Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, in a series of tweets on April 28, flagged customer privacy violation at a sporting goods outlet in Delhi. She said she was asked to provide her phone number and email ID while making a cash purchase.
“Want to buy my dad trousers for Rs 1,499 in CASH at @Decathlon_India Ansal Plaza and manager insists I need to put in my mobile number and email ID to purchase,” Mahua Moitra said. “Sorry @Decathlon_India, you are violating privacy laws and consumer laws by insisting on this.”
Want to buy my dad trousers for ₹1499 in CASH at @Decathlon_India Ansal Plaza & manager insists I need to put in my mobile number & email
ID to purchase.
Sorry @Decathlon_India you are violating privacy laws & consumer laws by insisting on this. Am at store currently.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 28, 2022
Moitra added that when in the United Kingdom, she always shopped at Decathlon and was never asked her contact details. “(They ask) only for email if one wants paperless receipt. So clearly only Indian arm wants to fool customers here. Not nice.”
The Trinamool Congress MP also posted a screenshot of a message she said was from a Supreme Court lawyer, telling her not to provide the store her phone number.
Received this message from a top lawyer at the Supreme Court just now. The sweet manager finally put in his number & got me out of store (with dad’s trousers) But @Decathlon_India needs to reconfigure now. pic.twitter.com/Ez4OxGDuJJ
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 28, 2022
“I ran into the same problem and refused to give my mobile number,” the message read. “They have all configured their systems in a way as to trap the customer. They need to change their systems. Tech and data oligarchs want to enslave us.”
Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla suggested that Moitra ask the store to give it in writing that they will not sell her their product without contact information. “See how they fall in place,” he added.
Moitra revealed that the purchase was completed only after the store manager provided his own number.
Some Twitter users agreed with Moitra’s complaint, while others waved it off.
“This behaviour is so rampant in India. Every store you go to will ask for your number. Initially, I resisted and led to fights, with exasperated sighs from people behind in the queue. Now I provide any 10 digit no that captures my imagination that day,” one user said.
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