Collecting SSNs for video rentals? Where do you work, CIA Video Rentals in Langley?
Two phone numbers is probably reasonable (and I say that as a guy who has only one phone.)
I think that this is just one of those times that you have to swallow the boss’s stupid ideas. Don’t get your underwear in a bunch about it, and tell the fellow employees,when they complain, that it won’t hurt that much. The boss will learn soon enough. When business goes down, people will wonder why.
The boss DID give you an out. He said if people complain, don’t push. Solution to problem. People won’t go stomping off in mass droves because of this, I know, I worked at a retail shop that did something a bit goofier (won’t go into it) and they either shrugged or went with it.
Remember: A boss may not remember a kiss-up artist, or even a good one, but he will always remember somebody that crosses him.
Best wishes,
hh
FWIW, I would not give my SSN to a video rental store, or do business with one that demands it as a condition of membership. Isn’t it illegal to do so, anyway? They already have a copy of my ID, my credit card number, my phone number and address, and charge me a third or half the price for renting a DVD as it would cost to buy it at Target. What more do you want?
The clear and obvious solution to this is a) limit the amount of rentals, or b) require a substantial pre-auth or fully refundable deposit if your customer insists on renting more than the limit.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind at all if they checked my phone number, if I didn’t want you calling I wouldn’t have given it to you in the first place. I don’t see how it’s going to help, if I had swiped a bunch of movies and wanted to avoid you, I just wouldn’t answer your call.
If people can lie about anything else, they can lie about their SSN. Checking the phone number doesn’t seem like a big deal to me; if I give my phone number out, why would I get upset if someone actually uses it to call me?
The OP’s point about cell numbers is well taken, and gets to the heart of the matter: collecting more information on customers will not deter fraud as long as people can just make this stuff up. The owner of the business has a misunderstanding of his relationship to his customers.
What would work instead is some sort of limit on how many movies people can have. Public libraries have rules like this, usually for the same reason. Just institute a rule that no one can have more than three discs out at once until they’ve been a customer fvor at least a year. I suspect that would do more than collecting any amount of information on anyone.
I agree, don’t ask for the SSN. Maybe point out to the boss that it opens up risks for your business, also, since it is such confidential information.
The phone number is a pretty good idea. Does your company consider a cell phone a legitimate number to open an account with? I realize some people are going cell only now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t require further verification on the account of someone who is only a cell number to you. From experience, cell numbers are very very easy to change. Also, if you call the number while the customer is in the store, it turns out wonky (disconnected, their cell #, or obvious wrong number) you will know NOT to let that customer out the door with 10, or possibly any, videos. A reverse directory is also helpful for verifying numbers. If the name, address and number all match, then maybe you don’t need to call.
I don’t think most customers would have a problem with the credit card preauthorization, either. I know I’d be OK with it.
Surprisingly, no, although I thought the same thing. According to the Social Security Administration:
Which I read to mean that while you don’t have to give them your number, they don’t have to do business with you, either. I don’t think “refuses to give out social security number” is a protected class with which you must do business.
10 out? Why not limit initial video rentals to three out a time max for the first two weeks? The local blockbuster & hollywood video limit it to approx 6 and my credit is golden.
When I lived in Japan my video store wanted to know my blood group on my application form.
What about religion? I remember hearing about a certain Christian sect which refuses to have Social Security numbers because they think the numbers are the Mark of the Beast.
Now, it’s highly unlikely that one of these people would be out renting “sinful” Hollywood movies, but could someone make a claim of religious discrimination if they couldn’t do business for lack of a valid SSN?
That’s how the management keeps track of where there’s a matching kidney available if they need one. Be very careful if they ever offer you a free rental. It’s likely a movie which will put you into a hypnotic coma, and you’ll wake up in a tub of ice. It happened to a friend of a friend of mine, or so I read on the internet.
This is absolutely ridiculous.
The ONLY TIME taking SSNs could possibly benefit you is when a theif (you know, those people that have been giving you fake phone numbers and addresses?) actually gives you a CORRECT SSN. And then… what? How, exactly, does this help you? You already know the person’s driver’s license number and (presuming you LOOKED at the DL) real name. That’s plenty to uniquely identify an individual.
The rest of the time… gaaah, I don’t even want to think about it.
Say your thief gives you an incorrect SSN. Are you going to go tearing off to ruin the credit rating of whoever has social security number 123-45-5555? Why, I’m sure the real owner of that number won’t mind at all! And neither will his lawyer!
Or let’s say that you start collecting people’s SSNs, but theft is down at your store for whatever reason. You haven’t even tried to use an SSN to get someone. The policy is STILL going to cause a lot of danger for the store. Not just the inevitable lost, pissed-off customer kind. Take a look at this article, particularly the “REASSESSING RISK AND SECURITY FOR PERSONAL DATA” section. Are you prepared to do what they reccommend to protect yourself from data theft, and, hence, lawsuits? Are you going to encrypt sensitive customer data, keep a log of which employees access it and when, monitor it for unusual patterns, and run background checks on anyone who has access? Of course not, you’re a freaking video store.
Nope.
Well, wait. Of course such a person could sue, but they wouldn’t win. Religion is not, to the best of my knowledge and corroborated by this website, a protected class for business transactions, at least in some states. In Minnesota*, for example, it’s only a protected class for “Employment, Housing, Public Accommodations, Public Service, Education [and] Credit”
Classes protected for business are Race, Color, National Origin (so a business would have to accept some other ID number for a foreigner) Sex, Disibility and Sexual Orientation.
*Why did I pick Minnesota? 'Cause they have a pretty chart on their website and I’m too lazy to look for other cites.
So does that mean I could put up a sign in my business’s window which read: NO AMISH SERVED HERE?
I don’t like requiring, or even asking, for SSNs, for all the reasons above, especially the ID theft problems. I’d advise stricter enforcement of limits on the numbers of videos/games that a new customer can rent at the first time. Allowing two rentals for the first couple of times should be plenty, unless you get a pre-authorization on a credit card.
You might also want to circulate this woman’s appearance, name, and any other info you have on her to the other stores in your chain (if any) and local competitors. Sure, they’re your rivals, but they might have some info on her that you can use, and a good deed never goes unpunished.
You and/or your bosses should certainly follow any legal recourses you have, as long as they don’t cost too much. A visit to the scammer’s house might not be out of line…bring a list of the items that are overdue, and politely inquire if this is a good time to pick them up. Oh, and there’s late fees, does she want to settle those now, or come in later, or should you come back later? Be flexible on the late fees, as what you reallly want is the movies back, you don’t want her as a customer any more!
Finally, you should read the Acts of Gord, to laugh about the troubles of a guy running a video game store/rental.
IANAL, but that’s how I read it. If you live in Minnesota, anyway.
Uh…but what if it’s a black gay Amish guy in a wheelchair? :smack:
There’s a line in Blazing Saddles which comes to mind.
The only theory I could come up with is that they were collecting marketing data: there’s a strong folk belief there that different blood types are correlated with various personalities {somewhat similar to astrology, or the old idea of “humours”}: Type O’s are supposed to be extrovert and gregarious, etc. Perhaps someone out there was correlating blood groups with viewing preferences: “Hmmm, that’s the third time this month he’s rented Lesbian Air Hostesses In The Lock-Up. He must be an A.”
There’s a new Lesbian Air Hostesses movie out? Why wasn’t I informed?
I’ll echo what otthers have said:
- Use a reverse directory service to verfiy the number
- Asking for a SSN is icky
- limit rentals, esp for new people
- tales of Gord is a must read
Brian
Over-reacting to a single scam is foolish. That customer cost you what- 50$? If you institude the SSN policy you’ll lose dozens if not hundreds of new customers- and it won’t help a bit in that kind of scam- that scamster would have just given you a made up SSN- how are you gonna verfiy it?
The phone number thing isn’t a bad idea, however. It’s a good compromise.