Excessive DOB requests

[us1911]

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?

[spqrzilla]

You are buying age-restricted products.

[th3w01f]

You are buying age-restricted products.

Occam's razor

[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.

[Great-Kazoo]

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.

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

[Hound]

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

[us1911]

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?

[BigDee]

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.

[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......

[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.