To their credit, Dollar responded to my letter in less than a week. To their detriment, it obviously is a form letter. Posted in its entirety:
(only my name changed)

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Dear Mr. Duxfan,

I am responding to your letter to Mr. Jim Senese, Vice President of Quality Assurance, objecting to Dollar's trial practice of requiring the thumbprints of customers as part of the rental process. Dollar has begun this procedure on a trial basis to help reduce the loss of its vehicle inventory due to theft and fraud. Ultimately, Dollar hopes this practice will significantly reduce its costs of doing business and result in lower prices for its customers. Other businesses use the same procedure for similar reasons with documented success.

With regard for any concern for privacy, Dollar shares a thumbprint with law enforcement agencies only in event of a fraudulent rental or theft of a vehicle. After the rental, the thumbprint is stored with other rental information, such as credit card information, for seven years and then destroyed. While stored the information is treated as confidential and is not shared with anyone.

I hope this letter addresses your concerns and you will consider becoming a Dollar customer again in the future.

Sincerely,

Shannon Beasley
Dollar Customer Center, Executive Desk

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I still object to a private company retaining my fingerprint for 7 years! I asked that Dollar delete my FastLane account, but apparently that will remain for 7 years as well.

Sorry Dollar, that dog just won't hunt! I guess instead of Dollar, I'll have to go for "Change"....

I still have the same response to Dollar which is a raised middle finger

I am a big believer in individual privacy, regarldless of "good intentions".

However, I feel that we are headed down an inevitable path. Soon I believe quite a bit of our daily lives are going to require a fingerprint or some other biometric ID. Soon, all credit cards will use them, probably similar stuff for ailine check ins, etc. I'd imagine that at some point, a biometric id will be added to one's credit file and thus will be included in just about everything anyone does.
Fraud is starting to effect quite a few industries including credit and insurance. To keep these things affordable, what else can they do?

I'm quite concerned about identity theft believe that it is FAR too easy of a crime to commit. We have to do something, but like you, I am nauseated at the idea of registering my fingerprint to conduct simple transactions.

IDEA-Credit Card company's should do more to verify a persons ID before issuing cards. Merchants should CHECK THE SIGNATURE at the time of transaction. This should be enough to show a merchant that you are who you say you are. The credit card should establish your "credit". THat's what it's for. However, they way they freely hand them out without verifying identity has led to problems.

(edited for stupid mistakes)

[This message has been edited by pointman (edited 12-17-2001).]

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what else can they do? they can stop making it so darn easy for anyone to get credit, for starters. the credit industry is hooked on loading consumers up with debt. for pete's sake the average american household has $8000 of revolving debt! why, because credit companies won't survive on paying customers. yet paying customers like myself are the exact ones who pay for the less credit worthy customers.

as for checking signatures, good luck. my CO chase visa has "Ask for ID" written in the signature box. Yet I don't get asked for it more than half the time. heck, the US post office told me that they wouldn't accept the card because of it, even tho i had my ID! the merchant bears no responsibility for verifing customer identity. instead of weeding out the bad customer, they want to punish the good customer.

i'm the traveller who flys 80000 miles a year, yet i'm the one getting my bags rifled thru. i'm not the one stealing rental cars, yet i have to leave a thumbprint. i pay off my credit card every month, yet i can't get any service when i need it. anybody outside of las vegas thinks i'm a drug dealer when i pay cash for anything over $20, it seems.

and now you are saying that i should expect and accept having to leave a DNA sample for even the simplest transactions? if leaving a thumbprint with a private company in order to rent a car isn't enough to make you draw a line in the sand, just what is?

Actually the Post Office is right. You are supposed to sign your card and then they are supposed to verify the signature. Check ID is not a valid signature. If there is not signature the merchant is supposed to ask for id and request you sign the card after verifying the signature. They are not supposed to ask for ID if the card is signed. If I am required to use a fingerprint or other biometric device to get my money then I will revert back to all cash.


[This message has been edited by SuperCat (edited 12-17-2001).]

Duxfan-
It sounds as if I may have been misunderstood. I was agreeing with you. My point was that if the card companies had tighter controls and the merchants simply LOOKED at the signatures, none of this stuff would be necessary. It was my observation that, like it or not, things are headed to less privacy and more "security" measures such as fingerprints.

Related Question if anyone knows the answer:

Can a merchant ask to see your driver license when you pay with a Credit Card, or does this violate the Merchant Agreement? I have been asked occasionally and find it very offensive for some reason. Like I said, I believe in privacy. Recently, I have been asked at Friday's resturant, Kay Jewlers, and now my local Blockbuster Video store has a sign stating they will now be checking ID's for all credit card transactions (although they have not yet asked me). An appliance store wanted my address and I just about went through the roof. What business is it of theirs? I would have walked out but my wife wanted the microwave so she made me cooperate. My understanding is that if they (the merchant) imprint the card, the sigs match and they receive an approval # from the card company, then the merchant will be paid, thus no risk to them. I laugh when they tell me, "It's for your protection." I tell them, "Ha, no it isn't! It's for yours and I'm offended that you are asking me for identity papers! I didn't drive here so why would I be carrying a driver license!"
Anyone know just exactly what they can demand when you want to pay via credit or charge card?...thanks

I'm a bad typist..

[This message has been edited by pointman (edited 12-17-2001).]

This varies, state to state. The credit card companies do not require other ID to be presented.

That 'hump' in the seat is not a patch in the upholstery.

It's an anal probe, designed to take yet another type of biometric reference.

pointman: good point!

From what I have been told (repeatedly), asking for ID violates the VISA and MASTERCARD Merchant Agreements, UNLESS the signatures clearly don't match. In the past, I have told numerous teenagers to shove it when asked for ID, telephone number, address, birth certificate, passport, etc., when using a credit card.

From what I understand, they can ask for ID, but they cannot write down any info from the ID on the credit card receipt.

duxfan -

If you present your credit card with a "ask for ID" note written on the signature line, I hope you also always present your ID at the same time.

Speed is the name of the game, and signing your credit card (like you're supposed to, per the cardmember agreement) and having the merchant check the signatures is the fastest way to go. There's nothing more annoying than waiting for someone to dig up ID when asked to use a credit card or (worse) check. Maybe I'm a little impatient, but in NYC, speed is the name of the game.

Besides, I think a signature is more secure anyway. Unless you're a forgery artist, it's tough to make your signature look like someone else's. ID on the other hand is really easy to come by. Just look at the thousands of kids who buy alcohol or get into clubs every night with fake IDs.

d

1. How hard is it to make photocards? Citibank used to have this and apparently, the fraud reduced significantly.

2. Yeah, try Radioshack. They want my address and phone number for a $5 Engergizer purchase. I refused and they said it's for warranty purpose.... Warranty for what, disposable battery? These store clerks have no brain, they don't even have a common sense any more.

Just as a follow up point to my previous post:
None of the merchants that asked for my ID ever did look at the signature on my sales slip and compare it to the card, as they are supposed to do. In fact, the request for ID was before I even signed anything. It was basically just SOP.

Even if everyone thought this fingerprinting to be a swell idea, do we really believe that rates will go DOWN???

ROFLMAO !!!