Why, yes, we absolutely do need that particular bit of identity

[Pezzle]

I had a weird one!

I had a lady try to pay for a 900 dollar computer with a check. At the register, she tells me "oh shoot, I don't have my license it's in the car... BUT I KNOW MY NUMBER BY HEART!" and she proceeds to write it right on the check.

I mean, I was amazed and everything... but hell no. She also shows me her Community College ID. That doesn't mean that she's not giving me a false DL #.

"No, I can't take this check. Can you go get your driver's license from the car maybe?"

She replied no she's in a rush and just to take the check becuase we should trust our customers. I pretended like I cared and went to customer service to pretend like I was going to ask if we could actually do something that rediculous. Of course not.

"I'm sorry but I CANNOT take the check without state issued photo identification, becuase I need a valid number. If it's in your car, you could go out and get it, it would only take a minute -- I'll wait I promise! (insert cheesy retail smile)"

She glares at me with the glare of death and huffs in an agitated way, tapping her fingers on the counter.

"Oh, well that's too bad then" she says as she rips the check up slowly, shoving it in my face like she were ripping up my pay check. "It looks as though I'll have to take my business and my hard earned money as a CUSTOMER elsewhere."

I chuckled on the inside! No place will take that check around here.

"I am sorry you feel that way ma'am, I'd love for you to take this laptop home for your son, it seems like an awful nice present. However, without valid ID i'm putting both of us at risk. I'd be breaking the law and company policy."

"FINE I AM GOING TO CIRCUIT CITY!"

This is where I got snarky as hell. "Okay ma'am you go right ahead. I regret to inform you I was the firedog supervisor there and, well, there's no way they will ever take your check."

She growled and stormed out. I occasionally go to Circuit City to see my old co-workers.. so I called the store manager on his cell phone and warned them about her with a description and everything. Sure enough on my next visit in there, she showed up trying to use the same tactic on a similar laptop and was thusly denied, and claimed I told her she could do it at Circuit City to which they said I was not stupid enough to tell anyone that sort of a lie.

Oh yeah... it felt so good to hear that. I feel bad for her son.

[Primer]

This is second hand, but the DH was at the grocery store the other day when the guy in front of him, still wearing his army fatigues, had his check denied because all he had was a military ID. He had just gotten back from Iraq, and had not had a chance to get a local DL yet. Yet, the list on the counter stated that acceptable forms of ID included military IDs. They had to get the store manager over before somebody would ok the poor guy's check!

[MadMike]

She grumbled about how she was in a hurry and asking, "Can't you just take my check?"

And in the time she spent arguing, I'm sure she could have gone out and retrieved her ID many times.

[Listerfiend]

I had a weird one!

I had a lady try to pay for a 900 dollar computer with a check. At the register, she tells me "oh shoot, I don't have my license it's in the car... BUT I KNOW MY NUMBER BY HEART!" and she proceeds to write it right on the check...

I hate it when people pull that one. It could be any number. Do people really think that associates and cashiers are that dumb?

On another note, someone tried to use a *photocopy* of her license. Of course she fought it when I told her no...

[sms001]

she was breaking the law by possessing both a driver's license and a state issued ID at the same time-

This may not be so everywhere. Last time I went for a license in Illinois, i went ahead and coughed up the extra seven bucks or whatever and got a state ID as well. I tucked that into a file at home so that if I ever lost my wallet it would be that much easier to "re-identify" myself. I can see the argument against it though - same as not accepting an expired one... passing unused IDs to minors.

[Captain Kidd]

However, I notice her address on the license and on the check don't match. Oh crap.

Hmm...I rarely use checks outside of paying bills and rent, but I'd never thought of that. My driver's license hasn't been renewed since I moved out of my parents' house, but since I still get mail and packages delivered there, I never thought to get the address changed. This is especially because I keep thinking I'm going to move out of my apartment, but haven't had the time to find somewhere new to live. However, for the sake of my rent and bill payments, which are sent to my apartment, I have my address on my checks. Guess I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever pay with a check in store where they need a license as well.

I got hit with that recently. My state does not require that your DL show the correct address, you can update it online and they're happy. Unfortunately I ended up having to shell out $10 for a duplicate to appease the local pharmacy. For a moment I thought about printing off the part that says that I am not required by state law to carry a DL with an up-to-date address, but figured it wasn't worth it. $10 isn't much, well $20 since we had to get a duplicate for my wife too, but still, that was the equivalent of a tank of gas or most of a week's worth of groceries we unnecessarily had to spend.

[ZumZum]

In our store, DL/state issued ID must match the address on the check.
We will not accept a passport as ID for a check. There is no address on a passport. We also have to type in the ID number, wont work with a Passport.

We will accept a Passport as ID if the credit card is not signed or says "See ID", though.

[Jester]

However, she was breaking the law by possessing both a driver's license and a state issued ID at the same time...

Perhaps in Colorado, but not everywhere. Many places allow you to have both simultaneously, and I know many people who DO.

...the guy in front of him...had his check denied because all he had was a military ID. Yet, the list on the counter stated that acceptable forms of ID included military IDs.

That is a case of a stupid, stupid employee.

[Broomjockey]

We will not accept a passport as ID for a check. There is no address on a passport. We also have to type in the ID number, wont work with a Passport.

American passports don't have addresses? That's weird. Canadian ones do, I'd figure that'd be one of the first things put on.

As for the number not working, I can't say much about that other than "Seems a better reason to not take passports than the other."

[Jester]

American passports don't have addresses? That's weird. Canadian ones do, I'd figure that'd be one of the first things put on.

I thought that sounded wrong, so I looked at my passport...and lo and behold, no damn address. I had no idea!

[greensinestro]

More of an aside but how do you verify ID for non drivers?

That's what I was wondering. If this person has a valid ID, why can't you take it? How about those poor people out there who can't drive for reasons beyond their control, like being visually impaired?

[Captain Kidd]

There's a space on them to put the address on yourself. It recommends you do it in pencil. I guess that's probably not acceptable to some businesses.