Dear All,
does it annoy more folks than just me that certain seed companies want so much more information than just your name and address (which should be all they need) before deigning to send out a catalogue.
regards Sally Wright

Dear Sally, indeed it does, whether they are being payed by survey companies i'm not sure, but it is most annoying.

I know what you mean Sally I filled a form in for a holiday catalogue on line and they had marked the parts of the form that you had to fill in. So I left out my telephone number because I did not want to include it and it would not let me go any further until I had filled the blank space in. Infuriating.

Hi Sally

What information are they asking you for?

I have just had a look at Marshall's and Unwin's, and all either of them require is name and address.

When you come to think about it, most information about you is readily available without your giving it.

Ohhh Alan, how is that then?

Dear Alan,
try ordering a catalogue from a certain firm starting with T ampersand M and see how much info they want.
Regards Sally Wright.

Isn't it just name, address, email and telephone number? Aren't they just the usual things companies ask and as Alan says they can find your telephone number anyway. Must admit we don't have to request catalogues as the people we have ordered from in the past just send one anyway and if we want to order from other companies we just order online. Don't really need a catalogue if they have a good website?

Dear Gallotments,
it is not just that they ask for all this info but the fact that you cannot order a catalogue online without giving them it all. That there is no opportunity to say nope I don't want you to have my e-mail address or telephone number or that I consider that these items of info are not really necessary to post off a copy of their catalogue to me. It is mandatory that you fill in these boxes. That's the bit I object to, the gathering by them of unneeded bits of information that they can then sell on to generate more spam and unwanted phonecalls.
As Alan says most of the others just want name and address, which is fine by me. It is just that I am ex-directory and I would like it to stay that way.
Deep breath - tries to calm down - Aaahhhh!
Regards Sally Wright.

I can understand why you would object to giving your telephone number if you are ex-directory and agree that it should be optional - why don't you email them and register your objection and ask them to change their policy? You may feel a bit better having told them how you feel - maybe they hadn't thought of this - you never know you could get a result. Must admit I am one for contacting any companies that I have issues with and it does often have a positive outcome.

I have been known to make up phone numbers on online forms. So long as they get the required number of digits they seem to accept it OK.
My favourite is my really old mobile number which I still have on a pay as you go - not been topped up or charged for years!

Westi

that crossed my mind Westie.