I win, you lose, next please. (longish)

[rerant]

I'm first going to get to how much of my time this woman wasted: seven minutes. I wasn't counting, but I happened to look at the clock on my register phone when she was digging around for her credit card, then again after I had finished with her just to see how long this had actually taken.

This woman also wasn't so much sucky as she was stupid.
Oh and by the way, this is another wonderful credit card story.

Onward!

Me: Do you have a driver's license on you? Your card isn't signed.
Woman: No.
Me: Then I can't take this card.
Woman: But I just used it here!
Me: Then someone made a mistake by taking it, but I'm not accepting it without ID.
Woman: I don't have a driver's license.
Me: That's ok, neither do I. Do you have a health card (they have our picture, full name, birthday and signatures on them, and while we're normally not supposed to accept them I personally will seeing as I don't think it's fair to assume everyone has a license, and the health card has all of the same information on it anyway, minus your address) or a passport, or even a work ID (again that's pushing it, but some work IDs, like my own, have your full name, picture and signature, so if she had one with all of that information I would have gladly accepted it)?
Woman: I don't carry ID on me.
Me: Ok, then you'll have to use another card.
Woman: But I just used this one!
Me: And now you're not.
Woman: But I JUST used it in here!
Me: Do you have your receipt from when you used it? (I was going to check to see if the CC number matched and check the employee ID number, not to get anyone in trouble, but just personally make a quiet note to them to remember to ask for ID, since sometimes we all forget.)
Woman: No.
Me: *thinking: quelle surprise * K well I'm not taking the card.
Woman: Well what if I show you my other card with my signature on it?
Me: I'll accept that other card for payment no problem, but I can't, and won't, accept it in place of ID.
Woman: But I want to use that card!
Me: That's fine, all I need is some ID for it.
Woman: I don't have any.

At this point I thought I would humour her a little and asked a coordinator who had just walked over to the register next to mine to help out the cashier.
His response: No ID no purchase.

Woman: What if I sign it right now?
Me: You're more than welcome to sign it, and I encourage that you do, but I still need some ID.
Woman: But the card is good.
Me: Ma'am, I know it is, but VISA will NOT let us take a card that is not signed without ID. Even with the ID you would still have to sign it in front of me. As it is this card is invalid and essentially useless because there is no signature on it.
Woman: But the signature just wiped away.

Yeah, no. This was obviously a brand new card and I looked veeeery closely to see if it could have wiped away (not that that would have changed anything) but it was obvious it had never been signed.

Me: Ma'am, I'm not taking the card without ID, so if you don't have any then I'm sorry, but your only option is to use another card or come back to purchase these when you do have ID for this card.
Woman: But I...
Me: Those are your only options.
Woman: But what if I...
Me: Only options.
Woman: So you won't take it?
Me: No.
Woman: Not even if I sign it?
Me: Not even if you sign it.
Woman: And my other signature on my other card won't help?
Me: I can't accept that in lieu of ID, I'm sorry.
Woman: Fine.

I get the transaction voided (since I didn't ask for ID until the CC had started processing ) then re-ring it for her other card.

She signs the unsigned card and walks away.

After she left the customers who waited patiently behind her gave me a, "Is she fucking for real?" look and told me not to worry about it when I apologized. The guy even said, "Man, you're badass. You weren't taking any of her stupidity."

Now, what have we all learned?

1) Sign your damn cards. And now that she signed that one, she won't have to go through this again. By the way, you're welcome, lady.
2) Carry ID with you at all times. I don't care what excuses you have, either have the ID or suffer the consequences. If your ID is in your car YES I will make you go get it. Just ask the guy I made go to his car in a snowstorm to get his. My job is not worth your forgetfulness and I have no sympathy for you. Unless you're in some way unable to run out to your car to get the ID (pregnant, disabled, other miscellaneous reasons), then I have sympathy for you. I'm still not going to take your card without the ID, but the sympathy is there.
3) At this cash lane, my word is law. I know every policy like the back of my hand and will not hesitate to enforce them, whether you like it or not.
4) Neither you, your husband, your dog, your barking, abrasive attitude, nor your threats intimidate me. I am unbreakable and you will not win. If you go over my head to a spineless manager and they allow it you will not be served by me, as I will still refuse to bend on any policy that I know is not right. If they want to allow it then they can serve you; I will not allow it so I will not serve you.
5) I win, you lose, next please.

[Evil Queen]

Wow Rerant, you are a badass!

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

And if all clerks were like you, Rerant, that would completely close off one avenue of ID theft.

[StevieJD]

Finally, somebody enforcing the rules.

Good for you. Job well done.


And a brief PSA ... "See ID" is not your name and invalidates your card.

[Andara Bledin]

I've never signed my card. I've also never had anyone even look at the back. Since it's also my ATM card, I can always just use it that way if it ever comes up. I'm easy that way.

As an aside, I believe Visa actually discourages shops from asking for ID, even when it should be required. They don't want people to feel pressured when using their cards, but they'll stick it to the shop if a fraud complaint is filed.

^-.-^

[Supernautus]

yeah, I've had that before, the way we were told, they could sign it in front of us, but only if they had something with the same signature on it, and a photograph. This guy shows his card, oh, not signed (I always check signatures) I tell him he can't pay with it, he has nothing else, I tell him the nearest ATM is across at the other side of the retail park I work at, he's not happy, but who cares right.

[Spiffy McMoron]

I haven't had anything that bad, but I've had some problems with asked for ID and credit cards. Nothing more major than grumbles and mutters, so nothing to complain about, though.

[hattip] to you on standing firm.

[/hattip]

[Beisbolica]

Yesterday a woman gave me her credit card and it said, "SEE ID" where the signature was.

Sure enough, she was like, "I left it in my car. Is it a big deal? I don't want to go all the way back to get it."

I said... "But you wrote 'SEE ID'."

...

She just stared at me. I let it go... it was like 20 bucks but how. Stupid. Do you have to be. I just wanted to go home at that point.

[Whyme]

She wasn't carrying any ID at all? I wonder if she was driving. It amazes me when people tell me they don't want to drive all the way home to get their ID. Um...I believe you're required to have your driver's license on you when leave your house to drive somewhere.

That being said, I don't drive. I do have a State ID I carry with me, as a matter of fact, it's in the same wallet as my credit cards. I use my credit card, they ask to see ID, I whip it out (my ID). Certainly seems to save the hassle of "forgetting it".

[rerant]

And if all clerks were like you, Rerant, that would completely close off one avenue of ID theft.

My family just went through a whole nightmare of ID theft involving close contact with police and fraud investigation detectives.
I'm not sure if everything has been fully sorted or not, as I don't know if the person has been caught, but either way I'm probably the best person for being on the side of protecting people's ID right now.
If the customers don't like it they can trade places with me and my family and go through the shit we have in dealing with ID theft.

But oh no, it would never happen to them.

[blas]

I'll admit it, I've never signed any of my debit or credit cards.

BUT...

Anywhere I go, even the McDonalds drive-thru, I hand the cashier both my card and my driver's license. I'm amazed at the amount of places I go where I hand them both and they just hand me back my ID without even looking at it.

[LadyAndreca]

Around here, no one checks IDs. I don't think I've seen it in the entire time I've lived in NJ. Sure surprised my dad this weekend when he was here (where he lives EVERY store checks ID)...he went to pay for something with a card and took out his ID, and the cashier didn't even glance at the card. Dad got this REALLY confused 'what?' look on his face, and I had to fight not to laugh.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I had a woman once who wrote "See ID" on her card and then got mad at me when I asked for it.

"Why do you want my ID?"

"Because you wrote it on your card..."

"...oh."

[rerant]

I'll admit it, I've never signed any of my debit or credit cards.

BUT...

Anywhere I go, even the McDonalds drive-thru, I hand the cashier both my card and my driver's license. I'm amazed at the amount of places I go where I hand them both and they just hand me back my ID without even looking at it.

When people do that I check their ID and make them sign the card.
I've done it many, many times and when people refuse I just void the sale.
Sorry folks, but thems the breaks; if you don't want to obey the rules then you're not allowed to play the game.