Michaels - A Warning

[Hospital_Rocket]

Nothing bad, I was spending my 50% off coupon today and when I got home, I noticed that Michaels prints your entire credit card number on their receipts. Most of the stores I now deal with just print the last four digits. I today's world of Identity theft, I thought you all would want to be aware and take the appropriate caution when shopping.

A

 

[sandman]

THAT is BAD!

 

[flying_silverad]

That's not right. Thanks for the update AL.

I don't go to Michaels as much anymore after a little dispute I had on some of there pricing. I was buying a bulk pack of Fiskar blades and the package stated "Buy and savae. It's like buying 4 and getting one free!" But when i looked at the price of the single blades, it was 1/5 the cost!

When I brought it to the manager's attention, he just gave me the "corperate" answer. "Sorry Bub, we don't set the prices."

Things went downhill from there when I stopped off at Walmart after leaving Michaels only to find out they had the same blades cheaper even when I had used Michaels 40% off coupon!

 

[rstaff3]

I just checked my last Michael's receipt and it only has the 4-digit version. Maybe you can get the store manager to change.

I read where a security pundit said that you should black out the 4 digits on the receipt when you sign. Being overly paranoid since I had identity theft, I try to remember to do that.

 

[powderburner]

for little $20-40 purchases I just use cash

the paranoid side of me hates the idea of leaving a 'life trail' forever imbedded in someone's electronic files of every piddle purchase that I made, or every trip/drive/step I took

the state of computer databases/security being what it is, I don't expect things will ever get *more* private, and I don't want any more of my life (than absolutely necessary) to be made public

(they're watching . . .. I hear voices . . . did you see something moving over there?!)

 

[Bill]

Originally posted by powderburner
the paranoid side of me hates the idea of leaving a 'life trail' forever imbedded in someone's electronic files of every piddle purchase that I made, or every trip/drive/step I took

the state of computer databases/security being what it is, I don't expect things will ever get *more* private, and I don't want any more of my life (than absolutely necessary) to be made public

If you are not paranoid yet, read this: https://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=75&e=11&u=/nf/20040916/tc_nf/26967


Bill

 

[UncMikesRktShk]

Thanks Bill for ruining my weekend .But thanks for the tip.

Our Michaels seems to have all their high dollar rocket kits missing on the weekends they have 50% off coupons. MY wife and I went in the one in westland on thursday 2 days before the coupon was valid. They had 5 Big Daddys and 4 Mercury Redstones. They were still there Friday night (My Brother had looked). Saturday afternoon POOF! all gone. They pull this garbage every time. SO Im going to try the other Michaels I think its in Novi.

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by rstaff3
I just checked my last Michael's receipt and it only has the 4-digit version. Maybe you can get the store manager to change.

I read where a security pundit said that you should black out the 4 digits on the receipt when you sign. Being overly paranoid since I had identity theft, I try to remember to do that.

Whenever I go to restaurants, if I notice the full digits I usually tear that part out. Yep...you leave a cash tip with the merchant receipt and someone has instant access to a credit card number. So I just rip it right out.

 

[Missileman]

Thanks for the heads up.
I will definately keep an eye on my reciepts.
Just because I am paranoid doesn't mean people aren't really following me!!!

 

[DynaSoar]

Originally posted by powderburner
for little $20-40 purchases I just use cash

the paranoid side of me hates the idea of leaving a 'life trail' forever imbedded in someone's electronic files of every piddle purchase that I made, or every trip/drive/step I took

the state of computer databases/security being what it is, I don't expect things will ever get *more* private, and I don't want any more of my life (than absolutely necessary) to be made public

(they're watching . . .. I hear voices . . . did you see something moving over there?!)

I avoind the trail by always taking out a big chunk of cash, always the same amount, and using that. I also get as much cash back as I can from the grocery and hardware store.

Plus, I make sure that every place that I give personal information to has something different, so if someone ever calls me on anything, I'll know where they got their data from, and I'll tell them that's where they got it. Then they'll know it was seeded intel and they can't trust it.

Computer databasing will get worse. But it'll also get more complex and hard to keep track of everything and prone to error and contradiction. It already is some. I just make sure my stuff looks like some of that.

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Originally posted by DynaSoar
Plus, I make sure that every place that I give personal information to has something different, so if someone ever calls me on anything, I'll know where they got their data from, and I'll tell them that's where they got it. Then they'll know it was seeded intel and they can't trust it.

Ah, you are onto my evil secret....

There is a small (10) group of freinds who share grocery store, pet store, etc. "customer" cards. I have them in about six names. They may be collecting demographics, but my purchasing pattern is realy quite weird in their computer. I get the discount, they get bogus data. Seems like a fair trade.

 

[powderburner]

Originally posted by UncMikesRktShk
Our Michaels seems to have all their high dollar rocket kits missing on the weekends they have 50% off coupons.

This is off-thread, but here goes anyway

UncMike seems to have run into the same shuffle I found at a local HobLob. When it was time to run a rocket sale, the store hid all the Estes Saturn V and V-2 kits. The day after the sale was over, the kits magically re-appeared on the shelves.

I don't get what they thought they were accomplishing, besides making some customers pi**ed off. But hey, it is THEIR store and they get to decide how to operate it. I really can't complain because I have harvested so much other rocket stuff at great sale prices that I don't have time to build everything I already have (a nice problem to have?)

You might be able to beat them at their own game by buying one of the kits, keeping it and the receipt until the next sale, and then bringing it in and demanding the lower sale price. It usually works!

 

[UncMikesRktShk]

Yes they only piss their customers off with garbage like that. I now make the extra 4 miles trip to go to Walmarts to get all my "rocketry" craft items.

 

[flying_silverad]

Originally posted by UncMikesRktShk
Yes they only piss their customers off with garbage like that. I now make the extra 4 miles trip to go to Walmarts to get all my "rocketry" craft items.

I'm with you Mike. I'm fortunate that my Walmart is about 1000 feet from Michaels. I'm more than happy to wander around looking for ideas then when i se something, I head over to Walmart and buy it. Our Walmart actually has people that are also more willing to help if you need it.