Worked for me with DTE Energy 3 years ago. Never missed a payment, and so far they've never missed my SSN.

Unlike telephone and cable, Water, Gas and Electric companies DO have to extend service to you unless you really did something wrong. Its a necessity. Other companies don't have to cater to anyone that arn't profitable. Necessities/Utilities do.

They can get it anyway.

Sorry to throw that in.

I don't understand why people are so scared to give up their SSN to companies with whom they are going to do business. They have a completely legitimate reason for demanding it, and the reasons for not giving it up are generally unpersuasive and alarmist. I'm not one of the "just show your receipt" kind of people, but I also don't balk at a reasonable request of a company that will essentially be extending me credit or giving me an expensive piece of equipment. When people get away without giving their SSN, and subsequently don't pay their bills, it results in an inability to easily collect and ultimately in higher prices for everyone to cover the bad debt of a few.

I use a credit monitoring service, so I can't see the logic in paying a deposit vs. giving up your SSN. Has there been a lot of data leaks from utilities and such?

@Pylon83: Answer: People like to complain. Although I can see the issue of not giving up your SSN over a chat with Comcast yesterday, I don't see the issue since they have to run a credit check.

I wouldn't give up my SSN for gyms, video stores, etc, but I do see the reason here.

@Pylon83: Considering that millions of people have to deal with identity theft, I don't think its unreasonable that some folks are gunshy about giving out their SSN. Security breaches happen all the time and I don't think utility companies are immune from being hacked or simply giving out the wrong info to the wrong people.

I fully support the idea of paying a deposit in lieu of giving my SSN to whoever claims they need it.

Any individual can also register for a sole proprieter tax id for free at irs.gov

I use that number quite often.

@Pylon83: It's really simple. Just google the phrase "customers personal information" and look at all the unique stories about companies being careless with whatever information you give them.

Let's forget about incompetence. Think of all the companies that outsource their customer service to extremely-low-wage countries. Think about how tempting it'd be for any of those people to swipe some SSN's and sell them.

There are plenty of reasons NOT to hand out the information, and very few reasons why you should.

I used to tell them I was Canadian. That always threw them for a loop but I got whatever service I was signing up for.

I can't think of the last time I gave my SSN with any utility, or a deposit for that matter.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need an SSN to get a copy of a credit report. Heck, it shouldn't be popular belief, because we all know that we shouldn't leave our drivers license with the car dealer during a test drive, because he'll pull your credit report. No SSN on there (at least in my state).

On the same note, it's not impossible to commit credit fraud without an SSN, either.

@iotashan:
There are plenty of reasons not to give people your name or address as well. Again, I'm not advocating a free for all on giving out SSNs, but when the company has a legitimate reason for demanding it and does so in a reasonable manner (e.g., not over the internet), I don't think there is any reason not to provide it. Yes, identity theft happens. So does robbery and grand theft auto. You can do things to prevent it, such as not giving your social to just anyone who asks, and by ensuring it's transmitted in a reasonably secure fashion when you do, but to simply refuse a reasonable and legitimate request for it should be grounds for refusal of ANY service, including necessary public utilities.

I've just been debating giving my SS# to Dish Network to sign up. My wife gave it to them once already but because the tech didn't do the install (it was too hard for him to fish a wire through an unobstructed ceiling space for 5 feet, the poor baby) we didn't end up with the service.

They called us a week later to ask why we didn't have service yet. We explained, they said they'd take care of it but needed an SS#. We told them we already gave it, to which they replied "but we don't keep them, so we don't have it anymore". So, how can this offer them security for non-payment if they don't keep the numbers?

I asked to have the call escalated since I was getting tired of the CSR's inability to explain why they needed it, he put me on hold. After about 5 minutes I hung up. It's been a week. Guess they don't like money. Bye-bye Dish.

@BuddyGuyMontag: @Pylon83:
One reason people don't want to give their SS numbers to legitimate businesses is that sometimes(gasp!)dishonest people work at those businesses. I personally know 2 people who had their SS numbers stolen by employees of legitimate businesses. Those numbers were used to set up accounts and purchase thousands of dollars of stuff.
People who use stolen SS numbers don't pay their bills and are impossible to collect from. And the person with the stolen identity has to deal with the mess of bill collectors and ruined credit ratings.

@racordes:
But you are also taking a risk by giving them your address, phone number, full name and letting their technician into your home. Personally I'm more bothered by having a stranger in my house than giving Comcast my SSN.

@pdxguy:
Haha!

Too bad the Canadians have SSN's too. I'm dating one, and he has one- I think the formatting is just different from the US ones. Kind of like their zipcodes-6 digits with numbers AND letters? Crazy canadians! Next thing you know they'll be using metric.

oh wait, that's right, they already do :P

I understand the principal of not having to give out you SSN but I would personally rather give comcast my number than a security deposit. With my dealings with them in the past, I would not expect to ever see that money again.

@Pylon83: I'm now enrolled in two years of credit protection because some genius at BNY Mellon decided to put their unencrypted backup tapes in an unlocked car in a bank "cash bag." Yes, most likely a crime of opportunity with no results in stolen IDs; it's more likely a crack-head looking for cash. If they know what it is, they have over 40K peoples' data on those tapes!

In summary, I do my best to avoid letting anybody get the info - but when it's the company that does your company's 401(k), there's not much else you can do!

So this really doesn't have to do with 9/11 and the Patriot Act? I'm shocked...

I find the hysteria over SSN numbers hilarious. It wasn't even five years ago that my VA Driver's License Number was my SSN, displayed for everyone to see. It was also my student ID number in both high school and college. In fact, until the DMV forced me to change my DL number last time I renewed, I had always thought of it as my Citizen Identification Number....

I find it funny that they use this to supposedly "find" you but I moved into an apartment with a new roommate. The gas bill was in someone else's name and consequently turned off. When I inquired to the gas company about how to get our gas turned back on they told us we had to pay the entire balance due, even though the bill was still in a roommates name that neither of us had lived with.
I understood the premise of paying for what WE had used but it hadn't been paid in longer than either of us had lived here.
When I asked the gas company if it was then possible for me to put the bill in my name, use as much gas as possible, then skip town and not pay it even though my NAME is on the bill and the company has my info they said yes.
Seems kind of pointeless to provide info for no reason.

@twophrasebark: care to explain?

Just throwing this out. An elective phone company I worked for asked for a SSN for credit check (we were honest about that) and if refused, had to place the account on auto-pay via a credit card under our policy. Once you had satisfied the head of collections' that you weren't a credit risk, you could be placed on invoice billing. We didn't tell that to customers unless pressured though, and I'm not kidding with that vague criteria. It pretty much had everything to do with his mood and whether or not you were being difficult.

Not necessarily, I am a CSR at a major Midwest electric company. We can refuse service for someone who refuses to give us a ssn. We only use it to verify they are not already in the system (And owing us a lot of money) and to verify who they are with a LexusNexus search of public records.

What you say almost sounds like some of the customers I deal with. "You can't disconnect me (even though I owe $2000+ dollars). I have kids in the house!"
Me: "Well I am sorry, but there is nothing in the tariff with the state that says kids = free electricity."

@Teradoc: Kids do = free electricity. It's called an exercise bike with a generator attached.

(Thanks, Dad)

@anibundel: Except that your SSN is NOT your ID number. In fact, your SS paperrs clearly state that this number is NOT to be used as identification. The government needs to crack down on that concept.

I thought phone companies want your SSN so that homeland security could track you easier? Even for prepaid contract services, they still want it.

Heck, it shouldn't be popular belief, because we all know that we shouldn't leave our drivers license with the car dealer during a test drive, because he'll pull your credit report.
@balthisar: Wait, what?

You mean car dealers tell you to go driving off in one of their vehicles without a driver's license? Seriously?

@anibundel: Hopefully you will never have to deal with having your identity stolen, its highly unlikely you would still find easy access to SS#s hilarious.

@Pylon83: Name, address, phone number, SSN: If push comes to shove all but one of those things can be changed. The risk of giving out publicly available information is not as great as giving out your SSN.

As far as letting strangers in your house you aren't required to be alone and helpless when they show up.

With Comcast you can bypass giving out any social security/driver license/birth date info by agreeing to a deposit that is held after 6 months of on time payments and then refunded.

i signed up for ATT online without a SSN, they just required my driver's license #. now if only i could get my customer # without having to wait for my first bill.

i keep seeing hearing comments about the "millions" who are victims of identity theft every year. i still have never met a single person this has happened to. Are these statements accurate? or are they just trying to scare people into buying extra services. Sort of like second hand smoke. Every one knows it's bad for you, but the studies that "prove" it are all B.S.

@chadbailey: It's on your credit report.

Your name + your birthday = your social security number. I don't even know why they bother asking for it.

@jojo319:
A lot of it is huff and puff to get people to buy insurance and credit report monitoring, etc. While I don't have any statistics to site, I imagine it's actually very rare. I think in some cases "identity theft" is given a VERY broad definition, to include the use of stolen credit cards, etc. I don't know a single person who has actually had their identity "Stolen" in the sense of someone using their SSN to open credit cards, take out loans, etc. It's not quite a conspiracy theory, but it's treated like one by some of the loons out there who need something to obsess over.

I might add that in some cases, you might actually be hurting yourself if you have good credit and fail to turn over your SSN. Some service companies might provide lower rates for those with good credit.

@Pylon83: I don't think you should have to give your SSN or submit to a credit check for anything that's not extending you a line of credit AND reporting to the credit agencies. So, that means "No" on cell phones, home phones, utilities, etc.

The same reason that doctor's offices ask for contact information. Not incase you are sick but incase they have to persue you for the bill...

@xwildebeestx:
Why are they not entitled to check your credit when they are extending you credit, or service on a post-pay basis. What does reporting it to the credit agencies have to do with it?

My strategy to get what I want is to be polite and chat with the CSR: ask how they are doing, where they are, etc. I try to make the CSR understand my position and make them empathetic. If it looks like we're in a deadlock (ie: they don't see things my way), I simply tell the CSR we are in a dead lock and I will call someone else. I will call back and get a different person. Most of the time, this works just fine. Just be prepared to take the time.

The way I see it, we live in a society where most things are geared to the lowest common denominator. CSRs rarely are given the chance to think on their own. They get beat up by angry customers so even when they do have latitude, they won't willingly give you a break if they don't like you.

JoJo: when you see a statement like "millions" are affected, remember, that a million people is less than 1% of the population. It's insignificant (unless it's you).

Its true, name address and birthday hits your credit file just like your SSN.

@Pylon83:

'"millions" who are victims of identity theft every year'

That is the actual number of individual records that are compromised not the actual people who experience identity theft. Truth is that, until recent network security lapses, most identity theft is by persons known to the victim- the son who steals his fathers ID to purchase a car, the woman who rips off her elderly aunt's id to purchase electronics to resell for drugs,the parents who use their childrens IDs because they are already bankrupt, etc...

@veronykah:
That was an old stand by for graduating foreign students in college towns. Run up the last bills, apply for store credit cards and max them out and then ship back to home country with lots of stuff.

@Teradoc: Actually, some states have laws which prevent the disruption of power or heating during winter months (especially with kids)

Actually - I think telcos do have to supply at least service access regardless, there is something called a "Common Carrier" or universal service law. I learned about it in a telecom law class waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I was a freshman, and this was followed by a whole discussion on "these new fangled cellphones".

uphill both ways snow etc

@Sidecutter: Actually, they did away with that once everyone and their mother was using it as ID anyway.

@Teradoc: Unless you have a medical exemption. I've been down that road before, not fun.

@iotashan: "Just google the phrase "customers personal information" and look at all the unique stories about companies being careless with whatever information you give them."

You could use the consumerist search and there's way too much...

@jojo319: I'm one of those folks who have been a victim. I have a minimum of 5 friends that I know of that have been a victim of identity theft.