980s early 90s. They always wanted a name and address.. I guess they wanted to send you the catalog or WHATEVER!!!

I got so pissed about the delay required and the inconvenience etc that I always gave the White House address... 1600 Penn ave etc .. I must've done this 10-12 times... only once did someone make a face and say ...isn't that the White House???

When someone at a store asks me for my name, address, zip code, phone number, etc. I just make something up.

At retail, I just say "I don't live anywhere near here, so No." Never a problem. Online is becoming a PITA recently, even with vendors I've used for years. Apparently it is, at least to some extent, a new security measure.

Online is suffering from the new state laws that require sales tax to be withheld based on your address (the address to which it is being delivered).

You’re already giving them your name, address, email and credit card... but making up a password and having a login is the hill you want to die on?

When someone at a store asks me for my name, address, zip code, phone number, etc. I just make something up.

 

I just ask them for theirs. When they say it is not 'company policy' to vouchsafe such information, I reply 'Same here'.

I get it. Just sell me your wares I don't want to have a relationship with you.

The easiest way to avoid entanglements is to follow the lead of Theodore John Kaczynski (also known as the Unabomber).

Do as Thoreau (said he) did, live in a cabin in the woods with no outside connections.

As I buy many of my photographic supplies from Freestyle for international freighting, I find having an account really handy, in that my lengthy dispatch details are on file, and I can store odds and end in "My Cart" for several weeks before making a final decision on whether or not to purchase. I run a designated Visa account with a $500 limit especially for online purchasing, and I'm happy to let them retain this information, since I can never remember the details, anyway. But one has to accept that there's nowhere to hide on the internet; I visited an online store a week ago to price a new steam iron and now, no matter where in the world I browse, I get pop-up ads for steam irons... As my IT guru son said a while ago, "Privacy is such a 20th century concept"...

I just accept the changes and order supplies when I need them. I'm at least 150 miles away from a retail store that would sell 100' rolls of bulk film so online shopping is the only way for me.