Hotel Check-in

Captain

Captain

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I stay in a ton of hotels and this has never before been an issue. But I recently stayed at a hotel that insisted they needed to enter my home address off my drivers license into the computer at check in.

Normally they just want to see the license, I assume to confirm the credit card I'm using is mine. On the rare occasions where they want an address I just give them the company address and it's fine.

But this particular hotel insisted they had to enter what was on my license. I'm not a fan of leaving my actual address all across the planet at random hotels I stay at. Not so much for security reasons but I figure they want the address to then mail me marketing crap, which I don't want.

I guarantee the person checking me in wouldn't want me copying down their home address. Because I'm a customer should I not have the same expectation?

So what do you all think? Am I being unreasonable?
 
And yet you are all for all the rest of us having to put all of our private information on healthcare.gov for all to see.

But other than that, I agree with you. I might have just said forget it and gone to another hotel.
 
Isn't your home address on your hotel rewards account? Or do you use some other address.
 
I don't think it's beyond the realm of reason. If for some reason they needed to get in touch with you they'd have an address. Here's a perfect example. I had forgotten my cell phone charger one time, and knowing how often people leave things behind, I went to the front desk to see if they had a spare I could borrow. The girl pulled out a huge box full of cell phones and cords and let me look for one that would work. I asked what they were going to do with all the cell phones and she said that they had no way of getting ahold of these people and that every few months they just threw them out.
 
Captain said:
Normally they just want to see the license, I assume to confirm the credit card I'm using is mine.
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As I've seen them ask that even for cash customers, I suspect it's more to make sure you are who you say you are than to confirm the credit card. For lots of reasons, reputable hotels don't like people staying under false names. That said, I've never had a hotel not be satisfied with my company address for the record when I'm staying on business. If I were you, I'd contact the hotel's corporate HQ office and make your point with them.
 
Gerhardt, trust me, if you leave something behind at a hotel, it's G O N E.

They will not bother to find you, no matter how much information you leave. If it's crap, they'll throw it away. If it's useful, they'll keep it.
 
Very well may be for their credit card processing fees. Merchants get different rates based on their level of "risk" when accepting cards. Those that just manually punch in a number pay the highest rates...if you can swipe, enter in zip code, name, AND street number and the system verifies them all, that can reduce their percentage rate being a lower risk factor of fraud. Every merchant and merchant account is different.
 
MAKG1 said:
Gerhardt, trust me, if you leave something behind at a hotel, it's G O N E.

They will not bother to find you, no matter how much information you leave. If it's crap, they'll throw it away. If it's useful, they'll keep it.
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Trust but verify.

A co-worker of mine left his iPad at a hotel in Prague a couple of weeks ago. It showed up at his house this week with a note from the manager letting him know they found it in the room. He had not even noticed he left it behind.
 
In a word, "no". I will say this:

Two times now I've had my identity stolen when the front desk clerk copied information off my driver license. One of the two times caused me a great deal of grief over 8 years (thanks to collection agencies chasing bad debt created by the thieves on behalf of Nynex aka NY Telephone). And it cost AmEx and/or the merchants something on the order of $25,000.

I won't let them copy DL information, and I've demanded a manager when they tried to refuse a US Passport Card. And these are franchises of hotel chains where I have elite status. One even tried to claim it was "city law" - I looked it up on my smartphone while standing there & the statute read "cash customers must be verified with and ID. Valid credit cards that are authorized by the issuer need not be verified". Neither clause required them writing down a DL number. When confronted with the facts, they walked me.

I have minimal issues with them verifying name, etc, against the records from my guest reward program. I have a real problem with them copying ID numbers and other personal data. It's based on personal experience & most managers "get it" when I explain.
 
MAKG1 said:
Gerhardt, trust me, if you leave something behind at a hotel, it's G O N E.

They will not bother to find you, no matter how much information you leave. If it's crap, they'll throw it away. If it's useful, they'll keep it.
Click to expand...

My ex-wife once left a wallet in a room (Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, if I remember right). The maid found it and they called. All the money was still in it. There are still a few honest people left. YMMV
 
US passport. No home address on it. Also cannot be denied as acceptable ID. If they want a home address, I usually give 1060 West Addison Street, Chicago, IL (Wrigley field).
 
Everskyward said:
Isn't your home address on your hotel rewards account? Or do you use some other address.
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This hotel was an off brand hotel with either no rewards program or one I don't use. I do see your point though...the chains with programs I do give my home address to. But at least in that case I'm getting something...points and free stays.


docmirror said:
US passport. No home address on it. Also cannot be denied as acceptable ID. If they want a home address, I usually give 1060 West Addison Street, Chicago, IL (Wrigley field).
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That's a great idea. Didn't think of it and I had my passport right there in my shirt pocket too. Oh well.
 
I have other state issued (CPL) photo ID that I use. Driver's license number is only for the cops.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Good idea....
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I had a Pakistani gentleman in a hotel in Neb complain; 'no, I need drivers license'. 'I came on the bus'. 'Bus not stop here'. 'I got a hitchhike from the bus depot'. 'What is "a hitchhike"?' 'Stick my thumb out on the road, and driver stops to pick me up.' 'How much it cost?' 'free'. 'No, I need drivers license'. 'sorry, cancel my reservation, and put the credit on my card'. 'No, you stay, you need drivers license'. 'I am not driving'. 'You have to show ID to check in here.' (I point to my passport, get out my AMEX plat card) 'Cancel my room, give me a credit and I will go across the street to Fairfield inn'. 'OK, you can stay this time, but need ID next time'.

I gave him the Chicago IL address and he says 'Illinois, you know Obama from there?' what a tool....:rolleyes2:
 
MAKG1 said:
Gerhardt, trust me, if you leave something behind at a hotel, it's G O N E.

They will not bother to find you, no matter how much information you leave. If it's crap, they'll throw it away. If it's useful, they'll keep it.
Click to expand...
I was fortunate enough to have a $1,200 watch returned to me from a hotel near SeaTac. I sent a profuse basket of thanks to all staff people, wrote letters several steps up the ladder from everyone involved thanking them.
 
I wouldn't do it. In some states, its illegal also, as the information must be destroyed or obfuscated as soon as the rep is no longer using it.

Tell them "No, you cannot copy my personally identifiable information, you may only review it for accuracy." If they persist, walk. They're not doing it for any reason that will lead to good things.
 
docmirror said:
US passport. No home address on it. Also cannot be denied as acceptable ID. If they want a home address, I usually give 1060 West Addison Street, Chicago, IL (Wrigley field).
Click to expand...

I seriously wonder how much junk mail gets sent to that address.
 
At the hotels where we stay it is routine: They don't copy info from the drivers license. They simply photocopy the driver's license.

A lot of airports do that when I pick up a courtesy car, too.

But really, there is no reason to make a big deal out of them photocopying a driver's license. The information is readily available anyway -- it's on that strip on your Credit Card.
 
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I walked from a military check point trying to get a term pass to check on a project we have going on on the base last week because the guard asked me to "jot my social security number down on a sticky note" during the vetting process...the procedure is to type it into the keypad and it then gets processed through the NCIC...

I had him repeat himself (he did) and then I told him. "thanks but no thanks"...

Didn't get on the base but I also didn't get hosed by this information getting out either...
 
Kelvin said:
I walked from a military check point trying to get a term pass to check on a project we have going on on the base last week because the guard asked me to "jot my social security number down on a sticky note" during the vetting process...the procedure is to type it into the keypad and it then gets processed through the NCIC...

I had him repeat himself (he did) and then I told him. "thanks but no thanks"...

Didn't get on the base but I also didn't get hosed by this information getting out either...
Click to expand...

When I go on to the military base here they ask for that information. Sometimes they want it written down because it's freaking loud in the guard building. However, they have a shedder that they use in front of you.

I had a TSA guy ask for my DL when I was being shown the baggage screening machines. I politely said "you can plainly see my SIDA badge or you can call OPS but I do not need to show you my DL." :nono: It didn't occur to him I had to pass through at LEAST two security doors.
 
ARFlyer said:
When I go on to the military base here they ask for that information. Sometimes they want it written down because it's freaking loud in the guard building. However, they have a shedder that they use in front of you.

I had a TSA guy ask for my DL when I was being shown the baggage screening machines. I politely said "you can plainly see my SIDA badge or you can call OPS but I do not need to show you my DL." :nono: It didn't occur to him I had to pass through at LEAST two security doors.
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1)The procedure is to key it in yourself on a keypad...
2) It was 10:00 p.m. It was me and three guards in the facility.

I declined and would decline again.
 
Kelvin said:
1)The procedure is to key it in yourself on a keypad...
2) It was 10:00 p.m. It was me and three guards in the facility.

I declined and would decline again.
Click to expand...

I completely agree! Most of my visits have been midday on a weekend. So everyone and their mother is trying to get on base.
 
Just tell the desk clerk that you moved. . .. that'll confuse them.
 
comanchepilot said:
Just tell the desk clerk that you moved. . .. that'll confuse them.
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That I actually did think of. I told her the address is old and no longer valid. She said that didn't matter and her job was to enter whatever address was on my license.

Really weird check in.
 
tinerj said:
At the hotels where we stay it is routine: They don't copy info from the drivers license. They simply photocopy the driver's license.

A lot of airports do that when I pick up a courtesy car, too.

But really, there is no reason to make a big deal out of them photocopying a driver's license. The information is readily available anyway -- it's on that strip on your Credit Card.
Click to expand...

No its not. I have swiped a credit card into a text reader. It contains 3 pieces of information - the CC #, the expiration date, and the CVV. Interestingly enough, in some cases, the only thing that identifies that it was swiped vs. typed in is the format in which the credit card is read, and what delimiter is used.
 
SkyHog said:
No its not. I have swiped a credit card into a text reader. It contains 3 pieces of information - the CC #, the expiration date, and the CVV. Interestingly enough, in some cases, the only thing that identifies that it was swiped vs. typed in is the format in which the credit card is read, and what delimiter is used.
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I suspect you remember incorrectly Nick. I absolutely assure you that the CVV is not part of the swipe data, as that would defeat the ENTIRE purpose of the CVV. The only place the CVV exists is on the actual card (not part of the swipe). Merchants are not to store the CVV after the card has been authorized.

The data is as indicated in this pdf
http://www.magtek.com/documentation/public/99800004-1.08.pdf
 
jesse said:
I suspect you remember incorrectly Nick. I absolutely assure you that the CVV is not part of the swipe data, as that would defeat the ENTIRE purpose of the CVV. The only place the CVV exists is on the actual card (not part of the swipe). Merchants are not to store the CVV after the card has been authorized.

The data is as indicated in this pdf
http://www.magtek.com/documentation/public/99800004-1.08.pdf
Click to expand...

In that PDF it lists the CVV under discretionary data for both track 1 and track 2 of the magnetic strip.
 
Hopefully soon US follows the rest of the world and starts using chip and pin for credit cards as well...
 
tinerj said:
At the hotels where we stay it is routine: They don't copy info from the drivers license. They simply photocopy the driver's license.

A lot of airports do that when I pick up a courtesy car, too.

But really, there is no reason to make a big deal out of them photocopying a driver's license. The information is readily available anyway -- it's on that strip on your Credit Card.
Click to expand...

Really bad practice to let them photocopy driver licenses. You are truly at risk of identity theft.

The information on a DL is certainly *NOT* on your credit card mag stripe. ID number, DOB, address, photo - enough to create a very viable fake ID and open credit accounts. SSNs can be had externally given all the other info.

In some non-US countries the law requires that they retain copies of a passport. That I will allow in countires where it's required, even though there is some risk that a fake document will be created.
 
jesse said:
I suspect you remember incorrectly Nick. I absolutely assure you that the CVV is not part of the swipe data, as that would defeat the ENTIRE purpose of the CVV. The only place the CVV exists is on the actual card (not part of the swipe). Merchants are not to store the CVV after the card has been authorized.

The data is as indicated in this pdf
http://www.magtek.com/documentation/public/99800004-1.08.pdf
Click to expand...

Jesse...no offense, but did you read the attachment you posted? It has the CVV listed as "discretionary data." Also, I forgot that the name was there too.

I remember, when I worked for Autozone, if a credit card would not swipe, you had to type it in and have a manager approve.

I figured out that if you typed it into the computer exactly as it would have been read, it didn't require manager approval and it was processed as a swipe. It was easy to figure out - one day, one of the registers crashed, and was accepting keystrokes but nothing else. So I swiped my own card and it outputted on the screen exactly what it read.

Nifty.
 
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