Forum Moderators: buckworks
How much information is enough?
Habtom
Bottom line: they don't need that information. I believe in many cases they obtain it to compile contact lists whether for their use or to sell. any more, when a company wants unrelated information for a purchase, I go some place else.
Marshall
[webmasterworld.com...]
Similar thread ...
[webmasterworld.com...]Yes, the other thread is more of why customers are asked to be registered. But this thread is to get an idea what questions are really important while registering/or collecting information from a customer.
Habtom
I remember when Radio Shack always insisted on getting your full information
Radio Shack used to ask for a phone number when making any purchase, even a cash one. Then they stopped that. Later started again. Don't think I've been asked for my number in recent years.
Years ago I refused to give a RS employee my telephone number for a tiny credit card purchase. He then demanded to see my driver's license because he said my refusal was an indication of fraud!
I owned a store in the same mall.
Must say that the officious jerk was going way beyond RS policies.
---------------
Kohl's is another company that will break your legs if you don't spill the info they demand (in their stores). "What if I don't drive, or what if I walked to the store?," I've asked when they insist on seeing a drivers license for a small credit card purchase.
I need Radio Shack...don't need Kohls for my lifestyle.
You should always refuse to show ID. If they then refuse your purchase you can report them to VISA or Mastercard for violating their merchant agreement.
They can ask for ID but merchants cannot make an ID a condition of credit card acceptance. Bottom of page 29 of Visa's Card Acceptance and Chargeback Guidelines PDF.
Mastercard has an online merchant violations form (Merchant asked for ID is one of the checkboxes) and Visa has a number to call.
Mastercard has an online merchant violations form (Merchant asked for ID is one of the checkboxes) and Visa has a number to call
I spoke to a HQ security person (he sounded around 20) who said they don't ALWAYS ask for ID... which is MORE of an insult. Guess the $50 purchase I was putting into my year-old Infiniti set off alarms! And about the only crime people my age commit is taking home food from buffet restaurants.
You always get the idiotic line "we're doing this to protect our customers." The card owner is fully protected if his card is stolen. When I know I'm me, how does this frisking protect me? :) Generally the merchant is 100% protected too.
Dumbest thing is Kohl's time wasted asking for IDs on small transactions that have nearly zero chance of being fraudulent. Jeesh!
Do you really need . . .
fax number, company name, company phone,
Should all be optional, but we have many orders sent to place of work (in the "decorative" part of our products)
home phone
you would not believe how important this is. Last week we had a customer enter their email address as the shipping address. Obviously we had to call them.
date of birth
This is just marketing stuff, I presume, I agree totally.
if it is a B2B, or a wholesale order, I could see how a company would want a company name and a fax
Always refuse date of birth - just tell them you are over the legal age. Don't see how they can require that
I try to be very protective of my personal data being offered and accumulated. I tend to make cash purchases as that eliminates a lot of the data gathering. I decline offers from grocery stores for their so-called "discount" customer cards. I seldom write checks.
With that said, I recently started asking for more information from customers on one of my sites where I sell information - access to content in other words. I had followed the theory that the less information you request the more likely people are to sign up/purchase.
But I kept noticing my content being copied and appearing on other sites. I changed my process to collect more information and wouldn't process the order unless the information was complete.
That seems to have cut down on the data theft, maybe people are reluctant to steal after providing their personal data? It may have cost me a few orders, it's hard to tell with other variables involved, but I'm content with the end result.
I don't go overboard and ask for fax, date of birth, etc., but I do now ask for more than just a name and email address.
FarmBoy
..You should always refuse to show ID. If they then refuse your purchase you can report them to VISA or Mastercard for violating their merchant agreement...
Yes, heaven forbid that merchants try to slow down CC frauds, which VISA and Mastercard will do NOTHING about but chargeback to the merchant.
