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SSN Required To Buy Palm Pre
UltraOne writes "Sprint requires your Social Security number in order to run a credit check before they will allow you to open an account, according to a store manager in Silver Spring, MD. Since Sprint is the exclusive carrier for the Palm Pre, if you are not willing to provide an SSN, you can't buy this product.
I believe a full credit check for this level of consumer purchase is a clear example of overkill. I have supplied an SSN when buying a house and renting an apartment, but never for any other consumer purchase. I have purchased my cars with cash so far, so I don't have first-hand experience, but a car loan also seems to be an appropriate place to require an SSN for a credit check. At the very least, Sprint should have an alternative for people who don't want to give out their SSN. I also found the entire experience a powerful argument against exclusive license agreements." Read below for details of this reader's experience.
I was eager to purchase the Palm Pre to replace my aging Zire 72s, and also consolidate my PDA and mobile phone into a single device. Since reviews have generally been positive, I headed to my local Sprint store (8501 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD). My current mobile carrier is Verizon, so I also needed to set up service with Sprint.
The store had the Pre in stock, and the sale proceeded smoothly until the sales associate asked me for my Social Security number. He had already verified my identity with a driver's license. When I asked why the SSN was needed, he said it was to run a credit check. I offered a credit card instead, but he said that the SSN was required.
I asked to speak to the manager, who was a pleasant young woman, but not able to resolve the problem. She confirmed that Sprint required the SSN to run a credit check (through a credit bureau) before opening an account. I told her that I understood Sprint had an interest in making sure that I could pay for the service (I was planning to get the $70/month Everything Data 450 plan), but that I was concerned about identity theft and privacy. I offered several other options, including a check on my credit card limit, which is an order of magnitude greater than the combined price of the phone and two-year contract; placing the maximum deposit that Sprint requires from people with poor credit ($500); or pre-paying the entire two-year plan on the spot. None of these was acceptable options, so Sprint lost the sale.
I was eager to purchase the Palm Pre to replace my aging Zire 72s, and also consolidate my PDA and mobile phone into a single device. Since reviews have generally been positive, I headed to my local Sprint store (8501 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD). My current mobile carrier is Verizon, so I also needed to set up service with Sprint.
The store had the Pre in stock, and the sale proceeded smoothly until the sales associate asked me for my Social Security number. He had already verified my identity with a driver's license. When I asked why the SSN was needed, he said it was to run a credit check. I offered a credit card instead, but he said that the SSN was required.
I asked to speak to the manager, who was a pleasant young woman, but not able to resolve the problem. She confirmed that Sprint required the SSN to run a credit check (through a credit bureau) before opening an account. I told her that I understood Sprint had an interest in making sure that I could pay for the service (I was planning to get the $70/month Everything Data 450 plan), but that I was concerned about identity theft and privacy. I offered several other options, including a check on my credit card limit, which is an order of magnitude greater than the combined price of the phone and two-year contract; placing the maximum deposit that Sprint requires from people with poor credit ($500); or pre-paying the entire two-year plan on the spot. None of these was acceptable options, so Sprint lost the sale.
How can you kill that which has no life ?
To say that none-multitasking piece of crap that is "iJobs" latest offering comes anywhere *close* to a high end Nokia, Motorola or Sony Ericksson is just crazy.
They had to wait till version 2 just to get 3G for God's sake, while the rest of the world has been enjoying 3.5G for a couple of years already. And they only just got a real *video* recorder also ... well whoop-de-doo Basil.
iPhone is to cell phones, as Cartier is to watches ... fucking expensive shiny piece of crap that probably does half of what a $5 timepiece would do. People don't buy it for funtion, they buy it like any other piece of bling bling.
Mommy bought me an E90, she likes toys that are educational, not the latest shiny plastic Chinpokemon ("gotta buy it, gotta buy it, buy buy buy" ... hey, maybe Apple could use that as their next slogan ?) that you get bored with after 5 minutes because it doesn't actually *do* anything.
And back in the real world, I have plenty of money, but I can think of a million things to buy *before* Steve's latest wet dream thanks.
Speaking of Southpark, you do realise you sound just like Cartman, when your best defence is ...
"he he he he he he, you cannot afford it, because you are too poor, and your Mom is on the welfare, he he he he he he".
Oh, I just saw your login name ... kind of explains everything. Does Steve pay you an hourly rate, or just give you a quick one from behind each night ?
Because the leftists know that they are commie fascist bastards, and that the only way to forward their agenda is with the big lie. They have conviced everyone that it is the other side of the aisle that are fascists. This rule of those who fail at life will destroy our econonmy and our contry, but that is the point of it. Unfortunatly the Republicans have been complacent in this, and instead of acting respoably when they had the presidency and both houses, they decided to go wild on spending. Admittedly we were in the middle of a war, but the spending went well beyond reasonable spending for national power. I'd say that the only solution is for those whom Obama betrayed, those stupid enough to buy his "change change change" mantra, without looking at what he wanted to change, should vote the bum out come the next election. The only solution to our economic woes is to take the damned medicine, and then rebuild when we're done. Let the econonmy colapse as far as it will, and then move forward.
That which is done from love exists beyond good and evil