🖨️ Print-happy warning: When you print a doc at FedEx, Staples or UPS, check the fine print. Their policies say they can use whatever you print for advertising or share it with unnamed third parties. No, thanks.
Privacy: Is it wise to hand over your email and number for discounts?
It’s a savvy shopper’s favorite time of year: Discounts and deals as far as the eye can see.
You’re probably like me — I don’t like paying full price. But is handing over your email address, phone number or even more worth it for a coupon code? Like most things tech, it depends.
What’s in the fine print?
Did you read the details when you signed up for a shopping app? Yeah, I thought so. It’s never too late to go back and check the terms and conditions. Here are recent stats from Atlas VPN, which reviewed some of the most popular shopping apps.
- 58% of the apps they reviewed shared names, home addresses, email IDs and phone numbers with third parties. (That’s code for anyone willing to pay.)
- 25% shared device IDs or other unique identifiers for smartphones and tablets.
- Roughly a third disclosed financial data, including purchase history and payment details.
- 28% shared location data with “external sources.” Whatever that means.
Things aren’t much better when signing up for an email list, handing over your number for marketing texts or becoming a “member,” even when it’s free. Speaking of …
What about store loyalty cards?
Getting talked into signing up for a store loyalty program is easy. In exchange for a little info, you can score deals on groceries and household items, you name it. But you’re giving away much more than you think.
Each swipe of your loyalty card, phone number, or email address tells the store everything you bought, when you bought it, in what quantity and at what price, along with your payment details. Pair that with downloading your store’s app, and they will also know where you are.
“Who cares if my store knows what brands I like?” Fair enough, but the tracking goes far beyond that. Rewards cards store data, including your name, address, phone number, and credit and debit cards. Thieves can steal this information and create a fake identity for a crime spree.
The good news is there are simple ways around handing your information over while still enjoying the discounts.
- Use your office phone number for loyalty programs. If they need an email address, I give them a disposable one. (More on that below.)
- Shop at stores that don’t require loyalty programs for discounts, like Trader Joe’s and Walmart.
- Don’t forget physical coupons. Most grocery stores have a coupon section on their website where you can print, snip and hand in.
- Whatever you do, never give your Social Security or driver’s license number.
- Ask for the discount anyway. Cashiers usually have a code to charge the digital price without you needing to have a loyalty app or code.
- Smile and ask the person behind you, “Hey, mind if I use your card?” Be polite, and I bet you’ll get a yes.
Data-hungry apps: These are the worst for your privacy
Big Tech is always after your data, and that’s especially bad when it affects national security. TikTok has been accused of spying and sending U.S. data to China. Tap or click here to keep your info safe.
Facebook, Instagram, PayPal, YouTube, eBay, Google, and TikTok. These are some of the biggest names in tech, with billions of active users worldwide. You likely have accounts with some or all of these companies. Did you read the fine print before agreeing to their privacy policies? Most people don’t.
This Zoom feature isn’t even remotely funny: Zoom’s new AI companion takes notes, summarizes meetings and even tells you who talked most. Click the magic wand icon below the main video window to use it. You can ask it for a quick update or to pull out action items from the discussion, too. Fine print: Available for paid plans only.
Buying a car? Don't get fooled into paying $2K more
Buying a new car can be a stressful event. You could spend a lot of money, and if something goes wrong, you could be stuck with a bad deal. You also shouldn’t be paying more for unnecessary features or fees you don’t know about.
An easy way to spot fine-print 'gotchas' before you agree to online terms of service
Quick show of hands: Who here actually reads all the way through the terms of service when signing up for a website or app? Aside from the lawyers among us, we’ll hazard a guess that the number is low. Terms of service tend to be dense and boring, but they contain critical information that has huge implications.
How do you sell a $20K TV? By including lots of freebies. TCL is giving a free Super Bowl ticket to the first 115 people to buy its massive 115-inch TV. Fine print: If they run out of tickets, you might have to settle for a Hollywood movie premiere or a trip to the next CES tech conference.
Slap on the wrist: Verizon, AT&T and T‑Mobile will pay $10.22 million to a group of states to settle claims of false advertising. Their ads promised unlimited data plans and free phones, but guess what? Restrictions applied, conditions had to be met, and hidden fees lurked in the fine print. Check your bills.
How to watch Netflix for free
If you’ve already binge-watched as much as you possibly could over the course of the pandemic, you’re probably bored out of your skull. Even though we technically have more content to watch than ever before, the sheer amount of exclusives combined with expensive subscription fees can make it difficult to actually see everything you want.