Martial status questions!! Too Invasive??

[Pete's Mom]

While filing out a form for my Kroger Plus card discount, I noticed the following Marital Status choices

Married
Single
Widowed
Separated
Divorced

So I can see the rationale in asking if you are married, single, or even widowed, why on earth have they added separated or divorced? I can see the separated part for legal reasons dealing with let's say, 401k, IRA's, etc. but lately, I have seen these same choices on everything from Blockbuster memberships, updating my profile at the doctor's office, and even my library card application. Maybe I am a little paranoid, but I feel this is an invasion of my privacy to ask for specifics. Either you are married or not, right?

I have been divorced for 5 years now. If I am still single 20 years from now, should I still be checking divorced? FYI - I always check single.

Curious as to your opinions on this.

 

[MHopkins2]

Heh, and from the thread title, I thought it was going to be a gripe about black belt vs. brown in judo. (Just teasing, I make all kinds of typos.)

Anyway, I'm with you - I think it's ridiculous and I lie every time. None of their d*** business, thanks! Not that I'm ashamed of being divorced, but ***?

 

[hubby_of_newtodisney]

Most stores offer "anonymous" discount cards. At one chain, when I asked for an anonymous card, the lady handed me the card portion, and wrote "anonymous" on the application portion. She said that she wished that more people knew about this option, and so do I!

 

[Disney Debbie]

The only rationale I can come up with is that they market different things to different groups - perhaps divorced women need to buy different products from never married women

Seriously, I would check single too or leave it blank if it was me. I've never noticed it before, but I'm married.

 

[poohandwendy]

I tend to ignore questions I find too personal on those types of 'applications'. It's not an exam/test, we all reserve the right to give out whatever information we want.

 

[Demosthenes]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
I tend to ignore questions I find too personal on those types of 'applications'.

Yeah, like name, DOB, address...

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Date of Birth scares me a lot more than marital status. Both are intrusive of course but date of both is a component of your financial information. Intrawest consistently demands information of that sort for anything except one day lift tickets. The employees can't get around it so you wind up putting down false information. I could understand Birth Year...because some of their prices are driven by age. But you don't need the month and day.

 

[soccerchick]

I hate that I have to fill out one of these cards for so many stores in order to get the "sale" prices. I fill out my name and an old, disconnected cell phone number on all of these. Everything else I leave blank. No one has protested my lack of information. Of course, I don't get the grocery coupons and such in the mail, and they can probably find out info on me w/ what I provide, but hopefully I am gettign a little extra privacy that is worth the few dollars I'd save from the mailers.

 

[C.Ann]

This scenario reminds me of many of the on-line questionaires - for rates on car insurance, home owners insurance, health insurance, etc., that are advertised as "Immediate online quotes!!" Try leaving your telephone number blank.. Not a snowballs chance in heck that you'll receive a quote.. If they don't have a telephone number where their high pressure salesmen can yak you to death, then they don't want anything to do with you..

I always get a message telling me that my phone number (which is private) is mandatory - and I always respond with an email telling them that an "immediate on-line quote" does NOT require my telephone number.. Basically it's just a shady way for the telemarketers to obtain "permission" to hound you to death..

 

[jipsy]

Here's always my classic response:

Name: Noneya Business
Address: 123 Main St.; WhoCares, YZ 12345
Phone: 123-456-7890
Sex: yes
DOB: 1-2-34

etc. etc. etc.

 

[browneyes]

I don't like the marital status question either. If I can get by without answering it on stuff like that, I won't answer it.

 

[Pin Wizard]

In my book, there's a huge difference between single and divorced. If someone is checking off single when they've actually been married in the past, it's a lie to me. Single means never having been married. On too many forms I've completed "widowed" is not there and I always write it in! Maybe they should add "single again." LOL!

 

[Fire14]

My DH works for Kroger and I will ask him why they want the marrital staus which is none of their BIZ. I know for fact that if you put mailing address they do send coupons. Why they need phone number I have no clue but will ask. I will aslo send your concerns to the kroger president if you'd like. I also know that if you don't have a card the cashier is suspossed to use the ghost card so you still get sales prices. I have used this method in past myself at kroger stores other than one DH works at.

 

[grinningghost]

They ask alot of stupid questions which are truly none of their business. I also hate when they ask for income level. I never fill that one out.

 

[dixiegirl]

I personally don't fill out info like that. I keep as much to myself as possible.

But the reason that they ask for the info is to basically get a feel for the demographics of their client base. It's all about marketing.