A customer who made a trip to a suit store said they couldn't get any help without providing contact information.
Here's what to know
In a post on Reddit, the shopper said they went to SuitSupply's Brickell City Centre location in Miami to check the suits' quality.
As the original poster explained the kind of suit they wanted, a staffer turned over a phone with a QR code for the customer to scan, but the page wouldn't load.
"After standing there for about 30 seconds staring at a blank browser, I asked if I could just speak with a salesperson and look at some suits," they added. But in order to receive assistance, they would need to create a customer profile by providing an email address or phone number. The staffer reiterated when asked that it was a requirement.
"At this point, getting increasingly irritated, I told her that since the page wasn't loading, and I wasn't particularly interested in providing my information anyway, I wasn't going to do that," the OP explained. "She curtly replied, 'Have a beautiful day,' and gestured toward the entrance. So I left.
"Am I crazy for thinking it's ridiculous that I can't walk into a clothing store and speak to a salesperson without first handing over my contact information?"
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More background
For many people, the exchange was part of a problem with ordinary errands that now often come with some kind of data collection or digital gate.
That frustration appeared in one reply from a commenter who said they would like to switch to a "dumb phone" but feel prevented from doing so because "everything requires a QR code scan or an app." They added, "I should be able to walk in to a store with my wallet and nothing else and be just fine."
A former retail worker contrasted that with old sales practices. Recalling a job in the early 2000s, they said cashiers had to ask for a phone number at the start of each transaction, but if a customer refused, workers would enter "000-000-0000" and keep the sale moving. Their point was blunt: "We didn't (checks notes) TURN CUSTOMERS AWAY FOR NOT HANDING OVER PERSONAL INFO."
Other people shared similar examples, including a user who said a barbershop wouldn't cut their hair because it required appointments through Instagram even though two barbers were standing there chatting.
The stories made shoppers feel less like customers and more like data points.
What can be done?
Rather than share contact information, the original poster left the store.
Similar responses came up elsewhere in the comments when businesses said personal data was mandatory. One person said they abandoned a cash purchase at Radio Shack instead of providing a ZIP code.
The shopper also directly asked whether any help could be offered without their giving contact information. The answer can reveal whether a policy is optional or rigid enough to cost a sale.
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