Excessive DOB requests

Not looking for tinfoil hat flames here, but....

Anybody know whats up with all the big-box stores now wanting your id so they can enter your exact DOB into their computer for various purchases these days? Cabelas, Gander, Sportsmans, etc... Even high-end liquor stores are starting to do it. A little arithmetic shows there are almost 21000 different birthdays covering ages 18-75 which makes it a pretty good tag within their geographical area.

Should I expect Cabelas to inform me that my purchase is denied because my DOB has exceeded its allotment of ammo purchases for the month? What's the deal?

You are buying age-restricted products.

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Originally Posted by spqrzilla

You are buying age-restricted products.

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Occam's razor :)

When I was buying ammo at WM before the panic, the older clerks would often just put in there own birth date or something that satisfied the computer.

I rarely give my real exact birthdate when asked and nobody has ever asked to see my ID to confirm - but often ask for ID if over $50 only because my cards all say SEE PHOTO ID.

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Originally Posted by brutal

When I was buying ammo at WM before the panic, the older clerks would often just put in there own birth date or something that satisfied the computer.

I rarely give my real exact birthdate when asked and nobody has ever asked to see my ID to confirm - but often ask for ID if over $50 only because my cards all say SEE PHOTO ID.

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Likewise. Who gives anyone their real DOB. S/Soc ,don't even go there.

Ya, just got asked at Cabela's. Crazy how much 'they' want from us all nowadays.

FWIW. I went back to Cabelas to buy another small box of ammo and had my id ready. I told her I was happy to let her look at it even though I am clearly over 50, but I was not OK with her entering my exact DOB into the terminal when there was no regulation to do so. She told me Cabelas had just started doing this. Her exact words were... "It was some national security thing and she had to sit through a big brief and everything. Some people were getting mad and saying they wouldn't shop here anymore"...

Can anyone verify this, or is this just a young clerk's way of deflecting anger she has been subject to throughout the day?

It could be for several reasons.

The most likely are that 1) they got in trouble for selling age restricted products to people not old enough to purchase them and are now under the microscope so they don't take chances. 2) They collect your date of birth to send you promotional shit for your birthday. 3) Age demographics are a huge deal these days, many businesses track age and buying patterns to determine who and what to market to based on aged based buying habits.

BigDee. I agree with your assessment when it comes to the wine store I visit. They have a MANDATORY requirement to enter your DOB from your drivers license to allegedly protect them from underage liquor purchases. Every time I go there I have to call the manager over and tell him he can verify my id but if the clerk had to enter my PII into his terminal I would not be making this or any future purchases at his store. I am (usually) able to walk out with a $300+ bottle of wine or scotch and have my way.

The thing that creeped me out in this case was her volunteered RESPONSE......

You can not buy certain age restricted items without proof of age. However, the retailer has a variety of options to verify age. The request of your DOB is a liability deflector for the retailer and likely is a requirement of their insurance carrier. While not giving your actual date of birth is a good idea, lying about a purchase of a restricted item is not a good idea either. I tell them they can not enter my date of birth, but would they be able to enter January 1 of my birth year and be okay. So far, they have agreed that satisfies their requirement and avoids a potential issue.

The magnetic strip on my state issued ID does not work anymore either.

I may have spilled some brake parts cleaner on that spot. :)

April 1st, 1900

April 31st, 1988

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Originally Posted by XJ

April 1st, 1900

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You must do a lot of shopping on MySpace.

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Originally Posted by MarkCO

You can not buy certain age restricted items without proof of age. However, the retailer has a variety of options to verify age. The request of your DOB is a liability deflector for the retailer and likely is a requirement of their insurance carrier. While not giving your actual date of birth is a good idea, lying about a purchase of a restricted item is not a good idea either. I tell them they can not enter my date of birth, but would they be able to enter January 1 of my birth year and be okay. So far, they have agreed that satisfies their requirement and avoids a potential issue.

The magnetic strip on my state issued ID does not work anymore either.

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Great, now NSA is going to think those are all my purchases.

Do they read to you the Privacy Act of 1974 when they ask you for this information.... DOB is protected information.

They are required to provide you Why they are gathering this info, What they plan on doing with it, and Whom they intend (and if so) on releasing it to.

It is sad that Privacy even needed an ACT in the first place.

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Originally Posted by brutal

Great, now NSA is going to think those are all my purchases.

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Yeah, you buy some weird stuff!
[LOL]

Just give them Hillary Clinton's DOB, October 26, 1947. That will fulfill their requirements, and it puts a bulls-eye on someone else.

.........

I wanted to get a post in before this either got locked or Mr. Fred got banned.

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Originally Posted by us1911

BigDee. I agree with your assessment when it comes to the wine store I visit. They have a MANDATORY requirement to enter your DOB from your drivers license to allegedly protect them from underage liquor purchases. Every time I go there I have to call the manager over and tell him he can verify my id but if the clerk had to enter my PII into his terminal I would not be making this or any future purchases at his store. I am (usually) able to walk out with a $300+ bottle of wine or scotch and have my way.

The thing that creeped me out in this case was her volunteered RESPONSE......

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WOW!!! You buy 300 dollar bottles of wine?

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Originally Posted by Herman

WOW!!! You buy 300 dollar bottles of wine?

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No kidding. 18 year old Glenlivet runs about $95 or so IIRC so what's a $300 bottle of scotch, 35 years old?

I've been know to buy 300 bottles of $1 wine.

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Originally Posted by BigDee

Age demographics are a huge deal these days, many businesses track age and buying patterns to determine who and what to market to based on aged based buying habits.

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Yup, I know some of the stuff we do has to deal with age. I'm guessing (don't know for sure, since I don't do the analyst stuff) that older people tend to donate more to causes (political or charitable), so likely the older you are the higher you'd score in our models.

I absolutely despise the data mining effort that most retailers try to force on you during checkout. When I go to buy something and they start asking for information I simply tell them "No Thanks" and most of the time that works. When they don't accept that answer and push for my information I tell them that as soon as they give me their personal information I will give them mine. That usually results in an interesting interaction that goes like this....."I am sorry sir, but I need ABC123 info to complete the sale"..... Then I say "Ok, give me your personal information first". The clerk usually says "Why would I give you MY information?".... Then I say "Why do you feel it not appropriate to give your personal information to a stranger when you are asking me to do the same thing?". At that point 99% of the time they skip the info gathering portion of the sale and get it done with. I have had to stop the sale, return the merchandise and leave empty handed a couple of times.

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Originally Posted by KevDen2005

I wanted to get a post in before this either got locked or Mr. Fred got banned.

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You did well....



I wonder what you people do when a store asks for your zip code..... Does your heart start to race and your palms get sweaty because you fear the aliens might be tracking you so they can come probe you later?

Posted Via Glade Plug In.

What do you mean by you people?

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Originally Posted by KevDen2005

I wanted to get a post in before this either got locked or Mr. Fred got banned again.

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Fixed.

People get worried about this but sign up for apps that track how many steps you take, you input what you eat, how much you exercise, etc. All that stuff is being logged. Let alone all the stuff you "like" on Facebook or any other link you click on. It's nearly impossible to not be added to lists these days.

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Originally Posted by Dave_L

People get worried about this but sign up for apps that track how many steps you take, you input what you eat, how much you exercise, etc. All that stuff is being logged. Let alone all the stuff you "like" on Facebook or any other link you click on. It's nearly impossible to not be added to lists these days.

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Not to mention if any of you have used certain words here in any of your posts you are probably on somebody's watch list.

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Originally Posted by Aloha_Shooter

No kidding. 18 year old Glenlivet runs about $95 or so IIRC so what's a $300 bottle of scotch, 35 years old?

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Sorry, I must have hit 00 instead of 0.

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Originally Posted by us1911

Sorry, I must have hit 00 instead of 0.

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Must be posting from one of those fancy accounting calculators.

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Originally Posted by us1911

Sorry, I must have hit 00 instead of 0.

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Too bad. I'd like to taste a $300/bottle Scotch ...

So, the Macallan 18 my brother bought me was just north of 200. We finished it off a few weeks ago at dinner with a friend of my wife's. It was his first drink of single malt and didn't know what he was quaffing -- He enjoyed himself so I was OK with that. The Macallan 25 I've been eyeing to replace it with is in that ballpark. Opus 1 is a good special event wine.

Got to have something to look forward to...

BTW... Irving is the sharpest guy around....

I saw some of this in a liquor store in aspen. http://m.wine-searcher.com/find/tali...+skye+scotland

Was very tempted to taste it.


Sent from my iPhone

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Originally Posted by Irving

Must be posting from one of those fancy accounting calculators.

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oh holy s*** I hate people who use that key. and software that auto-transposes 2 decimal points.

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Originally Posted by Mr.Fred

You did well....



I wonder what you people do when a store asks for your zip code..... Does your heart start to race and your palms get sweaty because you fear the aliens might be tracking you so they can come probe you later?

Posted Via Glade Plug In.

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No, I just get annoyed because I don't want to talk to people. Just get the sale done so I can get on with my day, I don't care about you're life, I'm fine, and now you want my zip code. Hurry up.