Why do websites ask for your fax number?

[1lit]

I'm sick of filling in forms asking for details they'll never use.

I must have entered my fax number hundreds if not thousands of times while filling in forms on the net. Yet I've probably only received about two faxes from websites in all those years.

Why do these bozos insist on taking your fax number then? I think it's because they lack of intellect - everybody else asks for your fax number, so they do as well, even though they'll never use it.

[Jan]

Yeah I know how you feel....

I don't have a fax number, so obviously I don't enter it.

I could probably leave off my phone number too...it is never used. Would be kinda nice to get a foreign voice on the phone occasionally

[Chet]

Originally posted by litmania
Why do these bozos insist on taking your fax number then? I think it's because they lack of intellect - everybody else asks for your fax number, so they do as well, even though they'll never use it.

There is nothing BOZO about it. I have never seen a site that made it mandatory to give your fax number. Just skip it if you don't have one or don't want to give it out. It is good to have all the contact information you can about someone when doing business with them whether it is used or not...no need for the name calling about it.

I think it's because they lack of intellect - everybody else asks for your fax number, so they do as well, even though they'll never use it.

Everyone else tries to use their sites to advertise and make money. Do you do that just because everyone else does? Is it an "intellect" problem with you?

[1lit]

Didn't mean to offend you or anyone, Chet.

The fax number might be necessary for your website, Chet, as it is biz. orientated, but is it really necessary to ask someone's fax number if they are signing up for a free email service or requesting a free t-shirt?

And sorry but some people are bozos. For example: people in the US are not aware of this, but so many websites supposedly serving an international audience ask you to input a zip number which is ONLY suitable for US addresses.

We have letters in the UK postcode, and you wouldn't believe the number of websites which have a drop-down menu with countries from all over the world, but then when I'm requested to enter the zip/post code ONLY US ones are accepted. Get an error message which won't let me continue the sign-up procedure, and so I'm forced to make up a US zip. Has happened scores of times.

These kind of things sadly do, IMHO, signify a lack of intellect and consideration for others.

[singloon]

yeah it use to annoy me since i didn't have a fax machine, but at the start of this year i got myself a nice Canon Multipass C20, fax, scanner and printer

Figured i'd need it for advertisers and signing contracts etc.. and been using it alot lately

[Rhea]

Hey Jan,

If you'll accept a collect call I'll ring you up! lol! Email me your phone number. What's your GMT offset?

But I'll warn you, I kind of have a non-accent accent. (Or so I've been told.)

[Jan]

Hahahaha, then you must talk the same as me then, cos I don't have an accent

[OC]

Originally posted by litmania
so I'm forced to make up a US zip

Which is actually harder than it seems it would be. I'm in the US, but occasionally I've entered bogus information for demographics purposes. It took a couple of tries until I opted out for 90210.

[sdarken]

I agree with Litmania on this one as I have created numerous checkout form which include a fax number (always optional of course) without any real need.

I don't know a single person (with the exception of a few fax-spammers) who will fax documents without speaking to the recipient first to confirm the fax number and to warn the person that a fax is coming.

In virtually every case I think the fax number could be removed from the form without ever affected future business.

It took a couple of tries until I opted out for 90210.

Very funny.

- Simon

[Czar]

It took a couple of tries until I opted out for 90210.

lol. A few years ago I started a "free stuff" newsletter hosted by Listbot, and initially made the zip code field compulsory. I remember when I was checking out the demographics of the first 500 or so members, about 50 claimed to be from the Hills. Now, either Kelly, Dillon, Steve and crew are more frugal than they seem, or the old 90210 is a good indicator of false info.

It would be interesting to see how many TV-junkies enter their phone numbers as 555-whatever when forced to do so.

[Jan]

There is another problem with some of these forms. The SSN number in affiliate programs!! Wake up USA!!! Overseas people don't have SSNs!!

Okay some 'more classy' programs recognise that it is not needed for overseas affiliates - thanks guys

There have been a few where N/A got me through the signup, but others just won't process because I didn't give a SSN. So I asked an American how many digits a SSN has, now I put in all 0000000s and it works.

I often wonder, had I stayed with those companies and earned money, if I would have been paid because I didn't have a genuine SSN????

[mjames]

Wake up, international users! You don't rule the Internet, so don't act like everything should be catered towards you. Are you the kind of person who wants every site to cater to every person? You expect me to design a site for Windows 3.1 and IE 3 compatability? Please.

Usually, if fields like zip codes don't apply to you, you don't have to fill them out/not required. For in all honestly, the majority of members are Americans, so companies tend to cater towards them. But, I DO see your point that it can be annoying when companies absolutely require information you can't provide. THAT should be changed, no doubt.

Hey, being American, I'm not complaing.

[singloon]

Originally posted by mjames
Wake up, international users! You don't rule the Internet, so don't act like everything should be catered towards you. Are you the kind of person who wants every site to cater to every person? You expect me to design a site for Windows 3.1 and IE 3 compatability? Please.

Usually, if fields like zip codes don't apply to you, you don't have to fill them out/not required. For in all honestly, the majority of members are Americans, so companies tend to cater towards them. But, I DO see your point that it can be annoying when companies absolutely require information you can't provide. THAT should be changed, no doubt.

Hey, being American, I'm not complaing.

typical j/k

[1lit]

In England we have a saying: "the customer is always right". It is worth making the sign-up procedure as easy as possible. Sometimes there have been services that I have not been desperate to sign-up for, who have had awkward forms to fill in, and I have not bothered to complete the procedure.

'mjames' - it is increasingly untrue that most users will be American. The internet is a global medium. And unless the Americans realise and come to terms with that, they will lose business. The world's population is 6,000,000. The USA's population is only around 300,000. Ignore the market outside the States at your peril!

I always use 90210 as my zip code as well if they don't accept an English postcode

[JP Sauve]

Beware. Fax spam actually exists, so some of you putting your phone number in the fax field might wake up to an incoming fax on your phone line at 3 am.