Abuse of the blessed bread

News 19 March, 2018
  • Karina Marceau

    Monday, 19 march 2018 17:00

    UPDATE
    Monday, 19 march 2018 17:00

    Look at this article

    The situation is so absurd that it will only tarnish further the image of Loblaw, tarnished by a conspiracy of the grotesque fixation of the price of sliced bread that has lasted for nearly 15 years.

    A few days ago, a loved one has received an email from Loblaw requiring it to provide a copy of the invoice of a public utility, like an electricity bill or phone, or even a copy of his driving licence to get the small for$ 25 offered by the company as compensation for having overpaid him, as well as thousands of other customers, for several years, on bakery products. A requirement of most, which adds to all the personal information that it has already submitted: name, address, and phone number. A shoe with that?

    Ironic

    Loblaw defends its request by the fact that this additional condition has only a single purpose: to help prevent fraud. Ironic isn’t it? The company wanted to be forgiven his extra-billing, but she hopes on the bread blessed by binding some of its customers to provide sensitive information which, if they should fall into the hands of schemers, would prove a veritable gold mine for… fraud!

    The office of the privacy commissioner

    Even the Office of the protection of the privacy of Canada warns consumers against retailers that require to transmit the information on the driving licence.

    “The driving licence number is a sensitive information, and valuable for those who have the intention of committing identity crime. This is why driver’s license numbers are often subject to security attacks and fraudulent use.”

    Person at Loblaw has seen to what extent their request, in the context, was preposterous? Let me doubt it…

    A public relations campaign like vaudeville

    Since the beginning of this affair called “a cartel of bread”, the casualness of the public relations campaign of Loblaw ceases to amaze me.

    First, arguing that the senior management was not fully aware of the subterfuge of fixing prices and that the employees responsible were fired as soon as the leaders have been informed of the scheme. Is it really possible that simple staff fix the price of bread, in collusion with several other companies, for several years, without that management is aware of the maneuver?

    Then, by providing a card of$ 25 to spend on products at Loblaw, the company holds a malign strategy to attract consumers, who are likely to complete their grocery shopping for an invoice much higher than the amount granted. The art of take advantage of the credulity of their clients.

    Moreover, the use of the term “gift card”, in reference to the compensation offered to the customers after years of overbilling, it appears to me quite inappropriate. A gift, according to Larousse, is “a thing that is offered to someone to make him happy, in particular on the occasion of a feast or a happy event”. In this case, one seeks the happy event or the pleasure, if it is not that we can make fun of the awkwardness of this public relations campaign that gives the mea culpa in the company of like vaudeville.

    My friend will not send a copy of its driving licence or utility bill. It considers that it would be far-fetched to be required to show proof that he is not a fraudster attempting to take advantage of a company’s “generous” who had the honesty to amend his conspiracy.” Participate in the class action, and especially not to go eat at Loblaw are, for him, the actions that are more consistent to ask in order to give meaning to a relationship merchant-customer who has more.