Inelegy writes:
This afternoon I visited the Kohl’s store in Moline, Illinois. When I was checking out I elected to pay with my Visa card. After sliding my card through the card reader I signed the screen when prompted. My cashier asked to see the card, which I handed over to her. She handed my card back to me and then asked to see my identification, to which I respectfully declined. She said I had to show my ID or I could not leave the store with my purchases…
I explained to her that customers using Visa credit cards do not have to show identification as a condition of purchase as long as the back of the card is signed (mine is) and to compel them to do so is a violation of the store’s agreement with the credit card company.
She flatly denied that this was true and again asked for my ID. It was at this point I realized I was dealing with someone who through her persistent need to argue with me has no interest in customer service and told her I was not going to show her my ID and demanded she void the transaction. I told her I did not need to give Kohl’s my money if they were going to argue with me about something which I know to be fact.
I found her request especially odd since she took my Visa card, handed it back, and then asked for my ID. What was she going to do with the information on my ID?
I thought I would bring this matter to your attention. Perhaps the management team at the Moline store need to be brought up to speed on merchant’s agreements with credit card companies.
If there are questions about this matter, I direct you and the Moline store’s management to please see page 29 “reporting them. Here’s how to contact Visa:
Visa
Phone Number: 1-800-VISA-911 (International: 1-410-581-9994). Or call the number on the back of your card
Mailing Address:
Visa U.S.A. Inc.
P.O. Box 194607
San Francisco, California 94119-4607
Online: Your card issuer’s website may let you send them complaints about merchant violations and start a dispute if your were charged a fee to use your card.Visa will fire off a stern letter to the store in question, and your next shopping experience should be hassle-free.
PREVIOUSLY: Writing “Ask For ID” On Your Credit Card Won’t Stop Fraud, But It’s Still A Good Idea
How To Report Merchants For Requiring A Minimum Purchase Or Making You Show ID
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@James Gamble: Why is the customer the one who should have to “get over it”?
@rmuser:
According to these guys we should just EXPECT that retailers don’t know any better and be prepared to show our papers
I don’t really care which account was used to pay.
Point is, someone smartened up and resolved the situation. It sure wasn’t you! I’ll give some credit to your wife for being smart enough to pay and leave. Weather she used your card, or cash I don’t really care.
I hope her last name was Kennedy, or you really have no excuse.
@FreeMarketGravy
“MY RIGHTS!” is nearly as uneducated as “they made me feel like a criminal.”
“No. You have no “right” not to show your ID. That right is not afforded to you anywhere.”
*BUZZER* WRONG!
I’m not sure which make me want to vomit more:
1. Your inept ability at forming a valid argument
2. Your complete ignorance to your divine rights as a human being
or
3. The fact that you are calling someone else uninformed on the subject of one’s rights.
RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..
“it’s not your right to not show ID because, as I said, there is no such right afforded in the first place.”
The United States Senate would disagree. I am 27 years old. I own property and I am a father. I have no identification whatsoever as it is my right as an American to remain PAPERLESS.
“And criminals? “A person guilty of a crime.” Unless you are detained and/or brought before a judge, you are not being treated like a criminal. You are FEELING like you are being persecuted, which is your own problem.”
Being threatened by a corporation to show your papers or be arrested for theivery is far beyond one’s PERCEPTION of being persecuted. If you had bothered to RTFA you would have noticed he WAS detained AND threatened with arrest. Again you are wrong and your argument is foundationless. Good day sir.
@ryanv1978:
I have no excuse? Just because you feel contempt complying with facist policies that are in obvious violation of contract to begin with doesn’t mean *I* don’t have an excuse not to show my ID as it is my choice not to show it, and my right not to show it. They can not force me to show it. They didn’t force my wife to show it, it was out of choice that she did it. Just like it was out of choice that the merchant violated their contract and is now facing fines from MasterCard.
I meant you have no excuse for giving your family name up.
That’s fine though, we have already established who wears the pants in your marriage. It’s VERY clear.
I really hope her future isn’t tied to you being a success…hopefully she has something going for her.
I know it was her choice to show it, it was a good choice considering the scene that you were probably causing. She was embarrassed and wanted to leave, you wanted to prove a uselsss point. Keep doing that and I bet you end up in divorce court sooner rather than later.
@ tinybug
AMEN!
@ryanv1978:
First of all I’m adopted, so I wasn’t giving up any family name. The last name of my foster parents was not exactly a last name anyone would want as their last name. Your assumptions on my marriage also have no bearing on the argument at hand and nothing to do with the issue, the fact that you have to try to take stabs at me like that, only shows that you have no argument.
@DeltaPurser: and here *I* got made fun of for posting a lot in some topics…
@ryanv1978
“I meant you have no excuse for giving your family name up.
That’s fine though, we have already established who wears the pants in your marriage. It’s VERY clear.
I really hope her future isn’t tied to you being a success…hopefully she has something going for her.
I know it was her choice to show it, it was a good choice considering the scene that you were probably causing. She was embarrassed and wanted to leave, you wanted to prove a uselsss point. Keep doing that and I bet you end up in divorce court sooner rather than later.”
Yeah you should just learn how to be a good little slave and do what your told by the corporations so that you shall not be EMBARASSED in front of the other slaves. Lets pay no attention to the fact that your wife filed a complaint against the merchant for being humiliated, violated, and treated like a criminal. This is all YOUR fault because you refuse to submit to the will of the all-mighty cashier.
When did American men beocme such spineless cowards who will sacrafice their liberty and integrity to truth in order to be saved the slightest embarassment or inconvenience? People like ryan make me sick.. Who’s WIFE are YOU, Ryan?
@Buran:
What can I say I’m passionate about this topic. I once made Wal*Mart call visa on my cellphone on speakerphone and have the rep tell them that they can’t require photo ID. The manager got all snotty “So as long as the card is signed anyone can just come in here and use it and I have no idea if that is the actual person’s card or someone else?”
“That’s correct ma’am, as long as the card is signed you are only to compare the signature on the card to that on the receipt, if you feel the signature does not match you can call us with a Code 10 call and we will verify the customer for you.”
At which point the managers jaw just dropped and told the cashier to just ring me up.
@shadowkahn:
“Can someone treat me like the dummy I doubtless am and explain to me why a merchant requiring proof that you’re not using a stolen credit card ( or at least that you were persistant enough to make a fake id to go along with that credit card) is a bad thing? Seems to me that a merchant who checks your ID is making sure your money stays with you, instead of the thief.”
What happened to “Innocent until PROVEN guilty”?
You speak as though merchants should FIRST treat us as though we are ALL using stolen cards.
Get your head straight.
@shadowkahn:
Because corporations declaring themselves the police and inventing their own “policies” or laws in order to grant themselves police powers is called FASCISM. 1930′s Italy/Germany. Look it up! It’s bad enough when the cops pretend they have the right to demand I.D. Now Joe Shmoe at the white trash motel and diner gets to pull my docs?!?!?!
Hey can I get your DL # shadowkahn? I want to make sure you aren’t posting under another person’s handle!
Let me stop defending my freedoms for once second and in the interest of learning and understand ask you a very simple question which I am genuinely interested in hearing the answer to.
At what point does it become NOT ok for you to present your papers? Where is the line for shadowkahn? No sarcasm intended. I really want to know.
I support stories like this. Merchants or any retailers think they can do whatever they want (even sometimes violating the law) because CUSTOMERS RARELY COMPLAINT. We got to voice our concerns.
Easy solution: USE CASH! With cash you can buy whatever you want without question. Ask a dope dealer why he don’t accept VISA and he will say: you can’t truss it!! Why do you use credit cards? If you don’t have the liquidity to buy at Kohls, maybe you should try Dollar General.
So I would rather them check my ID to make sure I was the person using the card then not too. Seriously people it’s for your own security! If you won’t provide ID that usually tells the cashier something’s fishy!
That is definitely Kohl’s policy, not the POS associate (who absolutely does not want an argument but cannot take the responsibility of not checking. It’s sort of like telling them the sales signs are deceptive – they have no control over that, they are given the information by higher ups. Even their store managers are taking info from district managers and higher.) The associates cannot and will not take a credit card purchase with ID – I worked there years ago. And several other retail stores (all of whom had the same policy – even if they don’t ask, it is usually in their policy to do so.)
Further, I’m actually disturbed that Visa wouldn’t want someone to check ID. It makes me glad I have their debit card (can use that thing anywhere) but I certainly won’t be getting a credit card from them any time soon!
Just a heads up for anyone new to this article, the new agreement is available here (PDF): http://usa.visa.com/download/merchants/card-acceptance-guidelines-for-visa-merchants.pdf