Re: Is Asking Legal?? IF I AM ASKED FOR ID AND THE SIGNATURE MATCHES...AND THEY STILL ASK FOR ID...IF I WANT TO BE AN $&&$@*!...I TELL THEM TO VOID THE SALE AND THEY CAN KEEP THEIR STUFF!!! I SAID IT VIOLATES VISA/MC POLICY TO ASK FOR ID ON A SIGNED CARD WHEN THE SIGNATURE MATCHES...ALSO VIOLATES THE LAW IN SOME STATES... If a store DEMANDS ID...I don't "WHIP-OUT" the ID...I "WHIP-OUT" the written information that they are VIOLATING VISA/MC POLICY and/or STATE LAW!!!
Re: Is Asking Legal?? You are wrong, sorry, IT IS AGAINST VISA/MC REGULATIONS TO REQUEST AN ID!! WalMart had a sign up at XMAS saying ALL CC Purchases needed drivers license, I immediatly reported them to VISA/MC, and they (visa/mc) sent me a letter to take to the store next time I was requested ID,and I refused, boy did I have fun....they finally removed all the signs. I WILL NEVER SHOW PICTURE ID!!
Addendum . . . I understand and the steps a retailer may take to prevent fraud and identity theft. I also know they can refuse to process a transaction. Those two points were not the basis of the inquiry. The inquiry was is there a law that says they can demand a picture ID before they take a credit card for purchases? Is there something in the merchant agreement they have with the credit card companies?My colleague is black. The two patrons that stood directly in front of us were white. We were close enough to observe their transactions. Both paid with plastic. No identification was required to complete the transactions. The clerk and dept. manager stated that they had a legal right to demand identification and write the ID number on the sales receipt. The manager blurted that out after I politely inquired why the patrons in front of us did not have to show any. She started babbling about their rights with the credit card companies - instead of saying some employees sporadically "profile" their patrons.
Re: Addendum . . . All I know is I used to work for Radio Shack as an assistant manager back in the late 80's. I always checked every single credit card I handled to see if it was signed and if in was not signed with a signature I would refuse the sale. I was told to do this be my store manager, one of the better managers as managers go, and I lost a few sales because of it. I say if you want to be annoying and write "see ID" on a card, don't be abusive to the few people who actually look at credit cards to see if they are signed. If you use check cards (bank debit cards) = (fake Credit cards), and think that writing "see ID" on the card is going to protect you, forget it. Fake credit cards are only covered under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act under which one has very few legal rights. See: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/ch41schVI.html
Re: Addendum . . . I LIKE when I am carded after showing my card. What is the big deal? You SHOULD have it with you at all times anyway. After all if my card was stolen I would hope that someone would catch them. How do you know that the people in front of you don't shop there often? Maybe the cashier knew them. I am a white woman who lived in Atlanta for 2 years. I was the only white employee of a company of 22 all of which were also Males. I have also lived in a tiny hicktown with a 99.6% Caucasian population. I was carded just as much in both places. As a matter of fact I was asked for ID and two of my black friends (using credit cards were not) in that hick town. Most places have polices on when to and when not to ask for ID. I an imagine there was another factor there. Most of the people crying racism these days are the racists themselves. Don't get me wrong, I know that it does still exist but paranoia won't fix the problem.
Been There - Done That I guess I have been around the block too many times and have to call things what they are. In this instance I could tell by the clerk's body language that she was questioning why the young black woman I was shopping with would be able to buy a $599 ring with a platinum AM Ex card. She kept looking at us and then pausing and looking at the card. It was written all over her face. The problem was not the practice of asking for an ID - but the assertion that there was some legal basis behind asking for it - as if to justify what she did. If it is the store policy to ask for it - everyone should have to show ID. And the store's employees shouldn't lie about what is legal and what isn't. I posted to determine what the law says about credit card purchases and identification. (Thanks George for the post and info.) So the next time it happens I can write a more informed letter to the store manager.
Re: Been There - Done That You could be right on what you felt happened. However, I must say that I hope that you are not. Maybe the 599.00 purchase is what triggered the alertness of the employee not the fact that she was black. I know several stores require ID for purchases over X amount. You are right it should not be on a case by case basis, rather either all the time or never. I (and I am sure I am the minority here) don't mind.
Re: Been There - Done That I only ask for the license when there is no signature and even if it is signed but also says "CID" I even joke with them about their "FORGED SIGNATURE"~~~CID~~~"YOUR NOT CID...YOUR MARY SMITH"... IT IS REALLY FUNNY THAT SOMETIMES THE LICENSE IS IN THE CAR, JUST LIKE ALL THE "CHECK PEOPLE"... I am going to have to check to see if we can get EXTRA SECURITY in the store to catch all these DRIVERS LICENSE THIEVES, that only operate INSIDE THE STORE, and DON'T EVER STEAL ANY CASH!!!
Re: Been There - Done That Nearly every time I try to use hubs cc I get asked for ID. His name is masculine and I am female and I thought this was why. If he had more of an androgenous name like Chris or something mabey I could get away with it. I found this thread interesting because I just went through this a few days ago, I even went to cardholders services to find an answer. I recall the visa check card commercial with Bugs Bunny where the store clerk asked him for ID when he wrote a check. Solution... get a visa check card and never have to show ID again!!! What a bunch of bull. By signing cardmember agreement hubs agreed to take responsibility for transactions made by people he allows to use his card. however cardholder services clearly states that only the cardholder may use the card??!! My solution for this school clothes shopping problem was to give my son the card. This seemed to work well, until a clerk, suspicious of a teen with plastic, noticed that the card wasnt signed (it was but was worn) She made mom and son show ID!!! She asked son if that was Dads card, He said yes she told him to sign it WTF? I didn't really like the shirt he had picked so I asked her to cancel the order. How do they check for matching sigs or ID at paY at the pump???? cor
Re: Been There - Done That You can get a SECOND or THIRD card with their own name on it...some banks even let you have like 6... CHECK INTO IT... I have even got inserts in the bill to REQUEST extra cards.
Re: Been There - Done That Best Buy refused my transaction without seeing my ID. (it was out in the car). They claimed it was company policy to check ID's for ALL credit card purchases. As I glanced around, I noticed other cashiers were also checking everyone's ID for CC purchases. The next month, I went to a different Best Buy and was not asked for ID. Strange... I will report them to visa/mc if it happens again.
Re: Been There - Done That ----->WHY DO YOU LEAVE YOUR LICENSE IN THE CAR??? Even if you DON'T have to show it to use your card... We probable have 100+ customers a week that have to go out to their car for their license (HOLDING UP THE LINES)!!! WE CAN FINALLY "SUSPEND" A TRANSACTION...SCAN THE BARCODE ON THE RECEIPT~~~THE SALE COMES BACK UP...BUT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO!!!
Re: Been There - Done That Ever since September 11, it seems that most merchants are becoming ever more aware and cautious about each transaction they do. In California, Identity Theft is quickly becoming the #1 most popular crime to commit - so we recommend taking as many precautions as possible and necessary to protect you and your accounts. SIGN your name on your card so they have a signature to match your ID to. ALWAYS carry your ID with you at all times. Write "See ID" also in the signature line. DO use a PIN # with ATM card transactions. DON'T be offended if someone asks for ID for higher $ transactions. DON'T keep your social security card in your wallet. IMO, if a store asks to see ID, I want them to protect me from the POSSIBILITY that someone else might have my credit card and report the suspicious person to the authorities. (Of course, they would need to be trained in how to spot fake ID's as well and not just check sigs and pictures.) It's a 2-way street and I see it every day. People who have ever had fraud happen on one of their accounts, they wonder why we don't ask for ID, or more forms of ID. Those that have NEVER had any fruad on their accounts, wonder why we bother asking for so many forms of ID. One appreciates it for their protection - the other person finds it to be a bother.
Re: Been There - Done That I love it when a store asks for my ID. It goes to show that they are at least looking out for identity theft. Every card I have I have signed and "see ID" in big bold letters. I have only had three ask to see my ID...most recently Circuit City. I don't care what Visa and MC's policy is concerning "no ID" any idiot could steal my identity and what is V & M going to do...not a dag on thing. Dani
Re: Been There - Done That Pretty soon I think what will happen is that you'll have to have (yet another) PIN number to use with your credit cards. I personally think it's a good idea. I know Visa has a program where you log on to their site and register your card with a PIN. Then when you shop on-line at certain web sites using that card, a pop up box comes up asking for your PIN. This is one way to fight fraud with out having to violate people's privacy by asking to see ID.
Re: Been There - Done That Yes that's an excellent idea about shopping on line. More protections need to be put in place. I do not understand the problem with being asked by a sales person to see your ID. If my wallet was stolen, and a criminal used one of my Visa cards to make a charge, I would hope that the clerk (sales associate) would ask to see my drivers license. While I know I am only legally on the hook for a maximum of $50.00 per card, if the cards are real credit or charge cards and not fake bank debit cards, I still have less of a mess to fix than if a criminal racks up thousands of dollars worth of charges before I know about it.
Re: Been There - Done That WHY DON'T I WANT TO SHOW ID??? BECAUSE it is against VISA/MC policy and VIOLATES the LAW in many states. BECAUSE it is an invasion of my privicy. BECAUSE I can't get my wallet out of my pocket (ARE THEY GOING TO STEAL MY PANTS)??? BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE ALL MY CARDS ARE 24/7. BECAUSE I CHECK ON-LINE DAILY AND WOULD KNOW IF SOMTHING IS WRONG. BECAUSE it wastes my time...(sign and go). BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO!!! I MAY BE 100% WRONG...BUT THAT IS MY OPINION!!!
Re: Been There - Done That George So I guess we are in agreement. Let me ask you this question. If a person tries to charge where you work and the card says "SEE ID", what happens?
Re: Been There - Done That WE ASK FOR ID... BUT when the card is signed...we usually DON'T... We also ask for ID when there is NOTHING on the signature strip... I HAVE ACTUALLY TOLD MANY PEOPLE TO EITHER SIGN THEIR NAME...OR PUT "CID or SEE ID or SEE LICENSE"...BUT DON'T LEAVE IT BLANK!!! ALL MY CARDS SAY SOMETHING LIKE "VOID IF NOT SIGNED"...("CID or SEE ID or SEE LICENSE") ARE NOT SIGNATURES. ACCORDING TO VISA/MC POLICY, UNSIGNED CARDS DO NOT HAVE TO BE ACCEPTED...
Re: Been There - Done That IF YOU LIKE THIS----->"CID or SEE ID or SEE LICENSE" Would you give up your rights if the CREDIT CARD COMPANIES go my way and REQUIRE THE CARD TO BE SIGNED WITH YOUR NAME...or you lose your "THEFT PROTECTION"??? They say "SIGN YOUR NAME" "CARD VOID IF NOT SIGNED" 1-800-XXX-XXXX "THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING RECEIPT OF YOUR CARD...PLEASE REMOVE THE SECURITY STICKER AND SIGN YOUR NAME ON THE BACK...YOUR CARD IS NOW ACTIVE" ALL THIS SO YOU CAN PUT--->"CID or SEE ID or SEE LICENSE"???
