Q: O2 has announced a service for its customers, which will track their location and then offer deals based on where they are. What do you think about it?

  • 14%
    A good idea, it will lead to more relevant savings

  • 22%
    Not sure, I like the idea of getting a deal, but not of my phone company tracking my locations

  • 42%
    It's an outrage. I don't want deals, and I do not want O2 tracking my location!

  • 21%
    I have no strong feelings, but I wouldn't let O2 or any phone company track me in return for special offers

(Based on 85 Votes)

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PC Advisor

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 11:06AM

O2 has launched a location-based service that offers its customers access to discounts and special offers at nearby retailers. Would you let your phone company track you in return for special offers? Have your say in our poll: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/polls/3291839/o2-has-announced-a-service-for-its-customers-which-will-track-their-location-and-then-offer-deals-based-on-where-they-are-what-do-you-think-about-it/ .

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Matt Egan

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Posted July 20, 2011 at 11:04AM

Quickbeam, you get my undying admiration. But you had that anyway.

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Woolwell

Likes # 0

Posted July 19, 2011 at 6:29PM

I've still not voted. None of the 4 options reflect my opinion. I'm not that worried about the tracking aspect as phone companies can do that anyway. What I am not sure about is whether it will lead to relevant savings. I can see that I could get a message telling me that I could get a discount off clothes but then find that it isn't my type of shop. O2 would have to track my shopping habits too in order to offer relevant discounts. Tesco do that now. Does this mean that O2 will link up with a discount card company?

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morddwyd

Likes # 0

Posted July 19, 2011 at 5:55PM

Once again, I'm with Quickbeam - I've voted too!

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Quickbeam

Likes # 0

Posted July 19, 2011 at 1:03PM

OK I've voted now, do I get something extra special for my highly valued vote?

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Matt Egan

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Posted July 19, 2011 at 9:49AM

I'll add 'no' as an option. Promise me you'll vote. Promise now.

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morddwyd

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 8:23PM

I'm with Quickbeam.

I am sure, but I am not outraged.

Just a simple no.

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OTT_B

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 8:11PM

"Would you let O2 track your location in return for special offers?"

No.

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Forum Editor

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 5:45PM

All mobile networks can track individual handsets - they've been logging locations for many years.

As your phone moves from cell to cell the network logs the information, and can provide it to the Police if required to do so as part of an ongoing investigation. The difference with the O2 proposal is that you would agree to the location information being passed to a specified third party in exchange for discounts and/or special offers.

Show me a consumer with a mobile device that connects to a network, and I'll show you the perfect marketing target.

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quiller

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 2:59PM

This may be an attempt by 02 to get in first if the EU decide to stop the tracking of mobile phones, similar to the EU Privacy/Cookie Directive. If they get users to agree now to tracking, they can say users are happy with it or a large selection are already willing to be tracked.

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Woolwell

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 2:31PM

Agree with Quickbeam about the number of poll options. I am not anti the concept and therefore am inclined to vote for the first option but would it lead to more relevant savings? It might tempt me to make an impulse buy. What size discounts are we talking about? A very small discount may not make it worth bothering with.

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Quickbeam

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 2:08PM

The polls 3 options aren't enough to poll with.

I'm sceptical rather than outraged, and not sure iffy rather than not sure but like it...

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Quickbeam

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 2:04PM

All depends on just how special the offer is.

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interzone55

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 1:56PM

Joseph Kerr

Not necessarily the weather at this precise moment, you just look out the window for that, but useful to know what it'll be like later in the day, and it tracks several cities, so I can see that it's raining where I work 60-odd miles away, but fine at home, so I know to put a coat in the car for the 100 yard dash to the door from the car-park.

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Legolas

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 1:49PM

Not sure I think i would want to see what offers I was getting for allowing them to track me and how easy it was to get out of the scheme if I didn't like it.

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Joseph Kerr

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 1:36PM

Surely i dont need to be told the weather in my current location...

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spuds

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 12:47PM

Surely mobile phone providers are already tracking their customers on an everyday basis. Possibly a bit like your ISP with your email.

Offering incentives seems to be a way of perhaps fooling the more gullible, especially if these offers are of no or very little value to the majority.

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interzone55

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 11:59AM

For some this would be handy, but it's merely an extension of the bluetooth spam offers that some shopping centres ping out as you pass certain shops.

One of the reasons that I keep bluetooth turned off.

I do find it vaguely disconcerting that my phone knows where I am, as it displays the town I'm in and the current weather on the home screen. I know I can turn this off, but it's harmless as long as I'm not engaging in any activity where I don't want people to know where I am, tabloids for example, and handily my phone has an "Airplane" mode that turns off all radios (cellular radio, GPS, Bluetooth & Wi-Fi - how do that fit 4 radios and antennas in a box 9mm thick) when I want to go deep cover...

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Joseph Kerr

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 11:51AM

Aren't we already tracked? We ar with an iphone.

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Taff™

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 11:42AM

Personally I feel it`s like inviting spam. I have a busy enough life without offers pinging my mobile every day. It's already bad enough on 02 with messages about an accident I never had!

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johndrew

Likes # 0

Posted July 18, 2011 at 11:36AM

If O2 wanted to make offers to its customers it could do so without tracking them by simply providing a free number to call.

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