I’ve heard that Costa Coffee provides free WiFi, so I brought my iPad along.
However, unlike other places where you are just given a simple password to access the WiFi, at Costa Coffee, you are asked to register with a company called The Cloud to access the WiFi.
Too many personal details?
The details needed to use the WiFi at Costa Coffee are: your name, full address, mobile number, date of birth, gender, and email. You also need to enter your password and answer a memorable question. See images below:
Their Terms and Conditions for WiFi access are:
“You can use this service so long as you you agree that The Cloud, its group companies and selected third parties may use your information to communicate with you for marketing purposes.
To register with The Cloud service you must accept our Terms and Conditions and Privacy and Cookies notice.”
Why so many questions?
Did I go ahead and register an account to use the WiFi at Costa Coffee? No, I didn’t. I think the company asked far too many intrusive details, which I wasn’t prepared to give out.
I managed to use the opportunity to give my 13-year-old son a useful lesson about online safety and choice making. I asked him to consider these issues:
Should I give out key details of my life in exchange for 30 minutes of free Internet access at Costa Coffee?
Is getting connected online so important at Costa Coffee?
Do they have to ask so many questions for customers to access their WiFi network?
Do I want to be bombarded with marketing information by the company and its third parties in the future?
In this digital age, is this business approach going to be popular amongst other customers?
Do they want my business?
Do they really like me their customers?
Free WiFi in the library
Chandler’s Ford Library – Free Internet access and excellent service
Normally if I need to be connected, such as checking emails, when I’m out and about in Chandler’s Ford, I would go to the library. Some posts you read on Chandler’s Ford Today are actually edited in the Chandler’s Ford Library on a Friday afternoon. The computer and Internet connection in the library are reliable and I’m happy.
Free WiFi at Peter Green and Bay Leaves Larder
I decided to do a simple market research for this post. I headed for Bay Leaves Larder this afternoon with my son to check if Sarah Guilder provides free WiFi in her sweet little coffee shop in Hiltingbury Road. Luckily this community store has a big poster which reads:
Sign in Bay Leaves Larder.
“Bring your laptop, tablet or smartphone in with you, and enjoy FREE WiFi when drinking or eating in the Bay Leaves Larder Coffee Shop.”
This afternoon, I was given a password after paying for coffee and strawberry smoothies and was instantly connected.
In the past few weeks, I visited Peter Green furniture store with friends. Like Bay Leaves Larder, Peter Green’s Elleanor’s Tea Rooms is a friendly place, cosy and relaxing, with perfect lighting, and it also provides free WiFi with a simple password.
In both coffee shops, no personal detail is required. We paid for the drinks and we got connected. We were not “laptop-wielding ‘café conquerors’ who squat on coffee shop tables for hours”, as described in this Telegraph report. Once we stayed for a bit too long at Peter Green, my friend also bought lunch and more coffee there.
Leather sofa and free WiFi at Peter Green in Chandler’s Ford.
I’m surprised Costa Coffee in Chandler’s Ford sets barriers for the use of WiFi.
My husband works in the IT and I sought his opinion. He agreed with me that Costa Coffee wanted too much information and he would not be comfortable with it. Recently when my husband used WiFi in London, the only detail he had to give was his email address.
Dovetail Centre of Methodist Church
In How Methodist Church Dovetail Centre Surprises Me, you’ll find the Dovetail Centre has also provided WiFi. It also provides a free computer for the public to use. The Coffee Room in the Dovetail Centre at the Methodist Church is very welcoming.
Dovetail Centre Coffee Room at Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church – with free public Internet and computer.
Are there other places in Chandler’s Ford which provide free WiFi (without being too intrusive) in exchange for your custom? If you know any, please let us know and leave your comments. Thank you.
Related posts on the Fryern Arcade, Chandler’s Ford:
I created Chandler's Ford Today. I use this website to share our passions and inspiring stories, to build a connected community. We inform, educate and enlighten. We share resources.
The atmosphere and culture in each coffee shop is different. By demanding personal details for accessing WiFi, what kind of atmosphere and corporate image does Costa Coffee want to project? Would that help them sell more coffee? I’m curious to find out what other people would choose to do when being asked intrusive details for free WiFi.
The Cloud asked so many questions and I would struggle to lie from the first question to the last one. I don’t visit coffee shops enough – Is it common for coffee shops to ask customers that many questions? (I don’t mind if I’m asked one or two questions.) What about in Eastleigh and Hedge End? Would you like to go round some coffee shops and let us know? Thanks.
Those questions in Costa were pretty routine Janet. The Memorable Question is used as a safeguard, a security check if (for instance) you need to reset your password. You only need to supply one of those pieces of information and so long as you can remember the answer, it honestly doesn’t matter what it is. It can be as obscure as you like. Nobody is going to check. There is no penalty for giving that obscure answer. It’s good practice actually, provided it’s not so obscure that you cannot remember it…!
You could, as an example, choose the “What is your Mothers maiden name?” option and answer “Cornflakes”. So long as you can remember (or have a note) of the answer there’s no problem.
Not all places offering free WiFi are the same, and they are not confined to coffee shops. McDonald’s for instance, uses O2 WiFi. That system works differently and doesn’t need as much information when you register. Subway, if I remember correctly, uses The Cloud, but if you’ve already registered at Costa you can just turn up at Subway and connect. There’s no need to register again.
It’s a good point you make though, about putting personal information onto the web. I wouldn’t worry too much about signing up for The Cloud, my advice is to go ahead and do that sometime as it will open up lots of other places where you can use free WiFi.
The main thing to be careful of is that if you use your Mother’s Maiden name, the real one, to register with the Cloud, then you shouldn’t subsequently mention your Mother’s Maiden name in places like Twitter and Facebook, even if tempted into a fascinating chat about family trees…
Nor on Chandler’s Ford Today nor Eastleigh News actually. In fact, having used Mother’s Maiden Name as security information for The Cloud, you shouldn’t mention it anywhere else on the web.
Thanks for explaining The Cloud to me. It helps, though I’m still against its intrusive questions.
I’d like to compare Costa against Starbucks and Caffè Nero. How are they operating their WiFi access? I haven’t been to any of them in Eastleigh, so perhaps you and Eastleigh News could do some investigation for us.
Your Mother’s Maiden Name advice is excellent. Thank you.
Mother’s maiden name is a standard security question used by banks. I am therefore very reluctant to use it anywhere else. Though, in my case, the answer held by my bank isn’t actually my mother’s maiden name.
They are asking for too much personal information. End of. They are possibly in breach of the Data protection Act, particularly Principles 2 (used for limited, specifically stated purposes)and 3 (used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive) and possibly 4 (Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date – what mechanism do they provide for you to update your information), and may be even 8 (not transferred outside the UK without adequate protection).
They give no justification for asking for your date of birth* or gender, and neither should be relevant to your use of the internet. I would also question why they need your postal address if they have your email address.
*Ok, they may have a minimum age policy, but that could be achieved just as effectively with a tick box asking “confirm that you are over 18”. OK someone could easily lie – but then they could enter an incorrect data of birth as well (when I was 17 I regularly gave an incorrect DoB when I went to the pub – we didn’t use ID in those days).
The secret questions are there as an additional proof that you are who you say you are, if you forget your password. However, in your case do you care if you forget your password? You are likely to use the WiFi so infrequently you could just create a new account. In fact, your infrequent use means that you don’t really need a permanent account at all.
You are right to educate your son in safe use of the internet. Social media means that a lot of information that we think is private is, actually, quite easy to find out. Maybe you could get Mr Chippy Minton to write some more on that topic 🙂
I often do the Sunday Times ‘Where Was I” quiz and they used to ask for Date of Birth. I wrote and pointed out that this was unnecessary and probably against the DPA and now they no longer ask (though this may not be a direct result of my letter – they never replied).
I would like you to tell Costa Coffee what you think about their rules and inform them of the Data protection Act. I would like updates from you about this issue. Thank you.
A few months ago I needed to use the WiFi at a Costa Coffee but couldn’t get access. Luckily I was in a large shopping centre and was able to use a neighbouring store’s WiFi instead.
At Elleanor’s Tearooms at Peter Green in Chandler’s Ford we provide free WiFi using a simple password and no questions asked, and that is just one aspect of the excellent service we provide. With us you can settle down on a comfy sofa with a homemade cake and coffee and see to all your Internet chores.
The tearooms (why plurals? I wondered.) are located at the far end of the store. Once I noticed an older couple next to our table were enjoying their newspaper crossword puzzles. It possibly reflected how peaceful the tearooms were for you to focus on the crosswords. You simply couldn’t do crosswords when loud pop songs were constantly playing, could you? I think they make use of the wall space well with vintage wall art. How many 18-year-old are lucky enough to run their own businesses, and using their own name as branding? Elleanor is such a lucky girl.
At Bay Leaves Larder we also provide free WIFI using a simple password as many of our regular customers asked us if we could provide it. As we always try to accommodate their needs, I was happy to let them have that service and they are grateful and we are equally grateful for their business – so everyone is happy!
My son and I tested your WiFi at Bay Leaves Larder yesterday afternoon and we were happy. I’m impressed the way you created connection in the community – noticeboard, window display and even the toilet are used to display local events. I’ve picked up some local news from your coffee shop. I also love your table display. You’ve created a very welcoming atmosphere in your beautiful shop and we love your personal, friendly service.
I’ve just thought of a flaw in the logic for the secret questions part of the application.
The secret questions are, as previously stated, to provide an additional check on your identity if you forget your password. The usual practice is that if you answer the question correctly, a new password is emailed to you. But you would only want to use this username and pasword when you are trying to use the Costa Coffee WiFi network. So, if you have forgotten your password you can’t get on the WiFi so you can’t check your email. Catch-22!
Thanks for sending me this. I enjoyed reading your post and found the responses very interesting – although I do feel that most did not mention quite an important point.
I suspect that ‘Free’ WiFi in this case means free to Costa Coffee as well as to their customers. Reading between the lines, I would not be surprised if The Cloud are paying Costa Coffee for the rights to be the exclusive WiFi supplier for the whole chain. The Cloud will then in turn be paid by other companies for access to your details. The clue is in the small print – by signing up you are agreeing to receive an unspecified number of promotional/advertising emails from an unspecified number of companies and this could cost you quite a lot of time in sorting out a really cluttered In Box. The Cloud is owned by BSkyB, and marketing ploys like this are right up their street.
This is not the most transparent way of doing business but unfortunately I have come across this quite a lot in my travels. It is very rare in hotels but quite common at airports and, as you have just found out, in commercial premises like coffee shops and fast food restaurants.
I think you did the right thing in not going ahead and signing on. This is what I do whenever I have been in the same situation.
I loathe The Cloud. Apart from the intrusive nature I find that if I am someplace that has it it always tries to hijack my net connection even though I have 3g/4g on. I have to turn wifi off. ‘forgetting’ the network on my device does not work.
[…] I compared free WiFi in Chandler’s Ford at Costa Coffee, Bay Leaves Larder and Peter Green in this post, and received 18 comments. Ruby argued from the point of view of Data Protection Act, backed with […]
[…] A few years ago, the Fryern Arcade was quiet on Sunday. Now on Winchester Road, Waitrose, Costa Coffee, and the new post office are opening 7 days a week, it has certainly changed the atmosphere in our […]
In the past few weeks, I visited Peter Green furniture store with friends. Like Bay Leaves Larder, Peter Green’s Elleanor’s Tea Rooms is a friendly place, cosy and relaxing, with perfect lighting, and it also provides free WiFi with a simple password.
Good on you, Janet for making a stand. Otherwise your inbox would be filled with spam.
The atmosphere and culture in each coffee shop is different. By demanding personal details for accessing WiFi, what kind of atmosphere and corporate image does Costa Coffee want to project? Would that help them sell more coffee? I’m curious to find out what other people would choose to do when being asked intrusive details for free WiFi.
If you’re not happy about giving out details such as Date of Birth, you can always make up a different one instead…!
The Cloud asked so many questions and I would struggle to lie from the first question to the last one. I don’t visit coffee shops enough – Is it common for coffee shops to ask customers that many questions? (I don’t mind if I’m asked one or two questions.) What about in Eastleigh and Hedge End? Would you like to go round some coffee shops and let us know? Thanks.
Those questions in Costa were pretty routine Janet. The Memorable Question is used as a safeguard, a security check if (for instance) you need to reset your password. You only need to supply one of those pieces of information and so long as you can remember the answer, it honestly doesn’t matter what it is. It can be as obscure as you like. Nobody is going to check. There is no penalty for giving that obscure answer. It’s good practice actually, provided it’s not so obscure that you cannot remember it…!
You could, as an example, choose the “What is your Mothers maiden name?” option and answer “Cornflakes”. So long as you can remember (or have a note) of the answer there’s no problem.
Not all places offering free WiFi are the same, and they are not confined to coffee shops. McDonald’s for instance, uses O2 WiFi. That system works differently and doesn’t need as much information when you register. Subway, if I remember correctly, uses The Cloud, but if you’ve already registered at Costa you can just turn up at Subway and connect. There’s no need to register again.
It’s a good point you make though, about putting personal information onto the web. I wouldn’t worry too much about signing up for The Cloud, my advice is to go ahead and do that sometime as it will open up lots of other places where you can use free WiFi.
The main thing to be careful of is that if you use your Mother’s Maiden name, the real one, to register with the Cloud, then you shouldn’t subsequently mention your Mother’s Maiden name in places like Twitter and Facebook, even if tempted into a fascinating chat about family trees…
Nor on Chandler’s Ford Today nor Eastleigh News actually. In fact, having used Mother’s Maiden Name as security information for The Cloud, you shouldn’t mention it anywhere else on the web.
Does that help…?
Ray,
Thanks for explaining The Cloud to me. It helps, though I’m still against its intrusive questions.
I’d like to compare Costa against Starbucks and Caffè Nero. How are they operating their WiFi access? I haven’t been to any of them in Eastleigh, so perhaps you and Eastleigh News could do some investigation for us.
Your Mother’s Maiden Name advice is excellent. Thank you.
Mother’s maiden name is a standard security question used by banks. I am therefore very reluctant to use it anywhere else. Though, in my case, the answer held by my bank isn’t actually my mother’s maiden name.
They are asking for too much personal information. End of. They are possibly in breach of the Data protection Act, particularly Principles 2 (used for limited, specifically stated purposes)and 3 (used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive) and possibly 4 (Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date – what mechanism do they provide for you to update your information), and may be even 8 (not transferred outside the UK without adequate protection).
They give no justification for asking for your date of birth* or gender, and neither should be relevant to your use of the internet. I would also question why they need your postal address if they have your email address.
*Ok, they may have a minimum age policy, but that could be achieved just as effectively with a tick box asking “confirm that you are over 18”. OK someone could easily lie – but then they could enter an incorrect data of birth as well (when I was 17 I regularly gave an incorrect DoB when I went to the pub – we didn’t use ID in those days).
The secret questions are there as an additional proof that you are who you say you are, if you forget your password. However, in your case do you care if you forget your password? You are likely to use the WiFi so infrequently you could just create a new account. In fact, your infrequent use means that you don’t really need a permanent account at all.
You are right to educate your son in safe use of the internet. Social media means that a lot of information that we think is private is, actually, quite easy to find out. Maybe you could get Mr Chippy Minton to write some more on that topic 🙂
I often do the Sunday Times ‘Where Was I” quiz and they used to ask for Date of Birth. I wrote and pointed out that this was unnecessary and probably against the DPA and now they no longer ask (though this may not be a direct result of my letter – they never replied).
Ruby,
I would like you to tell Costa Coffee what you think about their rules and inform them of the Data protection Act. I would like updates from you about this issue. Thank you.
A few months ago I needed to use the WiFi at a Costa Coffee but couldn’t get access. Luckily I was in a large shopping centre and was able to use a neighbouring store’s WiFi instead.
At Elleanor’s Tearooms at Peter Green in Chandler’s Ford we provide free WiFi using a simple password and no questions asked, and that is just one aspect of the excellent service we provide. With us you can settle down on a comfy sofa with a homemade cake and coffee and see to all your Internet chores.
I like the sound of Elleanor’s tearooms.
The tearooms (why plurals? I wondered.) are located at the far end of the store. Once I noticed an older couple next to our table were enjoying their newspaper crossword puzzles. It possibly reflected how peaceful the tearooms were for you to focus on the crosswords. You simply couldn’t do crosswords when loud pop songs were constantly playing, could you? I think they make use of the wall space well with vintage wall art. How many 18-year-old are lucky enough to run their own businesses, and using their own name as branding? Elleanor is such a lucky girl.
At Bay Leaves Larder we also provide free WIFI using a simple password as many of our regular customers asked us if we could provide it. As we always try to accommodate their needs, I was happy to let them have that service and they are grateful and we are equally grateful for their business – so everyone is happy!
My son and I tested your WiFi at Bay Leaves Larder yesterday afternoon and we were happy. I’m impressed the way you created connection in the community – noticeboard, window display and even the toilet are used to display local events. I’ve picked up some local news from your coffee shop. I also love your table display. You’ve created a very welcoming atmosphere in your beautiful shop and we love your personal, friendly service.
I’ve just thought of a flaw in the logic for the secret questions part of the application.
The secret questions are, as previously stated, to provide an additional check on your identity if you forget your password. The usual practice is that if you answer the question correctly, a new password is emailed to you. But you would only want to use this username and pasword when you are trying to use the Costa Coffee WiFi network. So, if you have forgotten your password you can’t get on the WiFi so you can’t check your email. Catch-22!
I think I’m getting a bit confused here……..My simple solution is to go somewhere for hassle-free Internet access and to feel genuinely welcome.
Hi Janet,
Thanks for sending me this. I enjoyed reading your post and found the responses very interesting – although I do feel that most did not mention quite an important point.
I suspect that ‘Free’ WiFi in this case means free to Costa Coffee as well as to their customers. Reading between the lines, I would not be surprised if The Cloud are paying Costa Coffee for the rights to be the exclusive WiFi supplier for the whole chain. The Cloud will then in turn be paid by other companies for access to your details. The clue is in the small print – by signing up you are agreeing to receive an unspecified number of promotional/advertising emails from an unspecified number of companies and this could cost you quite a lot of time in sorting out a really cluttered In Box. The Cloud is owned by BSkyB, and marketing ploys like this are right up their street.
This is not the most transparent way of doing business but unfortunately I have come across this quite a lot in my travels. It is very rare in hotels but quite common at airports and, as you have just found out, in commercial premises like coffee shops and fast food restaurants.
I think you did the right thing in not going ahead and signing on. This is what I do whenever I have been in the same situation.
I loathe The Cloud. Apart from the intrusive nature I find that if I am someplace that has it it always tries to hijack my net connection even though I have 3g/4g on. I have to turn wifi off. ‘forgetting’ the network on my device does not work.