I don't want to have an account, or have my email saved or more emails collected ...

[Dave2002]

I've just tried to order an item for Click and Collect from B&Q.

I can't checkout - or rather I can, but only with options I don't want.

I want to order the item - which doesn't cost a lot, to make sure it's in and ready to collect when I go.

I have two options at checkout.

1. Checkout as guest.

2. Checkout with account.

If I do 2, then of course I can't remember any password .... grrr ..... been here before - useless rubbish,
but if I do 1, then I can't use my regular email address as it tells me I've already got an account, and have to reset my password - yet more hassle.

If I ignore both, and put in a different email address, then I get presented with an "instruction"/"offer" call it what you like, to fill in my details.

Of for .....'s sake - I don't want firms harvesting emails, and generally creating a whole lot of unnecessary work because of their model of how I or others should behave, and their "need" to collect information which they may, or may not, sell on.

Some firms simply allow any checkout, and or order, and if security details are required deal with them later or in the store, or on collection.

Is this 1984 or Brave New World, or some other mad system?

[Bryn]

I've just tried to order an item for Click and Collect from B&Q.

I can't checkout - or rather I can, but only with options I don't want.

I want to order the item - which doesn't cost a lot, to make sure it's in and ready to collect when I go.

I have two options at checkout.

1. Checkout as guest.

2. Checkout with account.

If I do 2, then of course I can't remember any password .... grrr ..... been here before - useless rubbish,
but if I do 1, then I can't use my regular email address as it tells me I've already got an account, and have to reset my password - yet more hassle.

If I ignore both, and put in a different email address, then I get presented with an "instruction"/"offer" call it what you like, to fill in my details.

Of for .....'s sake - I don't want firms harvesting emails, and generally creating a whole lot of unnecessary work because of their model of how I or others should behave, and their "need" to collect information which they may, or may not, sell on.

Some firms simply allow any checkout, and or order, and if security details are required deal with them later or in the store, or on collection.

Is this 1984 or Brave New World, or some other mad system?

I share your pain. Something not directly related, but similarly annoying which hit me this past week is that if one purchases a Zoom product (brand new, sealed in its retail packaging) via a UK website (in this case, TobyDeals UK) that is not on the Zoom UK's list of approved merchants, Zoom will not register the device for warranty. One's only recourse in the event of a problem is to the immediate vendor. To me, this is sharp business practice on Zoom UK's part.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I share your pain.

[DracoM]

Oh, yes, oh yes!!!!!!

[Dave2002]

I had a sort of resolution, which only took about another 15 or so minutes of my time, and a couple of phone calls. The item (all of £7 worth) is now ordered, and it wasn't in store, so will arrive in a few days. During the call I also discovered that B&Q had actually got details of one of my credit cards, which I have now asked to be deleted.

If I'd simply been able to order without this palaver it would have taken a lot less time. There isn't a need for a store to keep all this information about me.

There is some sense in having at least a minimum of password protection if an organisation does have some financially sensitive data.

I don't mind having some receipts emailed to me (though that might also present a security risk) as well as having paper printouts in the stores.

I still think that things are not moving in good ways.

[oddoneout]

A 'Reserve' option would make life easier? If it's in stock you collect that day or up to x days after. If it has to be ordered in they let you know when it arrives and how many days they will hold it for you. Either way you pay when you collect, all you would need is a code to identify the item and tally with the customer. Argos used to do a version of this, but now it's changed hands I don't know if it still does; I found it useful to avoid a wasted journey, especially if it was something that needed the car to get it home.

[Serial_Apologist]

On a related topic, you really required to move quickly if you're applying to a service provider online these days. This afternoon I decided to switch from Sky to Vodafone. Having punched in all my details as required, I phoned up the friend who had recommended the change for advice on which of the two offers to take. I left a message for him to get back, went to the kitchen to get myself a cup of tea, and when I returned to click on Basket, was informed that I had been unsuccessful in my bid for the product. That was about 5 minutes between entering my details and returning with the tea, and I had to go through the whole rigmarole again from start!

[oddoneout]

On a related topic, you really required to move quickly if you're applying to a service provider online these days. This afternoon I decided to switch from Sky to Vodafone. Having punched in all my details as required, I phoned up the friend who had recommended the change for advice on which of the two offers to take. I left a message for him to get back, went to the kitchen to get myself a cup of tea, and when I returned to click on Basket, was informed that I had been unsuccessful in my bid for the product. That was about 5 minutes between entering my details and returning with the tea, and I had to go through the whole rigmarole again from start!

Trying to make it a more realistic experience - impatience and bad manners brought to your living room without the hassle of having to brave the traffic and weather on the High Street!

[Serial_Apologist]

Trying to make it a more realistic experience - impatience and bad manners brought to your living room without the hassle of having to brave the traffic and weather on the High Street!

[Anastasius]

I've just tried to order an item for Click and Collect from B&Q.

I can't checkout - or rather I can, but only with options I don't want.

I want to order the item - which doesn't cost a lot, to make sure it's in and ready to collect when I go.

I have two options at checkout.

1. Checkout as guest.

2. Checkout with account.

If I do 2, then of course I can't remember any password .... grrr ..... been here before - useless rubbish,

This is where your aversion to iCloud bites you back. I am very happy for all my login details to be saved in Keychain. Easy-peasy.

but if I do 1, then I can't use my regular email address as it tells me I've already got an account, and have to reset my password - yet more hassle.....

Ah, the joy of having ones own domain. This is never a problem for me. If I stumble back onto a website that I might have visited years ago and have the sort of problem you are having, I simply stick a 1 or anything else that takes my fancy an the end of my name as I can have as many email addresses as I like.

It's great for signing up to free trials - again and again.

Also if I get too many marketing emails then it's a simple enough job to click 'unsubscribe' at the bottom.

[Dave2002]

This is where your aversion to iCloud bites you back. I am very happy for all my login details to be saved in Keychain. Easy-peasy.



Ah, the joy of having ones own domain. This is never a problem for me. If I stumble back onto a website that I might have visited years ago and have the sort of problem you are having, I simply stick a 1 or anything else that takes my fancy an the end of my name as I can have as many email addresses as I like.

It's great for signing up to free trials - again and again.

Also if I get too many marketing emails then it's a simple enough job to click 'unsubscribe' at the bottom.

That's an interesting idea. Are you using your own storage for your domain, or a hosting site?

However, would it actually save any of the pain in the scenario I outlined? I was able to initiate a "new" account by using another email address - so having one domain with multiple emails within might still be equivalent to that approximately. The problem with having multiple accounts is that the site in question then wanted me to input my details all over again.

I'm still somewhat averse to cloud storage. However, I do use online banking. I was surprised a week ago when someone I am starting to know better and play music with stated that neither he nor his wife use online banks. I wonder how they find the time to visit the banks and get things done, though at the moment they are lucky enough to have one within a mile of their home - but for how long?

I have heard of someone who uses cloud storage, but he encrypts all his data before it gets into the cloud. I don't mean that he uses the cloud service encryption, but that he does his own encryption before "trusting" any of his data to the could service of his choice.

[Anastasius]

That's an interesting idea. Are you using your own storage for your domain, or a hosting site?

Hosting site. Not that expensive. The driver was that I was one of the original Demon email subscribers...remember 'A tenner a month'. I had that email address for years but then Demon got sold..and sold again..and sold again...and finally they binned the @xxxxxxx.demon.co.uk. I thought, if I'm going to have the hassle of letting everyone know my new email address then I'm only going to do it once. Hence my own domain.

However, would it actually save any of the pain in the scenario I outlined? I was able to initiate a "new" account by using another email address - so having one domain with multiple emails within might still be equivalent to that approximately.

Well, yes, if I understand you correctly. Presumably you have to go and log into another account in Hotmail ? Gmail? But then you probably have to log out of whatever account you might be logged in on. Or use a different browser. Extra steps and hassle IMO. All of mine come into the same mailbox in Apple mail. I can filter if I need to by setting up a Rule. Easy-peasy.

The problem with having multiple accounts is that the site in question then wanted me to input my details all over again.

That's true for any approach.

I'm still somewhat averse to cloud storage. However, I do use online banking......

I've used OLB for years. But only on the Mac. Certainly I wouldn't use an app on a mobile or worse still sign up to this Open Banking can of worms...that's a disaster waiting to happen.

And with OLB you can play the banks so easily at their own game. I have accumulated over the years many relatively dormant bank accounts. So when an offer comes along 'Switch to us and we'll give you ....insert goodie or cash sum here ...' then it's dead easy to use one of those accounts and switch. And if the new account is one that says 'You must pay in £xx each month'...well, that's what Standing orders are for , innit £xx goes in Day 1 and Day 2 it goes back out again.

[Petrushka]

On a related topic, you really required to move quickly if you're applying to a service provider online these days. This afternoon I decided to switch from Sky to Vodafone. Having punched in all my details as required, I phoned up the friend who had recommended the change for advice on which of the two offers to take. I left a message for him to get back, went to the kitchen to get myself a cup of tea, and when I returned to click on Basket, was informed that I had been unsuccessful in my bid for the product. That was about 5 minutes between entering my details and returning with the tea, and I had to go through the whole rigmarole again from start!

I had a very similar experience to this when signing up to the Government Gateway in order to check my state pension. I'd got about three-quarters of the way through when it suddenly asked for proof of identity. I don't drive so the only option was my passport. I quickly dashed upstairs, unlocked my bureau, rooted around for the passport and raced downstairs ... only to find I'd been timed out and had to go through the whole process again.

[Bryn]

I had a very similar experience to this when signing up to the Government Gateway in order to check my state pension. I'd got about three-quarters of the way through when it suddenly asked for proof of identity. I don't drive so the only option was my passport. I quickly dashed upstairs, unlocked my bureau, rooted around for the passport and raced downstairs ... only to find I'd been timed out and had to go through the whole process again.

Been there, done that, torn the hair out.

[Anastasius]

I had a very similar experience to this when signing up to the Government Gateway in order to check my state pension. I'd got about three-quarters of the way through when it suddenly asked for proof of identity. I don't drive so the only option was my passport. I quickly dashed upstairs, unlocked my bureau, rooted around for the passport and raced downstairs ... only to find I'd been timed out and had to go through the whole process again.

I've reached the point in my life where I need to renew my driving licence and need to confirm I can still see the car in front. Started the DVLA process and got to the point where they said "Please enter your passport number". Passport was renewed a moth ago and I have it on my desk.

"We cannot process this further as that passport is not valid"



Quick call to a very efficient passport office.."Yes, that passport is valid" so WTF ?

DVLA tell me they can use my old driving licence photo. OK...that's all good then. Only ....only...how many other Government systems are there out there that also think my passport is "not valid". Immigration ?