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Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

forbes.com

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Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#41

Post by yardie »

galaktor wrote: post #20
signed0 wrote: post #7

When I worked in retail we asked everyone for their Zip code regardless of their payment method. We were told that it was so that the store could determine where their customers were coming from. Half the time we would just type in the store's Zip Code so that we didn't have to bother the customer. Gas stations on the other hand use Zip Codes as a way to prevent fraud. I've had my card rejected before by typing in th…

> Gas stations on the other hand use Zip Codes as a way to prevent fraud. This also locks out customers with a non-US address (e.g. tourists) which often don't even have a 5-digit zip code or store it differently so that the check will fail, arguably defeating the entire point of owning a credit card.

If it's any consolation most american tourists can't use their CCs in European gas stations (the automated pumps require a chip). And one attendant didn't even know how to swipe the card in the reader. Poor girl had to call her manager at his home.

Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#42

Post by lyso »

CaptainZapp wrote: post #36
ck2 wrote: post #13

If you ever need to return something they are entitled to your ID which has your entire address anyway. If they ever swipe your license on their mag scanner, it contains everything about you. Your state DMV sells your info to corporations for pennies, in fact sometimes under law it's required to.

If you ever need to return something they are entitled to your ID which has your entire address anyway. Says who? Or here's another scenario, which actually happened to me: I bought office supplies and one of the items bought was accidentally scanned twice. I noticed this after paying, but immediately complained. In order to refund my money for her mistake she insisted I provide my name and address. I lied. I very ob…

They do actually do this in the UK

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9994089/DVLA-made-10m...

This is how car parking companies get your home address from your number plate to write you threatening letters.

Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#43

Post by lancewiggs »

techtalsky wrote: post #8

I've actually suspected this for years and my simple and polite response is, "No, thanks." or "I don't give it out."

Same. And I've always been willing to walk away, and usually have a polite conversation with the check out person to help them understand why it is bad.

Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#44

Post by CaptainZapp »

lyso wrote: post #42
CaptainZapp wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you ever need to return something they are entitled to your ID which has your entire address anyway. Says who? Or here's another scenario, which actually happened to me: I bought office supplies and one of the items bought was accidentally scanned twice. I noticed this after paying, but immediately complained. In order to refund my money for her mistake she insisted I provide my name and address. I lied. I very ob…

They do actually do this in the UK http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9994089/DVLA-made-10m... This is how car parking companies get your home address from your number plate to write you threatening letters.

  The agency sold the details at a rate of around 50,000 a week, totalling 2.4 million in a year, to approved companies that give out parking fines and clamp cars.
Key here is probably "approved company". Even though: I admit it's a slippery slope.

If they just sell such information to any shyster that asks (and pays) for it there probably would be quite an uproar and it would almost certainly be counter to the EU data protection directive.

Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#45

Post by tetha »

This is a nice demonstration of the information explosion, which is the best reason for privacy concerns. You hand out your zip code, probably figuring that not much can be deducted from that and suddenly, they know your address, from there on they can get an idea about your income (think about rent), maybe about your general background and so on and so on. It's scary to think about it like that.

Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#46

Post by buro9 »

Nursie wrote: post #37

Had some 'fun' with this in the UK a while back. I needed a modem there and then so went to a high street electronics store. I got the empty box of the one I wanted down from the shelf, took it up front, paid and they went to get me a full box from the back. 10 minutes later and the assistant comes back. They have no modems. This is mildly annoying, but fine, so I asked for my money back, which is when they started d…

You can usually invent a post code that is valid.

All major post offices have a suffix of 1AA.

For the prefix, you can usually use the letters from your prefix but change the number to a 1 and if applicable any letters that follow the number to an A.

So if your postcode is WC2E 9AB then just give WC1A 1AA.

Voila, valid post code for the main post office in any area.

Edit: This is legacy, a lot of the 1AA post-codes were recycled in the 1960s when the post office underwent major re-structuring. It still works though.

Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#47

Post by Nursie »

buro9 wrote: post #46
Nursie wrote: post #37

Had some 'fun' with this in the UK a while back. I needed a modem there and then so went to a high street electronics store. I got the empty box of the one I wanted down from the shelf, took it up front, paid and they went to get me a full box from the back. 10 minutes later and the assistant comes back. They have no modems. This is mildly annoying, but fine, so I asked for my money back, which is when they started d…

You can usually invent a post code that is valid. All major post offices have a suffix of 1AA. For the prefix, you can usually use the letters from your prefix but change the number to a 1 and if applicable any letters that follow the number to an A. So if your postcode is WC2E 9AB then just give WC1A 1AA. Voila, valid post code for the main post office in any area. Edit: This is legacy, a lot of the 1AA post-codes w…

I eventually told the manager it was her problem and she should invent an address. She appeared to agree with me, pressed a couple of buttons and asked for the address again, so I made one up out of exasperation at the whole thing.

--edit-- thanks for the tip though, didn't know about that before.

Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#49

Post by darkspaten »

I'm unable to produce the research link, ATM, however I attended a presentation many years ago on the uniqueness value of this data. In the presentation the researchers demonstrated >80% confidence interval determining an exact individual from: (1) gender, (2) birth year, and (3) zip code. I recall the interval was for zip codes with the greatest population density, implying that more confidence was readily achievable in less populated zip codes.

Re: Never Give Stores Your Zip Code

#50

Post by ck2 »

CaptainZapp wrote: post #36
ck2 wrote: post #13

If you ever need to return something they are entitled to your ID which has your entire address anyway. If they ever swipe your license on their mag scanner, it contains everything about you. Your state DMV sells your info to corporations for pennies, in fact sometimes under law it's required to.

If you ever need to return something they are entitled to your ID which has your entire address anyway. Says who? Or here's another scenario, which actually happened to me: I bought office supplies and one of the items bought was accidentally scanned twice. I noticed this after paying, but immediately complained. In order to refund my money for her mistake she insisted I provide my name and address. I lied. I very ob…

Do you think I was unjustified to lie in such a situation?

In the US (may be state law and not federal) it is a felony to give a false name/address for returns.

The reason why is people steal stuff or buy it cheaper in one store and then go to another to return it for cash.

However most stores do not require name/address if you have the original receipt. Only for no receipt.

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