Listen guys, we all realize that these things are not a violation of privacy when it comes to security and fraud. Do not be afraid of requesting personal information.
When dealing with large orders that may be subject to fraud, simply request photo ID (like I do at Vetrox) or a copy of a Utility Bill to the billing address. That will usually scare the fraud perpetrator off, but if they comply - it probably isn't fraud. The last line of defense for US based fraud cases is the Social Security Number or the Employer Identification Number. This is a highly sensitive, and personal identification number. Many websites now offer a service to verify and validate social security numbers. If there ever is a time where there is a high probability of fraud, or you suspect fraud: Do not be afraid to ask for such information. If it saves you hundreds of dollars, and the potential fraud victim's money - it is worth it.
That's my two cents on the subject.
Regards,
Joe
I don't request it over the internet of course! That would be absurd. No no, let me clarify. One, we won't ask for the SSN if other valid information is provided. Two, it is never requested over the internet. Only in person, or via certified mail application or encrypted fax. We highly safeguard this information, and don't request it often. After verification, your SSN is shredded 3 times over
Regards,
Joe
Just give them a call, works all the time.
Asking for a photo ID + utility bill would actually scare 99.9% of them and see if they are "l337" enough to steal the utility bill from their parents.
I received an email back from PayPal last week and basically, in simple terms, web hosting providers are not covered by PayPal's Seller Protection Programe simply because we sell Virtually.
It sucks big time and something needs to be done in order for hosting providers to receive better protection.
I actually called them a while back and talked to a manager about this. I asked the the pros and cons of being an online service based business using paypal. They told me pretty much, "paypal is not for you". I highly recommend businesses using paypal to think again. Paypal does not offer any protection, so you can get hit with a chargeback and lose it by default. If you get your own credit card gateway (which is what I did), the merchant provider will look at your terms of service in case of a chargeback and if you state "no refunds" they will deny it to the issuing bank.
Maybe I am wrong, but I think Paypal offers a paypal debit/bank account. You can use a credit card merchant and have the funds from that account withdraw into paypal.
Maybe I am wrong, just sounds like a solution for Deise.