General Discussion

I got given this for Christmas. Excellent stuff. Recommend it to all whether for or against supermarkets/Tesco's.

Title: Tescopoly
Author: Andrew Simms
Price:£7.99
ISBN: 978-1-84529-511-0

Share some of it then!

I haven't finished the book yet but here's a bit about Tesco's club card:

"Tesco shoppers use the Clubcard in eight out of every ten trips to Tesco. There are around 25 million in existence,representing 14 million households. Perhaps 10 million cards are in active use. Shortly before its fall the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), one of the most famous police states in the world, only had a population of around 16 million people. That means that Tesco almost certainly holds more files on British citizens that the East German state ever had on its own people.

The clubcard enables Tesco to keep a record of each holder's name,age,address, tel number and e-mail. The company knows your dietary requirements and the makeup of your family. It keeps track of exactly everything you have ever bought from it, and which stores you've bought from. The precise date and time of each purchase is held too.

The card also enables Tesco to tell which coupons and vouchers you've used, and when and where you used them. It will also keep a record of any complaints you have ever made, any additional market research you have taken part in and any other direct communication you may have had with the store".

And can I just point out that if the above couldn't be verified I feel sure Tesco would have sued the author of Tescopoly for libel. They haven't. - Book Worm

So whats new! This is the same information that any supermarket card has on their shoppers, also Store cards, Visa, any credit card, all these have your financial details, when, where, and what you purchace, address, email, tel no and various other details. Add to that, speed cameras,and security cameras, one way or another Big Brother is watching!Maybe , if a lot of this information was used positively, there would not be so many Benefit Fraudsters, Criminal Offences, Illegal Immigrants etc!

I agree that other organisations have lots of information on us via our using store cards, credit cards etc. Don't you find that extremely concerning?

I think the point the author is trying to make though is that Tesco, alone, has huge amounts of info on huge numbers of us.

Big Bro .. that makes the case for Identity Cards. By the way not a new idea, have my late mums of 1940.
I've nothing to hide so I would be happy with one and it can show my GP and family contact details too.

Hi, hmmm, i agree totally, i think if ID Cards were issued to everyone, i think the world would be a much safer place, i know it means more or less having information about us 24/7, and some people would not be happy, but its no more than what iformation we voluntarily give without realising it, and like you say, only someone with something to hide, would have a problem with it.

Also , how safe are we anyway, when the government leak or lose our files and personal details!

Who's to know if Tesco's haven't suffered the same level of data loss - we'd just never be told as they have no responsibility to Parliament as do public bodies.