A Venti with everything, for your email address

I recently picked up a brochure at Starbucks offering a $5 stored-value card for my feedback... and when I logged on to the URL provided, I was invited to create something called a Customer Connections account. The form was quick and easy to fill out -- but where's my opportunity to provide feedback? No place to offer it. Was it worth the $5 to Starbucks just to get my email and mailing addresses, and link them to my favorite Starbucks location? I wonder. Pretty hard to understand the point -- and that's important, as consumers come to expect greater transparency in their interaction with brands, especially when asked to provide personal information.

Speaking of which, if you click the privacy policy, you go to the MIG Email Relationship Marketing site. Huh? Starbucks doesn't have their own privacy policy for email collection? For shame, guys -- this looks like amateur hour.