Economic and/or Age Discrimination by Digital Only Coupons or Offers

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Bekeart

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I do have a dog in this fight. I own a dumb phone. I use it for voice only.
I have the plastic type Customer Rewards Cards for merchant's staff to scan.
I give generously to the forum (Platinum) and some worthy charities.
But, I try to give grocers the lowest price that anybody else pays.

Kroger staff will make adjustment that allows their Digital Coupons for those of us with Dumb Phones.
Dollar General and Food Giant do not allow staff to make the adjustment.

Mouseprint has a couple of stories about this Digital Discrimination

Digital Discrimination of Unplugged Seniors

But, since 25-percent of seniors don't use the internet and 39-percent don't have smartphones
according to a 2021 study by the Pew Research Center, they are effectively shut-out of these deals.
Similarly, 43-percent of low income households lack broadband internet access.
Click to expand...

Mouse Print* – Exposing the strings and catches buried in the fine print.

Tech-Challenged Seniors Denied Digital Discounts by Grocers

Tech-Challenged Seniors Denied Digital Discounts by Grocers – Mouse Print*
 
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During the Covid fiasco some on-line ticketing group took over ticketing for High School sporting events. It was an enormous pain to use. And no walk-up tickets, etc.

I know this is all the wave of the future but I rarely carry my phone to my son’s games. And frequently have trouble manipulating the iPhone in a line with people where I feel pressured.

It was just an option this year at all my son’s games, and one could do walk-up ticketing just like normal—which I did at away games. I have passes for home games.

But now that he is in the playoffs our government agency that handles athletics controls the games and of course, being the government, makes everything as complicated and as difficult as possible. So back to on-line ticketing.

I don’t think it’s just the elderly that have this issue. Not everyone carries a cell phone all the time. Or should be forced to.
 
If retailers are loosing customers and/or business by these changes enough to impact the bottom line they'll figure out a way to maintain that business segment block. Conversely, if the cost savings by going paperless offsets the lost business, then they may be willing to sacrifice that customer segment. It's called Capitalism and I support it. Not all business decisions are made to discriminate against certain people.

Besides, the Amish and old order Mennonites seem to be getting by just fine without digital coupons.
 
yeah i'm one of the few that so far have resisted going to a smart phone, still use a flip phone by choice.
no doubt using a smart phone offers features i could use but i don't want to deal with the learning curve so i'm going to put it off as long as i can.

strange thing is back in the 70s and 80s i was considered high tech by my friends and people that knew me when it came to electronics, audio, video, etc, i'm back to basics now.
 
What Ace22 said....

I am issued a smart phone at work. I consider it more of a hindrance than a convienence.
I use a flip phone for my personal use.
That being said more and more retailers are not only doing this with coupons, but are actually not taking cash. They prefer access to your $ by phone app, debit or credit card. I somehow see this not for convience, but for profit as most of these apps charge you $ somewhere down the line.
Until further notice, the United States Dollar is still legal tender for all debts public and private. If a business won't take it for whatever reason, then they don't get my business.
People are becoming WAY too dependent on technology...technology that can and will fail or be compromised somewhere down the road.

Oh, what happens to all these smart phones in an EMP attack? Those who live by them and exist for them will be eating each other in three days.
 
As someone who has hired and then been forced to terminate employees unable to become digitally proficient, it's inevitable that some will not fit a company's business model. It's not discrimination, just not a good fit.

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk
 
I have seen this issue at (of all places) professional baseball games. We are fans of the Rays and Tropicana Field has gone completely cashless, including their tickets. Other MLB venues are the same way. This is not a scientific observation, but this past year it seemed to me that there were far fewer of the older, non-smartphone generation at the games we went to and I posit that is because it is nearly impossible to purchase and use non-electronic tickets. In addition, the MLB smartphone app is horrible and difficult to navigate which further alienates certain non-tech savvy people.

Now I realize pro baseball games aren't nearly as day-to-day as shopping for groceries, but to me it's just another example of tech discrimination. I don't, however, buy the angle that it's a matter of discriminating against those who are less economically advantaged - because of all the folks I know who are far less well off than even I am, all seem to be sporting smartphones that are far more advanced (and FAR more expensive) that what I use! :eek:
 
I conduct my life the way I want to. No excuses. If a store doesn't meet my requirements I go somewhere else and I make my reasons known. No problem.

If the time ever comes that certain technology is in use EVERYWHERE, then I'll have no choice.

What bothers me is when some young snippy little attendant talks down to me because they thought I was old and uneducated. My reply is that I do it my way and actually I was writing computer code before your mother was even born...
 
The smartphone coupon system has nothing to do with customer convenience. Retailers use this strategy to track and influence your purchases. If you use the app while shopping your retailer knows everything about you and your shopping habits. They sell this information to other companies. In the digital world, you are not the customer, you are the product. Then by sending you targeted coupons they can get rid of old/overstocked/high margin products.
 
It's all about gathering people's data and selling it as a sideline to the main business. To get you digital coupon, you have to give your cell number. For me it fails right there. It's bad enough they have my address to send the paper coupons. They also have my old landline number on file for the card, not that I ever answer it. But giving out my cell number, not on your nelly.
 
bigwheelzip said:
As someone who has hired and then been forced to terminate employees unable to become digitally proficient, it's inevitable that some will not fit a company's business model. It's not discrimination, just not a good fit.

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

As an employer that's fair enough. As a customer going to a store, I don't give a rat's patootie about their business model unless it interferes with me. Then they get fired.
 
LVSteve said:
As an employer that's fair enough. As a customer going to a store, I don't give a rat's patootie about their business model unless it interferes with me. Then they get fired.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Your not a good fit for their business model.
They have a right to structure their business, and you can choose to participate, or not.
No discrimination. Everyone gets the same choice.

Edit: Free smart phone and service with qualifying low-income.

Lifeline Phone Service | Assurance Wireless.


Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk
 
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If not for my job, I wouldn’t be as tech savvy as I am. All of the equipment I work on has either a direct laptop interface or web based interface. All of the big manufacturers (Trane, York (JCI), Daikin (McQuay), and Carrier) have gone to it and a good portion of the smaller ones also. All building automation is now online, connected to a corporations network and accessible to anyone with a password. A few years ago, the big Target data breach was someone accessing the corporate network by connecting a laptop to a rooftop A/C unit. I can’t wait to retire and go off grid!
 
Here the 3 grocery stores do coupons both ways.. Digital and print in the weekly free shopper that everybody gets. There are more digital but generally the good coupons are available in print. Also, if you forget the coupon, if you ask nicely the check out clerk can still scan and add it.
 
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