simply decide you're good looking and to show up at your house or call you. >> reporter: it's joanna davis' own sense of possibilities that raises her guard when a clerk asks for a zip code. >> i am a domestic violence survivor, so i highly regard my privacy, and whenever there are those reward programs, i do give a fake birthday, and, you know, in this case, i could have given them a fake zip code. but why should i have to do that? >> reporter: davis' story first appeared on forbes.com. as for that beauty products chain, ulta, where she had that experience, an official told us it's disappointing to know they've lost a valuable customer and the service was less than stellar. the company says it still collects zip codes, but only for its shopper's club. we have to say many retailers ask for zip codes simply to understand where their visitors are coming from so they can make decisions about how to use advertising resources. bryan todd, cnn, washington.