Dick's Sporting Goods bans camera phones in some locations...

[Zim Hosein]

Dick's Sporting Goods bans camera phones in some locations.

A nationwide retailer of sports clothing and equipment, Dick's Sporting Goods, is banning camera phones in some locations to prevent customers from comparison shopping, according to an article in the Indianapolis Star.

The article says, "Dick's Sporting Goods, which opened several stores in to [sic] Indianapolis this year before acquiring Galyans, banned customers from using cell phones in some locations to avoid competitive price-checking."

:Q

 

[Howard]

They can do whatever they want.

 

[lokiju]

Is that legal?

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: blazert40
Is that legal?

Why wouldn't it be? It's private property.

 

[UDT89]

good luck controlling that.

what are they gonna do? kick you out? lose a customer over a phone?


just lower your prices then, cause this obviously shows that they are higher priced.

 

[Aharami]

never been to Dick's Sporting goods, but such action makes me think that the only reason they are doing so is cuz they have higher prices than competing retailers. therefore i will stay away from Dick's

 

[UDT89]

will they ban pad and paper next?

 

[PanzerIV]

Dick's being a dick.

That's ludicrous. I wouldn't shop there if we had one.

 

[arcas]

This isn't new. A number of grocery stores will not let you comparison shop. If they catch you wandering the aisles just jotting down prices, they'll escort you out of the building.

 

[Platypus]

hahaha, fvck Dick's, Galayans was so much better.

 

[Mr N8]

We recently banned all cell phone usage in the bank that I work for. Camera phones could be very dangerous in banks. It seems that the FDIC is looking for these sorts of things to keep you on their insurance, as well as MP3 players, digital cameras, and most other things that could connect via USB and quickly download lots of data.

 

[SoylentGreen]

Originally posted by: MogulMonster
We recently banned all cell phone usage in the bank that I work for. Camera phones could be very dangerous in banks. It seems that the FDIC is looking for these sorts of things to keep you on their insurance, as well as MP3 players, digital cameras, and most other things that could connect via USB and quickly download lots of data.

Taking pics in the bank, please elaborate on how dangerous it may be.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Seems like reason enough not to shop there.

 

[MustISO]

Dick's is also test marketing having their customers hand over their wallets while the cashier takes out money for whatever the item costs. Keeps them from having to post a price.

 

[TerryMathews]

I think you'd discover that most places don't allow heavy-duty comparison price shopping if you actually tried. Walk into say Best Buy with a legal tablet and pen and start writing down the prices of everything. If you're not wearing a vendor shirt and nametag (Activision, Sony, etc.), just count the minutes until you're asked to leave.

They don't even have to have a rule against it. They can just say you're disrupting other customers and you have no recourse since it's private property.

 

[booger711]

Originally posted by: MustISO
Dick's is also test marketing having their customers hand over their wallets while the cashier takes out money for whatever the item costs. Keeps them from having to post a price.

lol how true

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: UDT89
will they ban pad and paper next?

Actually, I think Best Buy will throw you out if they catch you taking notes.
It's their property and they can do it if they want, but it sure says a lot about their confidence in offering the best products and prices.

 

[Goth]

Wal-Fart strictly prohibits comparison shopping in their stores. They even have it posted, usually at the customer service desk. If you do it and are caught, they will ask to you leave the premises. If you're supposedly the low price leader, why would you be afraid of people doing comparison shopping?

 

[UDT89]

Originally posted by: SoylentGreen

Originally posted by: MogulMonster
We recently banned all cell phone usage in the bank that I work for. Camera phones could be very dangerous in banks. It seems that the FDIC is looking for these sorts of things to keep you on their insurance, as well as MP3 players, digital cameras, and most other things that could connect via USB and quickly download lots of data.

Taking pics in the bank, please elaborate on how dangerous it may be.

pictures of camera placement, camera angles, door locations, employee faces, there a bunch of reasons the banks should care. If i had that much money in one spot, i wouldnt want people taking pictures of where it is stored.

 

[Anubis]

cant people just remember what sh!t costs?

we all have a brain and its HANDS FREE

 

[3chordcharlie]

Lots of places ban cameras of all kinds from being used; camera phones have the added bonus of being easy to use in a deceptive manner (they don't click, you can appear to be checking your calendar, etc.). Not allowing comparison shopping seems extreme; they can't stop you from remembering the prices, but as long as there are no attempts at claiming compensation that's probably quite legal too; private property and all.

I wouldn't go back to a place that didn't allow me to write down the price, but I don't mind going to a store that bans cameras. Extending this to remind customers that camera phones are, in fact, cameras is fine with me. Anything more than being asked to put it away would probably stop me form ever going back though.

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlieI wouldn't go back to a place that didn't allow me to write down the price, but I don't mind going to a store that bans cameras. Extending this to remind customers that camera phones are, in fact, cameras is fine with me. Anything more than being asked to put it away would probably stop me form ever going back though.

If they ask you to leave, it won't be up to you whether or not you want to go back. Most stores have a policy that once you're asked to leave, you are permanently no longer welcome and a return trip constitutes tresspassing.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: TerryMathews

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlieI wouldn't go back to a place that didn't allow me to write down the price, but I don't mind going to a store that bans cameras. Extending this to remind customers that camera phones are, in fact, cameras is fine with me. Anything more than being asked to put it away would probably stop me form ever going back though.

If they ask you to leave, it won't be up to you whether or not you want to go back. Most stores have a policy that once you're asked to leave, you are permanently no longer welcome and a return trip constitutes tresspassing.

....'cause that's really gonna be enforced (unless of course you continuously come back and get kicked out over and over...then they might care enough to recognize you...maybe).

In any case, I'd be annoyed as well if they tried anything more than have me put it away. If they did kick me out I'd probably say "fine" and leave, and come back some other time if it suited me.