UA survey asks for my birthdate!?
Sep 13, 2014, 1:33 pm
#1
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Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
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UA survey asks for my birthdate!?
I got an e-mail from United asking "my opinion" and wanting me to respond to a survey. Usually I just ignore this but for reasons I still don't understand I clicked to take the survey.
First question: "Before you start, what is your birthday? (Month, year)"
Are they out of their minds? Is anyone stupid enough to give this information on an Internet survey? I didn't go to question 2, which I assume was "What is your mother's maiden name?" followed by "what is the last 4 digits of your SSN?"
First question: "Before you start, what is your birthday? (Month, year)"
Are they out of their minds? Is anyone stupid enough to give this information on an Internet survey? I didn't go to question 2, which I assume was "What is your mother's maiden name?" followed by "what is the last 4 digits of your SSN?"
Sep 13, 2014, 1:35 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
I got an e-mail from United asking "my opinion" and wanting me to respond to a survey. Usually I just ignore this but for reasons I still don't understand I clicked to take the survey.
First question: "Before you start, what is your birthday? (Month, year)"
Are they out of their minds? Is anyone stupid enough to give this information on an Internet survey? I didn't go to question 2, which I assume was "What is your mother's maiden name?" followed by "what is the last 4 digits of your SSN?"
First question: "Before you start, what is your birthday? (Month, year)"
Are they out of their minds? Is anyone stupid enough to give this information on an Internet survey? I didn't go to question 2, which I assume was "What is your mother's maiden name?" followed by "what is the last 4 digits of your SSN?"
Sep 13, 2014, 2:44 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
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Posts: 2,306
And more to the point, UA already knows my birthday! I gave it to them when I entered my passport information and -- gasp -- credit card info on their website. While the threats of hacking and identity theft are real -- along with millions of others, I got burned by the Target breach in 2013 -- the reality is that they are rare.
Sep 13, 2014, 2:50 pm
#5
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
So, to expand to the OP.
How could you possibly know if the survey was stupid or what the questions were going to be if you didn't even make it past the 1st thing asking you month and year of birth?
How could you possibly know if the survey was stupid or what the questions were going to be if you didn't even make it past the 1st thing asking you month and year of birth?
Sep 13, 2014, 3:05 pm
#6
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It's likely a dynamic survey that asks different questions based on your answers.
If you're under 21, for example, it may not ask about alcohol on board.
If you're under 21, for example, it may not ask about alcohol on board.
Sep 13, 2014, 7:22 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,417
I got an e-mail from United asking "my opinion" and wanting me to respond to a survey. Usually I just ignore this but for reasons I still don't understand I clicked to take the survey.
First question: "Before you start, what is your birthday? (Month, year)"
Are they out of their minds? Is anyone stupid enough to give this information on an Internet survey? I didn't go to question 2, which I assume was "What is your mother's maiden name?" followed by "what is the last 4 digits of your SSN?"
First question: "Before you start, what is your birthday? (Month, year)"
Are they out of their minds? Is anyone stupid enough to give this information on an Internet survey? I didn't go to question 2, which I assume was "What is your mother's maiden name?" followed by "what is the last 4 digits of your SSN?"
Sep 13, 2014, 9:00 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
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Posts: 7,058
Now I'm wondering what Baskin Robbins has done with all my info because as a kid they knew my BD & would send me a coupon for a free scoop.
Sep 13, 2014, 9:50 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego
Programs: Star, Oneworld, Skymiles, SPG
Posts: 243
You're clearly a privacy-savvy individual, but to sneer that every person who takes such a survey is "stupid" is simply grandstanding. Your birth month and year aren't remotely personally identifiable. Honestly, what would make you think they were?
And more to the point, UA already knows my birthday! I gave it to them when I entered my passport information and -- gasp -- credit card info on their website. While the threats of hacking and identity theft are real -- along with millions of others, I got burned by the Target breach in 2013 -- the reality is that they are rare.
And more to the point, UA already knows my birthday! I gave it to them when I entered my passport information and -- gasp -- credit card info on their website. While the threats of hacking and identity theft are real -- along with millions of others, I got burned by the Target breach in 2013 -- the reality is that they are rare.
I am waiting to be burned by the Home Depot breach. I shop there at least twice a week and always use a credit/debit card.
Sep 13, 2014, 11:44 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 924
Originally Posted by eghansen:23522487
You're clearly a privacy-savvy individual, but to sneer that every person who takes such a survey is "stupid" is simply grandstanding. Your birth month and year aren't remotely personally identifiable. Honestly, what would make you think they were?
And more to the point, UA already knows my birthday! I gave it to them when I entered my passport information and -- gasp -- credit card info on their website. While the threats of hacking and identity theft are real -- along with millions of others, I got burned by the Target breach in 2013 -- the reality is that they are rare.
And more to the point, UA already knows my birthday! I gave it to them when I entered my passport information and -- gasp -- credit card info on their website. While the threats of hacking and identity theft are real -- along with millions of others, I got burned by the Target breach in 2013 -- the reality is that they are rare.
I am waiting to be burned by the Home Depot breach. I shop there at least twice a week and always use a credit/debit card.
Sep 14, 2014, 12:34 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
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Posts: 8,162
Remember, UA already has this information (including day) - it's part of the secure flight data.
Sep 14, 2014, 2:17 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
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Posts: 2,306
Face it. They know everything about you - your address, telephone number, email address, credit cards (if you book on united.com), everywhere you have traveled in the last 5 years (at least on United), passport information. Most of the time, they know whether you have a wife or children, MP Chase credit card... it just goes on and on.
While high-profile identity thefts are no fun, the reality is that they are rare. Once the US switches to chip and PIN technology, credit card fraud will most likely drop by an order of magnitude, as it has elsewhere.