Re: My experience at Cingular today...

Dennis Ferguson wrote:
On 2007-07-05, Jer <gdunn@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Bert Hyman wrote:
aqdf@xxxxxxx (d) wrote in
news:468c9075$0$14988$4c368faf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

At any rate I just wanted to pass this along. I'm sure this is
probably common place for most carriers but where does invasion of
privacy end? I'm sure this will fly right over the head of some.
It certainly is common, and not unlike many other situations where
you're receiving what's essentially unsecured credit.

The requirement to provide your mother's maiden name is ostensibly to
protect you, since they use it as a way to verify your identity when
you call to make changes to your account. If it freaks you out, you
could certainly provide anything that sounds like a name, so long as
you can remember it later.


In this case, the SSN and DL# are totally irrelevant and should be refused without discussion. For the rest, I lie like a rug.

Actually the SSN is required for them to do a credit check (and for
them to report to the credit agencies if you stiff them for a bill).
I'd be surprised if they'd grant you unsecured credit without doing a
credit check; without it I'd normally expect them to demand a deposit
for post-paid service, and to decline to enable international long
distance and roaming on the account to limit their exposure to
late-arriving real-currency charges to your account.

They want your driver's license to try to reduce identity fraud, where
you claim to be someone else whose address and SSN you somehow have
knowledge of (or, at least, they want it so they can argue it really
was you if you later claim identity fraud). I have no idea what they
do if you don't produce one.

On the other hand if you can really get unrestricted, post-paid service
from them without providing this and while lying about everything else,
that's a good deal if you can get it. Most people can't.

Dennis Ferguson


Having read all the posts here about the SSN being inextricably tied to credit histories, I think it's time for full disclosure...

Apparently, my perspective is more dated than I supposed - I've never had a loan nor credit card. I still use cash and never had any problems with it. I have an SSN tied to banks, taxes, and retirement issues. If ID is required, one of my passports has been sufficient. When I got my cell phone, my passport was sufficient, and the account is post paid via e-billing.

As I said, if anyone wants to know my name, they better have a legal need to know it if they want to hear the truth.

--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: My experience at Cingular today...
    ... It certainly is common, and not unlike many other situations where ... you're receiving what's essentially unsecured credit. ... you call to make changes to your account. ... the SSN and DL# are totally irrelevant and should be ...
    (alt.cellular.cingular)
  • Re: Mystery accounts on credit report
    ... I expect that with the name of the creditor, the portion of the account ... and your name & SSN; you can easily contact the creditor ... This is a credit report ...
    (misc.consumers)
  • Re: SSN and drivers license required for data card?
    ... Fine, ask for the last four digits of the SSN, or the account password. ... An SSN isn't strictly required to do a credit check, ... I'd grab the manager and have the sales rep attempt to ask for the SSN again, ...
    (alt.cellular.verizon)
  • Re: SSN and drivers license required for data card?
    ... The SSN number is used if the account has to be turned over to a collection ... A cellphone is basically a credit card you talk into. ... Giving them your SSN is a small price to pay if you want a phone... ... >> They can refuse also refuse you service just as easily. ...
    (alt.cellular.verizon)
  • Re: Anyone getting an iPhone read this
    ... They need your SSN, to activate a phone? ... That's pretty common here. ... Typically they run a credit check to make sure ... you haven't bailed out on other phone companies. ...
    (alt.2600)
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