Consumerist

I've never liked these stories. It seems like the folks who always refuse to do what the store asks are the same types who do the most complaining in a restaurant and refuse tips to waiters and waitresses because one little thing was wrong. Get over it! You have to pick your battles and this one isn't really worth fighting. It doesn't matter how right you are because it's just a pointless argument. The customer in the story didn't get their crap, will probably end up going back to Kohls and buying the things she wanted anyway once the anger has settled down. Kohls won't change their policy (Unless Visa forces them to, which is very unlikely), and no one else who shops at Kohls will give a crap.

I disagree with James. It is important that merchants and retailers be kept in check, especially when they anoint themselves with police powers. You may NOT see my ID.

A large percenatage of Identity Theft occurrs from store employees viewing IDs.

Ask the employee for their ID so you can report them to the police if you find identity has been stolen.

I had the perfect cashier yesterday at JJill. She ran my card and held it while I signed the receipt. She then compared the signatures on the card and receipt. She *read* the signature panel on my card and saw the "Pls ask for ID" that is there next to my signature, and aked for my ID. She then looked at the photo on the ID, and at me, and handed everything back to me. It took about 15 seconds in all.

We need more like her!

@BugMeNot2: Definitely. Unless I request that you verify my ID on the back of my card, I should not have to submit to arbitrary verifications that the store has no right to impose.

Next thing you know, they're going to be asking for your fingerprint... hello Gattaca! I see you and 1984 have met...

I'm sure the cashier would flatly refuse if you asked to see their ID, or requested their phone number, zip code, and mother's maiden name, just to verify they actually are a cashier and not some identity thief. Why is it any different in the other direction?

I hate the idea of having to ask for id with a credit card as well. When I set up people for a new blockbuster account they need a form of id and a debit or credit card to add to their account. If i were able to I'd let them type everything into the computer themselves but my boss said I'd have to ask them for their id and debit/credit card and type everything in myself. Anyways it was retarded of the cashier to ask for an id as well.

I think these days we should have ID checks for any credit card purchase. If your name and picture does not match the owner of the credit card, you should not be able to make a purchase.

I was a cashier at BBuy and I am positive that at least once I've put through a credit card purchase to a person who did not own that card and simply didn't check ID. When you have sub-18 year old kids come in with credit cards you can pretty much guess.

I still regret doing this to this day because I put the store sales in front of security for that card owner.

I can tell you exactly what happened. Believe it or not, store associates feel a personal responsibility to the store to make sure that whomever is shopping there is not stealing, using a credit card fraudulently, or whatever. Some associates are more gung ho than others, this was probably the case and not necessarily Kohl's policy to see ID. If the associate's manager had been asked to be seen by the customer, the customer would have most likely received an apology, a small discount on her purchase and the associate would have been reprimanded for not following company policy. ID theft was likely not the motive.

There is nothing "going on" here, other than the checker was uninformed. There are so many different ideas about how to accept credit cards, and different laws in different states. In Washington, by law you have to sign the back of your card prior to using it or else it won't be accepted.

I hate these stories where people think they are some sort of hero for "busting" people who do this sort of thing. Very likely the checker was untrained in that area, that's it. Frustrating yes, but there is no weird conspiracy to steal your precious driver's license info. She probably would've glanced at the name and picture, looked at the buyer, and handed it back.

And it was Kohl's. They get people in, pay them nothing, and train them how to press the buttons on the register. Get over it.

The exact same thing happened to me at Kohls yesterday. The cashier asked my girlfriend for ID after paying with her Mastercard. Before I could object, she ignorantly handed it over. I filled her in what she should do next time once we left the store.

@sisedi: It wasn't the customers' liability if it was a credit card. All you're protecting is the credit card company.

I don't understand the obsession with credit card security on here. Credit cards are an inherently insecure system, and until they are replaced with something more secure, that will be the case. It's not the cardholders' liability, so why care so much? If they choose not to implement better security as a business decision, it's not my problem.

@edrebber: Do you know this to be a fact? I hardly doubt that anyone who looks at my ID for 2 seconds to verify that my name matches the one on my visa card also memorized my address and visa # in that 2 seconds.

@edrebber: I find that hard to believe. What source are you using for that? A large part is phishing, hacking, or the cardholder doing something stupid with their cards or accounts. Also identity theft isn't just a fraudulent charge on your account, it's someone assuming your identity and opening accounts in your name and basically becoming you to steal money. A store clerk cannot easily do this with just a 5 second glance at your DL.

@Shmonkmonk: Another good point. It'd be much easier for them to do harm by looking at your credit card when they ask to see it. If that is, somehow they can memorize that long number in the half second they flip it over and glance at the signature line.

i'll never understand these people who choose to fight this battle.

what do you gain?

@James Gamble:

The customer in the story didn't get their crap, will probably end up going back to Kohls and buying the things she wanted anyway once the anger has settled down.

Actually, if you read the OP:

Afterwards, I went to the Target store next door and made a similar purchase with my Visa card and did not have to surrender my personal identification to do so.

So it sounds like they "got their crap" from another store that does not require us to be boot-licking servants of their aspirations to turn retail into a police state.

Photo ID does no good in preventing ID theft; any half-wit thief will just print up an ID with their picture and your name on it. On the other hand, giving your ID (which most likely includes easily-decoded personal information on it, like your Social Security Number) opens you up to ID theft from the cashier who saw it.

Why would you COMPLAIN about a cashier wanting to verify that is YOUR card? Give me a F-ing break.

I hope ALL cashiers check my photo ID when I use my credit card.

By the way, no public ID's have social security numbers on them anymore. If your state's does then you live in a dumb state.

@ryanv1978: What's not to understand? It's privacy, and better protection against identify theft.

@vasquire32: Because it doesn't really matter if credit card account theft occurs (since it's not my liability), but it does matter if identity theft occurs. And showing ID does little to prevent credit card account theft, but does increase my risk of identity theft.

Credit card thieves can just clone your card number onto a different card, or use it someplace where they don't have to present it to a cashier. Writing that on the back does little, since if you do they will just not use it someplace a cashier might see it.

The more you resist, the more suspicious you appear. If she said, "I'm sorry, I don't have it with me at the moment" the cashier probably would've let the transaction go through. It's human nature to want to stop a wrong and if someone's acting fishy, of course the cashier's going to be difficult.

What was more important to this women, making her purchase w/o having to show an ID or proving her point to a whole bunch of people who don't care?

Maybe it's just me but I don't see what the big deal would have been to just show the cashier your driver's license. People who refuse to do so would make me suspicious as well.

You all really need to remember the risk of writing "ask for ID" on your signature panel. Because you have not signed your card, the merchant has every right to refuse your credit card.

So you should sign your card AND write "ask for ID" if you are so inclined.

@Shmonkmonk: But there's nothing "wrong" or suspicious about not wanting to show ID. I think a lot of people's problem with this practice is that they are resistant to the idea of having to show ID for everything, and don't want it to become common practice.

@vasquire32:

By the way, no public ID's have social security numbers on them anymore.

Um, except for the 17 states that do:

[www.pimall.com]

If your state's does then you live in a dumb state.

I agree, but there are more of them than "none".

@Shmonkmonk: @chrispiss: Yes, really! Unless the cashier has magical powers of memory or a secret photocopier next to the register, identity theft happening in this manner seems unlikely.

@humphrmi: I'm not disagreeing with you on principle, but I think that list is at least somewhat out of date. It says my state uses a SSN unless you request that they not, but that definitely hasn't been the case for several years at least.

@robyns: It doesn't take much to remember a name and number for two minutes until the customer walks away, and then write it down.

While I don't think you should have to present your ID if asked, I think it is nice that the store is at least looking out for theives. If I had to choose between the checkout person looking at my ID, seeing "SEE ID", and not asking me for my ID and having to show my ID every time I used my card, I'd definitely prefer the latter. But then again, my state doesn't have my SSN on my ID.

@humphrmi: except that list is outdated. GA hasn't used SSN's in at least 5 years, perhaps a bit longer.

The bottom line is that the associate did this on her own. Companies as a practice do not ask for ID because it prevents the possiblility of a racist associate doing racial profiling. The store is going to get their money from VISA, MC, AMEX, no matter what. Like I said before, this associate is not looking to steal anyone's identity, she's just a little more protective of the store than you can imagine. Even people who work for next to nothing still have some form company pride and this was her way of showing it.

@beboptheflop: Well then stores need to explicitly train their cashiers on this point and explain that they cannot demand ID as a condition of accepting a credit card. It's not her fault if she's untrained.

These ID stories and the stories about showing your receipt while exiting a store always bring out the people who are unclear on the concept of Consumerist.com.

This site is about consumers' rights, not the rights of The Man to make up arbitrary rules and expect you to follow them so that you can have the honor of handing over your hard-earned money.

Of course it's always going to be easier to submit to any ridiculous or, in this case, invalid request from a merchant. Standing up for your rights against a merchant who is clearly wrong is never silly or much ado about nothing.

To all the "go along to get along" folks: UR DOING IT WRONG!

Those who complain about these stories where people stand up for their rights need to realize this is not Sheepleist.com.

@vasquire32:

You refuted your own argument, so I feel no need to proceed with my post.

If you don't want the store to ask you to show some ID to use credit, then use cash. A credit card is just that credit. Seriously, get over yourselves. I agree the store should not take down the info on the ID. But I actually thank cashiers that ask for ID. If I am in line and they ask for someone else's ID and and then they refuse and make a stink, I thank the cashier when I get up there for helping those of us who have had ID theft. Sure they can clone cards and make fake IDs. But that is not the usual case. They take your stolen CC's and got to stores to rack up charges before they are canceled. Then they use your numbers to get new credit accounts (a good reason to have a credit block with the reporting agencies).

@ryanv1978: Hey awesome--how about sharing your drivers license information with the group (unless of course, you have something to hide)?

I can't wait until stores decide to require two forms of ID and you "bend over and take it" people have to submit a fingerprint or a SS # in addition to a driver's license. But hey, if you've got nothing to hide....

@zentex:

Ohio just recently stopped. Previously it was a question at the BMV. When I mentioned I didn't want my SSN on my license, the clerk got all huffy and said that I'd have to bring in my SS card every time I needed to do business there. When I agreed she asked again if I was absolutely sure I didn't want my SSN printed on my license.

It was a fun day.

@humphrmi:

And the last 4 are usually on the receipt.

I don't want to show my ID for every purchase or show my receipt every time I leave a store. As such I don't shop at stores (Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc.) that impose these policies. If someone does ask for my ID, I say no thank you (I find these to be magic words, I don't lecture on polcies, laws, etc.) if I'm pressed I walk away from the purchase and go to another store.

Hello;

Could someone please explain all the whining about showing your id when you make a purchase? To me that seems like a good idea and a way to cut down on fraudulent point of sale purchases; I'm willing to be wrong, and I am a "consumer advocate" but I just don't get the complaints about this... Open to explanations.

Ok, she asked for your card, then your ID. Could it be she thought the signatures didn't match?

If it had been someone else who had taken your card and used it and she hadn't asked for ID, you'd be raising holy hell right now. And you refusing to show ID only makes it look like you have something to hide.

I understand that VISA says you don't have to... but so what? You don't HAVE to lock your car at night, but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea.

You guys need to chill out on this issue.

Let's call snakeuvs "The Carpenter", because he hit the nail on the head.

@bigroblee: It's because if a cashier asks for an id with a credit card, then they (the cashier) could easily use your info to do fraudulent charges themselves because they now have all of your info to do so. Not saying they're going to use your info on the spot, but at a later time. And there's a such thing as fake IDs, so there's chances that someone gets a credit card, prints up a fake id and change the info around to make it look like they're the owner of the card and presto it's still a fraudulent charge. That's why I like debit cards because you put in a pin number which more than likely only that person will know.

Hmmmm....well where I work you WILL show your ID with your credit card or you will not stay in our establishment. If you are not willing we cannot risk that your credit card will cover the tens of thousands of dollars that could be damaged in just one evening.
Obviously this situation is a bit apples and oranges, but the "never show your ID people" might object to our policy as well?

Guys like him are the ones that bitch the loudest when they are victims of CC fraud. It's a small thing. Show them.

Full Disclosure: I work in retail, at a convience store.

Yes. We will have to ask a customer to present ID. According to what I've been told and what I've been able to talk to people higher up. If we have to ask for ID it's because a card has been used multiple times within a 24 hour period. Our register will say "Check ID. Accept Y/N" This is simply to prevent against fraud cause it's easy to clone a card. If the cashier at Kohl's didn't have a reason why she was asking for the ID, then yes she's in the wrong in this part.

This is something systematic with Kohls.
It is either something that comes up on the cashier screen demanding they ask for ID or they have told cashiers they have the right or should ask for ID in certain circumstances. They may have just given them permission to be arbitrary about it if they don't like the way you look.

I have bought things frequently over the years at Kohls. I had this happen once and the clerk was a real jerk and refused to complete the transaction without it. I have bought things on the same card after that and have not been asked.

This is something that is some sort of policy at Kohls and not an isolated incident. They need to get their hands smacked.

@humphrmi: That list is at least 7 years old. Virginia has not been using SSN since at least 9/18/01. Many of the 9/11 hijackers had false IDs easily issued from Virginia's DMV. Since then VA has gone fairly hardcore about their ID system. It took 7 days to make all sorts of new rules for IDs. Now, heaven help you if you lose your ID and your birth certificate. You must have your birth cert. to get ID, and you need your ID for your birth cert...

Live in VA, got married in DC. SOOOO much fun when I went to change my name on my license. I had to justify my reason for getting married at my church (which is in DC) to the SUPER-friendly CSR at DMV before they would change my name. And had to show my new Social Security Card, too.

@bohemian: I have never been asked for ID when buying things with a Kohl's card. But I have seen that happen a lot when others are using a different card.

Is Kohl's card security so powerful they don't need ID? Or is this some scheme to get people to open Kohl's accounts? "Get 10% off and we don't need to see ID?"