Today I purchased an OTC nasal decongestant WITHOUT PSEUDOEPHEDRINE at Target but it did contain alcohol. The cashier asked for my driver's license and said it was because one of the OTC's I was buying had alcohol in it (polyvinyl alcohol). I gave it to her thinking she just needed to see my DOB but instead she scanned it into the computer! She never said she was going to do that. She never asked my permission to do it. Then she tells me she has no idea what information was taken off my license!

When I returned home I thought more and more about this and called the store and then called the corporate office. I was told it was Target's policy to scan your license, taking your name, address and DOB and putting into their computer, because they are required by law. I had already called other pharmacies and was told they only require you to show your id and they put in your DOB by hand for OTC's with alcohol. They only scan your license if it contains pseudoephedrine as per law.

Now I am steaming mad. My information is out there on Target's computer, going who knows where, where anyone who hacks into their computer system can get it.

I know I am probably making a bigger deal about this than I should but it just ticks me off that Target can just scan your license without telling you they are. I thought she was just looking at my DOB and would just put it in manually like every other place does. I am very protective of my information because once it's out there, there is nothing you can do to get it back. I am writing to the corporate office to give them a piece of my mind (well just a little since there's not much left! ).

What do you think? Am I over reacting? Is there anything I can do about this?

I do not think you are over reacting. If they are going to scan your license - I have never seen such a thing, so thanks for the heads up, btw - they should HAVE to tell you. And I don't care what ingredients you buy. I don't care if you buy fire arms, they should have to warn you.

Does your license have a bar code?

I would call Target's main office and ask for an explanation, further. Ask to speak to a manager at customer relations.

I would wonder how it scans, if there is no bar code?

Some major companies, have rules that cover ALL states.
For example another state may have a rule, about this, so Target uses that as a base to require at all point of sale locations in all states.
The strictest applies to all in other words. Many chains do this, because the programming is central.

I would tell the customer representative that you will no longer shop at Target. I would do that myself.

I have noticed myself a movement for cough syrups containing DM. SAMs club asked for my ID at check out for Tussin DM.
Times are changing as young people abuse more and more health products.

They recently did a "sting" close to my town for a "meth style lab" and they tracked down the target folks because to buy Sudafed, you must show a DL to get it. These guys used their DLs to get dozens and dozens and dozens of boxes of the stuff.

I would have been upset had the cashier not told me what she was up to with MY information. She could have said "in order to buy this, I will need to SCAN your license, is that ok?" and let you make the choice, but to just scan willy nilly with the amount of hackers that are busting into corporate systems is scary!

Im with you! I would be upset.

There is a bar code and I did speak with the store and the corporate office. That's there policy period. I did write in my email that will no longer purchase medications there and take my business elsewhere.

There was nothing in the ingredients that would make meth. I am all for recording my name for that type of ingredient but not for something small like alcohol. The cashiers have no idea what the scan does - I only found out when the store tried to double talk me - first they said to find out if I was who I was and then they said to get the DOB because the cashier could punch in any number. Then they admitted they take the name and address too.

That's exactly why I am so upset. She never said she was going to scan it, she just did it.

I agree w/you K!!

What happened to the "good ole' days" when things were much simpler and TRUST was a word that actually meant something??? Good for you for checking it out.

I understand the dl scanning for meds containing psuedophedrine. It is an ingrediant that goes into meth and a law was passed in regaurds to the purchase of psuedophedrine to keep track of who puchases it and how much. To mutch educational tv) I guess meth cooks go from pharmacy to pharmacy buying up the stuff. Howerver I would be ****** if someone scaned my dl into there system and I was not asked or informed prior and it was psuedophedrine free.

FYI,
All the stores here, scan your driver's license if you write them a check, groceries, toilet paper, the whole bit.

They used to just write your Driver's Lic # on the check, now they scan it. I hate that. Some stores have an automatic debit feature with your check if you don't use your debit card. They don't require me to show who I am, they already took their money.

What I did was put my driver's lic. in a very tight plastic part of my wallet (see through). I tell them I can't take it out, so now they just copy the number instead of scanning the bar code with all my info on it.

I worry too that the store could get hacked and info getting into the wrong hands.

This was never for any drugs or the like. Just general goods.