Originally Posted by
T8191
Has anyone else encountered this sort of process?
Yes, and I booked elsewhere.
I was trying to book the Premier Classe train between Johannesburg and Cape Town. At the time, there were not many opportunities online, and they required scans of passport, both sides of credit card, alongside address, phone number etc. All the information needed for identity theft.
I checked my contacts for advice and was recommended a local (CT) agent who delivered. I think it's easier now.
BTW, you mention AmEx. The procedure you describe is not limited to AmEx, I've also had it with Visa and MC.
If you book City Lodge group hotels in advance, they take the whole payment in advance even for cancellable refundable rates. Show your credit card at a City Lodge group hotel, they'll probably write down - manually - card info including the 3-digit security code otherwise needed for 'card not present' transactions. I saw this happening once at CT, protested and they said they wouldn't retain the info. (Too late, I think.) Because of this, I now rarely stay at City Lodge group hotels.
The 'required by law' nonsense is simply b*ll*cks. If it were true, they'd all try it on.
