More 'invasion of privacy' stupidity

[ShinyGreenApple]

I was waiting on what was an otherwise pleasant older lady last night, when she slid her credit card and the prompt came up to enter the zip code. She stopped, looked up at me, and said "You know, Volde-Mart was supposed to stop doing this, I heard. It was on the news the other night."

"Oh, really? I didn't hear about th--"

"It was the news. The other night, on the news. They said you guys were suppose to stop doing this because it's an invasion of my privacy."

I explained that the reasoning for it was if one was traveling and the card was stolen out of state, the thief would be unlikely to know the correct ZIP and make fraudulent charges.

"Oh, I understand the reasoning behind it. But it's just that it was on the news. It's an invasion of my privacy because YOU can use THIS *shakes receipt* to track me. You can find out where I LIVE."

No . . . no I really can't. And I've started adopting Crotchety Pharmacist's™ habit of telling them "I didn't get a chance to see that or much TV at all, I'm always working!" but she wouldn't hear that, either. I don't have time to watch the news, you paranoid, gullible fuckwit, because I'm always standing HERE selling you your damn meds. Nor would I have any interest in 'tracking' you or finding out where you live. If I were going to do that, it'd at least be to a person I found interesting. Geez.

This was right up there with the annoyance of "Do you have that new product? I saw it on Dr. Oz and he says it's really good." Fuck Dr. Oz and his followers. Ugh.

[Crossbow]

I believe this was in California only. Not sure how (or if) it applies to chains doing business in CA and elsewhere.
Reuters article here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...26075020110211

So, if you're in California, she's right. If you're not, then I don't know.

[Trixie]

I had a lady do this with me last night. Yeah, we're not allowed to do this. Tell it to American Express they're the one looking for the info. I'm just a register monkey, if it beeps at me looking for something I do my best to keep things moving. You can complain about stuff all you want but I don't have the power to do anything about it. One day I'm tempted to just pick up the phone like they do on TV and pretend that I'm gonna change stuff just for them.

[Kogarashi]

Yeah, if I were the one ringing her out, I'd ask if it's an AmEx and then tell her to take it up with her card provider if (most likely when) she says yes. Because that's the only time I've ever seen the pinpad prompt for a zip code, as AmEx's version of a PIN on a credit card.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Kmart tries to do this shit. They claim it's for security, but you know what? Any zip code will do. So if it really is for security reasons, their system is sadly lacking.

[EricKei]

Well, given that a significant chunk of people seem tend to shop at places within five minutes of their own house if they can help it, the store's ZIP code may very well be the same as hers...>_>

[ShinyGreenApple]

I've had people enter an incorrect ZIP before and it wouldn't let the transaction go any further until they put the right one in. I know it's stopped someone from putting charges on my Dad's card in TX before. We live in FL and that particular card he never uses; it's locked in a fire safety box under his bed.

But really. I don't want to track you. I don't want to steal your driver's license. I . . . I just don't care. I want to ring you up and send you on your way without getting me or any of my coworkers yelled at. And the fact that she wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise and couldn't believe that I didn't watch the news was irksome as well.

[Argabarga]

$10 says she goes home and willingly submits to an email stock-market-scam with the same card

[MoonCat]

$10 says she goes home and willingly submits to an email stock-market-scam with the same card

Or buys a magazine subscription from a nice, clean-cut young man who comes to her door.

[dbuzman]

I didn't know that was a security thing. I always figured it was for tracking purposes, like "people from these towns all shop here". I guess it's a good thing I don't care and didn't give fake zip codes then.

[Kogarashi]

I didn't know that was a security thing. I always figured it was for tracking purposes, like "people from these towns all shop here". I guess it's a good thing I don't care and didn't give fake zip codes then.

Depends on the store and the card. As RK said, K-mart asks for it for tracking purposes, and will take any old zip code. Walmart, on the other hand, only asks on AmEx cards, and the transaction will not go through without the correct zip code. For them, in that situation, it's a security measure set by the card company. I know when I go to Michaels and they ask, it's for tracking purposes rather than security, so a fake would most likely work (but they don't get anything out of it that they don't already get from my loyalty card use, so I don't bother with the fakes and just give my real one).

Since the OP mentioned "Volde-Mart," I'm going to assume the lady had an AmEx card and that if she'd tried a fake, the transaction wouldn't work. Unless there are WM's in the nation that are asking for far more info than mine ever did (which was none).

[Racket_Man]

the CC system at my pizza place does ask for the ZIP Code when we take phone orders. the problem is is that we can put in ANY ZIP code and it will work. only had a problem once or twice out of thousands of CC transactions. even with an AmEx card it does not matter what ZIP we put in it still works/goes through.

[Mr Hero]

I think it very much depends on the store. At my hotel we need to put in zip codes for CC's and it'll take any zip code. When I add points on the Nintendo Shop Channel, it's very particular on the zip code.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Kmart tries to do this shit. They claim it's for security, but you know what? Any zip code will do. So if it really is for security reasons, their system is sadly lacking.

They do that here, too. My guess it's either for marketing or a security measure to make sure you're not using a stolen card (hint: your billing address zip code should match the one you enter onto the pinpad.)

But if any zip will do, as RK has stated, then it's probably used to marketing reasons rather than security.

[KiaKat]

Sometimes it'll accept a wrong zip code, but charge a higher fee to the store. My system does that on inputted cards (as opposed to swiped). But that's just our system, and we're the ones who swipe or input the card number.