F U CVS
I went online to schedule a flu shot at my local CVS. I signed in, went through the online form, filling it out and picking a date and time that was convenient for me. I spent 15-20 minutes on the CVS website making the appointment but was not allowed to finalize it unless I agreed to their conditions. What did I have to agree to? To get f-ing texts and/or emails from CVS. For pretty much whatever reason CVS wanted to contact me about!
"By providing your mobile number and/or e-mail address, you consent to receive live and automated calls, text messages and/or e-mails about this and follow-up visits, your account, and important health care messages including additional vaccine scheduling and a copy of your immunization record. For text messages, standard message and data rates apply. Message frequency varies."
"Important health care messages"? I visualized lots of unwanted CVS email/text spam coming if I agreed, if I checked the OK box, if I finalized my flu shot appointment.
I did not proceed and left the site without scheduling a flu shot.
As a longtime adult consumer I felt controlled and abused. WHY should companies with online marketing and sales totally control what we online consumers can and can't do, and collect our personal information for marketing purposes, to sell or use it to generate spam emails and/or texts. Why do so many of them, not in critical industries, force us to give them our private contact information and force us to comply, instead of just taking our money and leaving us the F alone? Or at least giving us a choice of NOT getting endless marketing emails and texts - BEFORE we buy something!
As an online consumer and a human being I value my privacy. Online sellers do not.
Regarding getting my flu shot what will I do? I will physically go to my local CVS and see if I can get a flu shot without giving them my phone number and email address and without agreeing to let then contact me with "important health care messages".
UPDATE
I found out that my primary care physician was offering flu shots. On a walk-in basis. I went there and got my flu shot. No hassle, no problem, no spam, no invasion of privacy.