If you told me last week that there would be a common cause that would unite the usual factions that make up the fans of various mobile systems, I would not have believed you. In a way we should thank Walmart. Without their MCX’s scorched earth response to NFC, we would not have remembered the thing that unites us; we are all technology fans at heart.
We can fight the threat of CurrentC. CurrentC won’t be defeated by twitter posts and app store reviews alone. At the end of the day they are just entries in a database. The poor schmuck who runs the CVS twitter feed can’t reverse the decision to block NFC, the clerks at the store can’t do it either. The executives who are pushing CurrentC can just ignore everything and keep pressing with CurrentC. What they can’t ignore is complaints through their customer service channels.
We can take a two pronged approach to this.
1. CurrentC needs to die. If it is not in the AppStore or Google Play store, it has little chance of widespread adoption.
CurrentC violates the following app store guidelines that could have it pulled. We should complain to Apple to have the app removed.
https://www.apple.com/emea/support/itunes/contact.html
2.13 Apps that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements will be rejected
17.2 Apps that require users to share personal information, such as email address and date of birth, in order to function will be rejected
22.7 Developers who create Apps that surreptitiously attempt to discover user passwords or other private user data will be removed from the iOS Developer Program
2.13 is a stretch
17.2 is for the Social Security number or license number needed for CurrentC
22.7 is important because the health data that is acquired in CurrentC is from transactions (pharmacy purchases) that it processes and not something the user is intentionally sharing.
There is probably something in the google play terms about user privacy that can be used to block this there as well.
2. Contact CVS and Rite aid in the real world
They can ignore twitter but they can’t ignore mail, phone calls and email. If enough people call and their actual customer support channels are getting tied up, they will be forced to respond. Remember the person on the other end can’t do anything about NFC, just politely voice your opinion through a channel CVS and Rite Aid do care about.
CVS/pharmacy Customer Service :
For questions and comments including feedback about our stores, pharmacy, policies and in-store photo department, call 1-800-SHOP-CVS (1-800-746-7287)Monday – Friday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM ET. Closed major holidays.
CVS Corporation
Customer Relations
One CVS Drive
Woonsocket, RI 02895
http://www.cvs.com/help/help_contact_us.jsp
Rite aid:
1-800-RITE AID (1-800-748-3243)
Mon-Fri: 8am – 8pm EST
Saturday:9:30am – 6pm EST
Email riteaid corporate here:
https://www.riteaid.com/customer-support/contact-us