FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Potential ID Theft or Am I Paranoid? Hotel collecting DL#.
Old Jan 12, 2023 | 6:52 pm
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The Road Goes On Forever
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Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic
Programs: Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 760
Originally Posted by aww3583
I've been fine with the enhanced measures surrounding CCs lately. For many years, all it took to check in was a last name and an affirmative answer to "Are we keeping everything on the CC on file?" In the past year, I've been asked to swipe/insert my CC on the counter kiosk more frequently and that's fine.

Today, I was checking into a hotel I've visited a dozen times in the past two years. Rather than a cursory glance at my ID, the agent kept it and began typing into her computer. She handed my ID back and I asked, out of curiosity, what she had to type in as I'd never had that happen before. She said "your address sir". I asked if that was a new process and she said "no, the address in our system didn't match the address on your ID". I told her I'd lived there for almost a decade and had no issues checking into a different hotel last night." She looked at me as if I was questioning her competence and said "I'm just doing what I'm told to do. You can call Hilton Honors if you have any questions." I asked her what address was shown in the computer and she said "I don't know. I've already typed over it."

I decided to let it go. We continued the check-in process and she handed me the pre-printed reservation to sign indicating I was aware of the smoking policy. On the printout was my correct address. I showed her and she said "Yes, I see that. I had to change the city and key in your drivers license number."

I said "Drivers license number? That's new." She said "I'm not trying anything funny. Do you want to come around and see my screen? I'm just doing my job."

Again, I let it go. No good would come from me inquiring further.

So... does Hilton collect drivers license numbers?

Could this be an acceptable policy for a privately owned franchise?

Is this worth an email to Hilton?
Hilton or Hilton Honors does not collect DL information nor have I ever seen anything from a training standpoint encouraging the collection of such material. What you experienced is very much a property/manager/shift/agent/etc. specific thing. Personally, I've only been asked for DL info twice when travelling in 20+ years with Marriott and now Hilton and both were at properties with limited parking situations so at the time they took make/model/plate/DL information and claimed to be tow happy if you broke their parking rules but I could understand it because of their parking capacity.

If the property is using OnQ, prior address/contact information can still be seen under the reservation history tab even if it has been typed over. If they are using the new PMS system PEP I have no idea as I haven't seen that yet but under OnQ the agent likely had no idea where to look, but it's there. Just like you could log into another terminal, put in the HH number and get the original address again that way.

In terms of is it acceptable, who knows? Desk agents are regularly thrown to the wolves by local management with little/no/incorrect training and by instituting "rules" and LSOPs that run counter to Hilton SOPs and if the agent doesn't follow said LSOP, Hilton won't care/step in when they get written up or terminated for doing what they were told. Does your experience sound right though? No.
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