Yes sir, I can see you're 60.. ID Please

[Namrepus221]

My store has started a new policy where our computers will require a birthdate to purchase tobacco (no alcohol. I live in PA)

When I worked yesterday before I took today off to try and get a job at teh post office ($12 an hour is great...but having to work 12 hour days and 1 and a half commutes both ways isn't worth suicide) it was told to me that it woudl become manditory to have the ID or a birthdate for the register, or else no sale.

I've heard a few choice words, people thinking I'm joking, flattering them, or simply saying "fuck it" and going across the street.

Tommorow is the first day where this new system will be in full effect.

Tommorow is the day I'm gonna have to keep my tounge in check and not let the idiots get to me.

Wish me luck....and pray.

[Jacen]

Hmm... would be fun to be able to say the title of this thread to people :P

[Namrepus221]

Hmm... would be fun to be able to say the title of this thread to people :P

I've already done it.

I've gone to asking for a birthdate for people who are visibly over the age of 50 however.

[blas]

In my experience, most women will be flattered. Some may pitch a fit, but for the most part, women want to think that they still look 25. If you make them feel that way, they'll love you.

Men on the other hand are going to bitch and scream. You're going to hear "I fought in Vietnam for this country and you have the NERVE to ID me?!" or "I fought in Korea and killed all those *insert slur here* and you think you have the right to card me?" or even "I'm 60 fucking years old, you CAN'T do this!"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

What I hate are the super paranoid of identity theft people who refuse to show ID under ANY circumstances.

[Technetium]

What I hate are the super paranoid of identity theft people who refuse to show ID under ANY circumstances.

That's one of my biggest irritations, too. I work at a fairly large computer retailer, and we ask for ID with every credit or check transaction. It doesn't matter if the total is $1 or $1,000. Photo ID, please.

A couple days ago, someone had the nerve to tell me I couldn't see his ID, after I asked twice and he declined (I had honestly though he was joking at first). He told me it was illegal, and I told him that I wouldn't accept that card without seeing his ID. Of course, this was happening as he was furiously trying to swipe his card. I tried not to laugh, since the card terminal won't actually do anything unless I hit the credit/debit key on the register. Hell, it won't even ask for your signature unless I hit that button, too. Luckily for me, the operations manager (second in charge at our store) was standing right next to us, and politely informed the customer that yes, we can require him to show ID, according to California law.. which is posted in his office. Eventually the customer got pissed off enough to leave, and got his revenge by informing us that we just lost a customer. We both laughed behind his back.

Oh, and the item he was buying? A cheap $10 charger.

[Andara Bledin]

He told me it was illegal, and I told him that I wouldn't accept that card without seeing his ID. Of course, this was happening as he was furiously trying to swipe his card.

Actually, while it's not illegal, it is against the merchant agreement with the credit card companies to ask for ID if a credit card is signed.

^-.-^

[ArcticChicken]

That's nothing, the policy of the first store I worked in (in upstate NY) was to ask for ID for any alcohol or tobacco purchase from the person buying and from everyone in that was with them. The flack I caught over that.....

[mdog]

Actually, while it's not illegal, it is against the merchant agreement with the credit card companies to ask for ID if a credit card is signed.

^-.-^

I've heard that in at least one state (I think NY), it is illegal, but I think the merchant agreeement (at least what I've read) says that asking for ID should not be done as part of standard acceptance practices. Of course if the card is not signed, or even if it is but you have reasonable suspicion about this transaction, then by all means, ask for ID.

[Kogarashi]

That's nothing, the policy of the first store I worked in (in upstate NY) was to ask for ID for any alcohol or tobacco purchase from the person buying and from everyone in that was with them. The flack I caught over that.....

I loved that policy when the Wal-Mart I worked for in NY briefly adopted it. Sure, I caught a lot of flak for both carding old people and for carding everyone in a group (which resulted in at least two sale refusals due to underage girls shopping with their of-age friend), but at least I had a store policy to fall back on when people started screaming bloody murder at me. I could just shake my head and tell them, "Sorry, store policy. No ID, no sale."

[chops]

Ah yes, that's the law in Massachusetts too. Everyone in the group gets carded, even if it's just two people. I always have my ID ready anyway. I tend to look about ten years younger than I really am.

Not only that, but I remember that in Mass, only Mass issued IDs (e.g., licenses and liquor IDs) and US passports are accepted as ID. This is why my friend would always carry his passport with him.

This brings up a question for those in Mass: are packies supposed to refuse a sale if anyone else in the party has an out-of-state ID?

[gunsage]

Yeah, shortly before I left (THANK GOD) one of my gas station jobs, they were trying to implement something similar. If I recall correctly, since a holiday weekend was coming up (labor day weekend or something), they wanted us to card EVERYONE because it was HIGHLY LIKELY (suuuuure) that undercover was going to try to bust someone.

To be fair, I only got that job because literal hours before my arrival and inquiry of possible employment, an employee was arrested for selling to a minor, thus, swoop and squat, hooray me. A bit unsettling, but yes, that's how I got my job. Literally, it was...

(Noticing the staff looking kinda depressed, but needing a job)
Me: "Hey, ah...you guys hiring?"
Cashier: (Eyes light up) "Gasp! Yes yes! Here, talk to the manager!"
Me: "U-uh...okay...!"

And that's that. But in any case, that kinda policy is uber-sucky because you're at the sh!t end of the sh!tstick, as it were. I actually had to argue my way out of a write-up because I refused to sell to a 60 year old man because he refused to show me his ID. Actually, THAT'S not what the write-up was about, but it is what prompted it...he claimed I threatened him, which was a load of bull, but he knew better than to enter the store when I was there from then on at least.

As far as group cardings? Boy, it's really fun when you have a LARGE group in, oh, I don't know...A VAN...and they have one dude come in and try to buy stuff. Yeah...get your bros out here. Oh, you say they don't all have their IDs? They better or this cerveza ain't your cerveza, amigo. Needless to say, this is excellent prep-work for security.

[Namrepus221]

well mercifully we didn't have to start it.

The owner of the store decided she'll wait till corporate forces her to make it manditory.

also on a side note: writing "See ID" or "CID" still means the card is unsigned

http://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/card_present.html?it=c|/merchants/risk_management/|Card-Present#anchor_6

And yes I've been asked to show ID even though my card is signed... it's just so old the ink has worn off the place where I signed it (you can still see a blue ink smudge where it read my name)

[thegiraffe]

What I hate are the super paranoid of identity theft people who refuse to show ID under ANY circumstances.

And those are the same people who don't sign the back of their credit cards because they're afraid of someone forging their signature. Well, if it's not signed, someone can sign it with THEIR signature, and then the signatures will match, right?


It's also annoying when someone pays with a check, we have to type the license number in, but the idiot won't hand me the license. Instead, they hold it far from my head. I don't have awesome vision, folks. It's easier (and more likely to be accurate - and trust me - you want the numbers put in correctly) if it's in front of my face. Gah.

/threadjack....now on to our regularly scheduled programming....

[chops]

And yes I've been asked to show ID even though my card is signed... it's just so old the ink has worn off the place where I signed it (you can still see a blue ink smudge where it read my name)

I've had that happen to me, too (on a debit MC that was used so much that the signature strip AND hologram were almost completely swiped off)...but I can understand where they're coming from. If the staff can't discern your signature, then they should double-check.