What the sh*t lady I was only trying to help

[Buglady]

More than once I had people who had put "see ID" on their cards get cranky with me when I did indeed ask for ID. I could MAYBE understand someone who had NOT put that on their card getting a bit annoyed, although that's silly too (it's so common these days to use card plus ID that a lot of people hand me both without my asking). But the ones who'd written "see ID" on their own cards and then got shirty with me - those just made me shake my head. I actually asked several of them what they wanted me to do, exactly - I was following their own instructions and trying to protect their card's security! Eesh. Some of them at least had the sense to apologize.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I can glance at your signature and then fake it close enough that it would pass. I can take 30 seconds to scribble it a few times, and then when I did it for real, you'd never know I hadn't done that all my life.

It's a good thing I use my powers for good and not for evil. And it's a good thing for my husband I'm not a shopaholic, because I can do his sig cold with no practice at this point.

My husband always has Check ID on his cards, and when a clerk actually bothered to do it, hhe used to pop a gold dollar out of his pocket (he carried them when shopping for just that reason) and give it to the clerk and thank them.


And then show them his ID, of course.

[CloserToSane]

I can glance at your signature and then fake it close enough that it would pass. I can take 30 seconds to scribble it a few times, and then when I did it for real, you'd never know I hadn't done that all my life.

It's a good thing I use my powers for good and not for evil. And it's a good thing for my husband I'm not a shopaholic, because I can do his sig cold with no practice at this point.

I'm also very good at that. It's a lot easier to forge a passable signature than people think, I've shown my family how easy I find it, and I'm not (a known ) criminal with years of practise.

[Jester]

Every time I see "SEE ID" on the back of a credit card, I walk up to the customer and, with a smile, hold up the card with that part facing them and say, "I'm one of those weird people that follows instructions, so I will need to ask to see your ID."

I have not had too many people get shitty with me for that. Most of them say something to the effect of "You're one of the only people who's done that recently!"

While I am on vacation next week, I shall make an effort to count how many times people actually read that on the back of MY card.

[Hellzar]

I think it has something to do with accepting the terms and agreement for the card. All I know is that on the back of every card it states that the card is not valid unless it is signed. Some times I ask for ID even if the card is signed and usually more times than not I get the "oh its my Mom's/Grandma's/Fathers and so on", "What do you mean they have to come in she is right in the car you can see her", "you don't know what you are talking about" or my favorite "just run the stupid card if it not theirs its not my problem" - My manager

[Enjis]

These days, with most places having a 'swipe your own card' PIN pad at their registers, the salesclerk never even gets to SEE the card, let alone check for a siggy.

I hated it when we got those things in our store, cuz I knew it meant we now had no way to stop even a TINY percentage of theft by credit card. (and no, our corporate folk did not tell us to 'ask for ID' on all card transactions. Oh, the *security* department said we COULD, if we wanted to, but it was NOT corporate policy, so the first person to complain would mean we were up the creek without official backup)

Grrr.
Can you say credit fraud has skyrocketed in the last few years?

[Rapscallion]

We still have to sign chip and pin cards over here. Interestingly enough, we have fuel cards assigned to each truck, and it's not the same driver in the same truck. Some numpty decided to write the pin for one of the cards on the card itself, prompting an all-work email...

Rapscallion

[EmiOfBrie]

My cards are signed *and* say "See ID"....that way I'm covered

[code-monkey]

I thought that requesting ID with a note on the back of your card was a good idea at first. However the card is not actually valid without a signature on the back of it.

Visa and Mastercard both advise against it. I can't find the document on the mastercard site, i think they have had a re-design since i last checked. But if you look on the vista site Here on page 29. Visa actually require the purchaser to sign the back of the signature strip in the cashiers presence if "See ID" is there without a signature.

[PepperElf]

i admit i dont always sign mine unless requested (it was demanded/requested in japan so i did it to the card then)

but... i also have my photo on the card and... well hell if the person can actually *pronounce* or spell my name they'd be lucky (yay for being part Polish)

[sexiphatchick]

You're absolutely right. Not signing it at all is the worst thing you can do. Anyone can take it, then sign your name. And of course when they go to use it, the signatures will match, because they signed the card in their own handwriting. If the signatures match, people generally don't ask for an ID. At the very least, put 'SEE ID' on it. Not that THAT is even that useful, becase most places you go, they don't even pay attention anymore.

My mom gave me her credit card a couple years ago for my birthday when I took a trip to Salem. She told me I could buy anything I wanted up to a certain amount. I bought stuff from 6 or 7 different places, and not a single one of them asked for ID or checked the signature.

[jjllbb]

I HATE those stupid electronic pin pads they have now with the blunt plastic "pen" because it makes signitures look like SHHHHHHH**t. How am I supposed to match anything up? Way to make identity theft easier.

[Salesmonkey]

What always amuses me is that there's space for both your signature on the back of the card and a notation to ask for gov't ID.