Credit card signatures

[seigus]

Ther are a lot of threads here regarding customers who don't sign their credit cards. I found this article on The Straight Dope's website today, and thought it might be of interest.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...r-credit-cards

[fireheart]

That is very thoughtful. Now if I can print that out and shove it at my regular customer, otherwise known as Mr. I-Don't-Sign-My-Credit-Card-Because-It's-Not-From-This-Country, then I'll be really happy. The idiot thinks that because it's not from Australia, then it's OK not to sign it (he does show ID though, but even that looks fake)

[draggar]

I don't sign the back of my cards but I do write on the back, in black sharpie, "CHECK ID".

I rarely get askked for ID.

[Fenrus]

I do both... I sign my card in pen, then in sharpie over the signature I write "SEE ID"

I get ID'd quite a bit, actually...

[Boozy]

Get a load of this dolt (quoted in the article):

The other day I read a report claiming we shouldn't sign the back of our credit cards so we'll be forced to show our driver's licenses when we use them. That's suppose to protect us in case a card is stolen.

Apparently thieves are unable to operate a pen.

[draggar]

Get a load of this dolt (quoted in the article):

The other day I read a report claiming we shouldn't sign the back of our credit cards so we'll be forced to show our driver's licenses when we use them. That's suppose to protect us in case a card is stolen.

Apparently thieves are unable to operate a pen.

That is EXACTLY why I write "CHECK ID" with a sharpie on the back.

I mainly do it to see who actually asks for ID. I've seen people hold my signature up to the card and hand me back my card (obviously they didn't even looked). When I took credit card payments (when I worked at Staples) I *always* checked the signature and if there was a slight discrepancy, I asked for ID. I very rarely got any grief and I just explained to them that would they rather have me check their legitimate ID or not check the ID of someone who stole their card?

[One-Fang]

Just curious, did you actually read the article? Cos just writing "See ID" with no signature is not only a bad idea, it actually means your card is invalid.

[draggar]

Just curious, did you actually read the article? Cos just writing "See ID" with no signature is not only a bad idea, it actually means your card is invalid.

Yes I did and I completely disagree with it. My wife's purse was stolen and even though she did sign the back of the card the person who stole it was able to rack up several thousand worth of charges in less then an hour.

No one checked the signatures or the ID. Obviously her signature being on the back did jack to prevent anything.

If someone has a stolen credit card, they'll want ot use it right away before they can get a fake ID or else it will be a worthless bookmark.

Most people I hand my card to act like they're looking at the back but never check or else I'd be asked for my ID a lot more often. Maybe I should start calling out places that don't ask to check my ID when they ask to check my card. IMO this is proof that the retailers don't care about consumer protection, they just care about making the sale (but don't they realize that they lose the $$$ when the charges are reversed??)

[One-Fang]

Okay ... I get that your wife wasn't protected by signing her card, but signing it isn't about protection. It's about showing your agreement to the credit card contract, and your card (apparently) actually states on it "invalid unless signed".

Besides, if you don't sign it and I steal it, all I have to do is sign it. I can claim that "see ID" was old, and since the signature matches this other ID I have right here, it's okay. Most stores wouldn't bat an eyelid.

What it appears like at the moment, is that you are saying since the stores don't check it properly anyway, there's no point in signing it. To me that seems a bit like saying ... um what's a valid analogy here ...? Like saying that since most horses can jump over your four foot fence that you have up, you might as well leave the gate open. True, most horses can. But those that can't would've been stopped by the gate if you hadn't opened it.