[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by Rolebama

I went to vote today. Handed over my Voting Card ad Driving Licence. He called out a number to the lady handing out the Ballot Papers, three today because of Mayoral and London Assembly votes. I found numbers on the back of all three papers, and I asked if they were used to identify me. This was affirmed. So the anonymous 'free' vote is yet another sham scam.

This is not new, it's been that way pretty well forever.
So far as I recall form my school-days (sixty years ago) it can only be used with a court order, which is pretty well unheard of.

[Rolebama]

I used to go to my local Community Centre where I was given the top copy off the pile with no identifiers at all. At that time I handed over my Voting Card and it was kept so it couldn't be re-used. After I had put my cross in the relevant box, I would fold it in half and put it in the box. It was completely anonymous. This as the same system whatever political election. As to comment about a Court Order, they were just ordinary people who had the list of names and addresses along with the numbers, although I am sure they had some kind of job title, and I do not believe for one minute that an interested party could not obtain them. I think this is an agree to disagree moment.
I apologize if this reads as insulting in any way, that is not my intent.
I also apologize generally for starting this thread as I now read my original post as political, it was not my intent, I just felt the need to vent.

[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by Rolebama

I used to go to my local Community Centre where I was given the top copy off the pile with no identifiers at all. At that time I handed over my Voting Card and it was kept so it couldn't be re-used. After I had put my cross in the relevant box, I would fold it in half and put it in the box. It was completely anonymous. This as the same system whatever political election. As to comment about a Court Order, they were just ordinary people who had the list of names and addresses along with the numbers, although I am sure they had some kind of job title, and I do not believe for one minute that an interested party could not obtain them. I think this is an agree to disagree moment.
I apologize if this reads as insulting in any way, that is not my intent.
I also apologize generally for starting this thread as I now read my original post as political, it was not my intent, I just felt the need to vent.

The linked document (from Parliament itself)) explains that the current procedure has been in place since the Ballot Act 1872. I can't confirm that - my experience only goes back to 1970!
https://publications.parliament.uk/p...68/768ap12.htm

[NMNeil]

Serious hump time.
I want to buy a Chevy Bolt EV, and as usual I start my search on the internet.
I put in the search criteria that I'm only interested in cars within a 200 mile area (Don't forget the US is huge, so 200 miles is nothing). The first results I keep getting are from these "We deliver to your door" cars dealers like Carvana, but the car can be literally thousands of miles away. When I've finally find a few cars that I can actually go and see the ads all say "Call for price". Why not just tell me how much you want for the bloody car. The local main dealers web sites all have the live chat option, so I though I'd give that a try, and they go something like this.
Chat person "Hello my name is xxxx, how can I help you today?"
Me. "Hi, can you tell me if you have any Chevy Bolts in stock?"
Chat person "If I can get your phone number and e-mail I'll pass you over to one of our professional sales representatives"
Me "A simple answer of how many you have in stock is all I need"
Chat person "I don't have that information but if I can get your phone number and e-mail address I'm sure the sales staff will be able to help"
Me. "Tell you what, I'll call back in an hour, which should give you enough time to talk to sales and find out for me"
Chat person, who is now off her standard script "I'm not sure I can do that"
Me "What, ask your sales team a question?"
Chat person disconnects.

Rant not over.

I design and build simple electronics projects and as such I often need the datasheets of components, so when I go to the manufacturers site I can download the datasheet at no charge, but quite often I'm met with "Log in or create an account to get your datasheet"

But this "Log in or create an account" is an epidemic from so many sites, so just for fun I set up a throw away e-mail account and set up accounts with a few company's, not all electronic components manufacturers.
A week later my throw away e-mail account had over 750 sales and scam messages.

Everyone wants you on their database and I won't play their games.

Rant officially over and I'm pouring myself a beer, or 3 😁

[Drivingforfun]

@NMNeil

I don't understand salespeople sometimes, it's as if they are trying to waste their own time as well as mine...unless some customers do in fact fall for their tactics?

I was looking for a certain nearly-new car several years ago and went to the showroom to sit in a new one just to check it out. The salesman came over and we had a chat and told him the colour and spec I wanted. I said my budget was up to £20,000 but I would begrudgingly go to £25,000 for a PERFECT car, but that was an already-exceeded-absolute-maximum ... he came back and said he had found a few but all were £27-30,000 🤔

Another one is estate agents ... when looking for an old cottage, the type with wooden beams inside that you bash your head on, in a rural location ... they came back excited that they had found exactly what I was looking for, with several new or nearly new builds in towns and cities........it's like they DID understand the requirements, but then went for the complete opposite 😣

[NMNeil]

It was exactly the opposite when we were looking for a home to retire to.
Every Realtor (estate agent) would listen intently as we described what we were looking for, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with some land, but not too close to town and move in ready.
Without fail we would be shown the semi derelict piece of s**t that they have had on their books for years and just couldn't shift.