Why Does Circle K Scan My Driver's License When I Buy Beer / Cigarettes?

Strange things are afoot at the circle K....

This thread is retarded.

"The man" has all your information anyway since you HAVE AN ID.

Company policy is to avoid discrimination and/or sting operations conducted by the State Police. Scanning it just makes sure it's not fake.

I swear, some of you people need to get your genes OUT of the gene pool. Imagine if your mother was as scared as you are when your father asked her her name.

reply to post by DaTroof

if you believe this BS ...

"The man" has all your information anyway since you HAVE AN ID

then i'd guess you're missing quite a few important 'genes' already.

with or without an ID, "the man" doesn't know what vices we enjoy or where or when we obtain them and if you don't mind, i'd like to keep it that way ... it's none of "the man's" business, period.

reply to post by Honor93


Are you really afraid of your spending history being used against you? You're on camera even if you use cash. Your license plate is visible on camera. Ever use a credit card? Just how paranoid can one be?

You have a valid point wondering whether your ID data is stored (if that's the case it would indeed be reason for concern, privacy etc.etc..) but I don't think this is how it works.

A ID can be checked if it's valid be the number alone (I think that's true for CC numbers as well) - it would not need to be stored.

If there is a problem with underage kids buying alcohol with fake IDs, it would be legit if they do checks whether an ID is really valid.

Originally posted by DaTroof
reply to post by Honor93

 

Are you really afraid of your spending history being used against you? You're on camera even if you use cash. Your license plate is visible on camera. Ever use a credit card? Just how paranoid can one be?

not at all, even the IRS thinks i should start a charity based on my buying habits (that they know about) and i'd still prefer to keep it that way, thank you very much.

yes, the IRS actually sent a letter suggesting it, so no, i'm not paranoid ... just private.
and my privacy is none of anyone's business unless i make it so.

ETA -- perhaps you should re-read my first post in this thread ...

OP, since i agree whole-heartedly about going elsewhere ... and have done it many times myself, here's a suggestion that worked for me.

a local (not K store) convenience that i frequented for years before this "under 40 policy" went into effect, tried to ID me once, i left.

next visit, i came prepared.
they asked for ID, i complied (no scanning yet though) and presented them with a "courtesy notice" that informed them that in the event of their error (i'm well over 40), each infraction on their part would cost them $$ financially and payable at the time of infringement.

they reluctantly accepted it (didn't really have a choice if they wanted the sale) and since that day, i've received nearly 3 cartons worth of smokes, several cases of beer and a few smoking accessories along the way.
(free of charge in case i need to say so ... it's been a few years and quite a few employees)

needless to say, i don't even carry an ID into that store today for any purchase.
and, i still get a fistfull of free lighters with each carton purchased
(btw, a 'contract' sale is still a 'contract' and susceptible to the same laws)

be pro-active and courteous ... yes, take your business elsewhere if necessary, but, don't let them make the decision for you.

no clerk or mgr or businessman is going to decide for me.
if you permit them to decide for you, so be it, i choose otherwise.

it's not much different than when i obtained my carry permit.
the 'clerk' (LEO) thought he was going to refuse my application because i don't possess a Driver License ... that lasted about 30 seconds and then the procedure completed without any further unreasonable demands.
sure, i could have accepted his 'refusal' and left, but, i knew better and so did he.

reply to post by Honor93


Privacy, my eye.

You're just out to try to get free stuff and don't care who's toes you step on to get it. I would tell you to leave my store before I call the police if you handed any of my clerks an ultimatum.

reply to post by Signals

That is interesting. I live in Tennessee and my local Circle K has been doing the same thing for a couple of years now. They said it was a new "state" law that was going to go in effect in all stores. Since that time the only store that scans id's are the Circle K's and no other stores. Not sure what that means, but I rarely buy beer at that store anymore.

It is simple, it protects the store, and employee from selling to a minor. I don't understand how people don't understand that concept, fake ID's are extremely easy to acquire, and some employees will sell to a minor regardless of the law, so they went to the age verification system to prevent a sale without proper ID.. It isn't hard for a friend to sell to a minor by pressing a few buttons and lie to the machine about age.

It's funny to me that some of the participants in this thread and throwing such a fit about needing to produce ID in order to buy beer and cigarettes. It's funny because I would wager that many of them would want ID to be produced to vote; you know to verify that you are really you. Someone said that producing ID (and having it verified!) to buy beer and cigarettes is just the way that "they" are violating us little by little. I wonder if they'd feel the same if the context here was voting.

Originally posted by DaTroof
reply to post by Honor93

 

Privacy, my eye.

You're just out to try to get free stuff and don't care who's toes you step on to get it. I would tell you to leave my store before I call the police if you handed any of my clerks an ultimatum.

what 'free stuff' ??
that was offered as 'payment' for their infringement of our business agreement.
i could have taken $$ (cash) but what's the point, i didn't go there to get cash.

if i had received your stated response, i would have gladly taken my business elsewhere and the store owner knows it, however, i'm a VALUED customer, do you even know what that is ??

btw, i don't deal with 'clerks' regarding a business agreement, do you ?
when i choose to engage in business with your store, we will have an agreement or i'll go elsewhere, that's how it works for both of our benefit.

it sounds like you just want the $$ and don't care who you abuse to get it
good luck with that.

reply to post by Honor93


You're not a valued customer if you're trying to coerce your own policies in my store. I'm sure that store would do just fine without you. I bet they secretly hate you.

EVERYTHING is not a conspiracy.....perhaps you are just a little ..or alot paranoid and reading to much into this.

reply to post by Signals


Several years ago a convenience station near my house began doing something like this. Not only did they scan the I.D., they would also write down name and I.D. number, as well as what product I purchased, in a little log book next to the register. When I asked the clerk very politely why he was doing that, he became borderline irate and said "It's the law!" I mean, he became unduly intimidating toward me for even asking. I let it go, but needless to say that was the last time I shopped there.

If it is the law, then why don't all stores do it? I wondered. The only reason I could come up with is perhaps that store has been busted too many times selling to underage.

Nevertheless, I disagree with this kind of policy. It is bad enough that my purchases can be tracked through my debit/credit card use, but when they are going so far as to log my identity and what I purchased. That is a violation in my opinion.

Come to think of it, it was shortly after that that I began receiving unsolicited advertisements and coupons from Camel cigarettes... Maybe they are selling the information too. I can't think of how else I could have ended up on a mailing list for Camel.

Chock it up to reason #5,386 to go off the grid.

reply to post by Signals


Wow! Wouldn't ever go to that shop again.

I keep catching my jaw dropping in amazement at such moves. Not because of the actions of these stores themselves, that was inevitable some day. What shocks me is how quickly they have come so far, with so little blowback.

It is hard to deny the quickening.

I regularly have similar but much less intrusive situations in the UK at cell phone shops and the computer retailer P C World. They always want my name address telepone number and email address. When I ask why they are either dumbstruck, stuttering fools or act offended. Some say its for your warranty, but then I point out that I've survived quite well for over 40 yrs using receipts for that. Then they persist, and I say that I don't give out personal details and they reply it won't be used for marketing. I explain that I have worked hard to keep as close to a zero profile in company databases as I can. But they keep pushing and pushing because the checkout till won't let them complete the sale without the info. They promse my details will be kept safe but I remind them that databases are hacked on a daily basis with customers info posted for all to see.

When I've had enough fun with them or I've got bored I explain to them that all they need to do is enter the shops name, address, email and phone number in the boxes for the customer info and everything will be fine. In PC World they ignore me and call over a supervisor who repeats exactly what I have just said. However when in a cell phone shop they usually have to phone head office to be told exactly what I have already said.

Mostly I find it funny, but sometimes you get these very young teenagers serving you who can't comprehend why anyone would't want to share all their info with the entire world. They simply can't compute it, and that scares me. A day will come a few years in the future when it will be a legal requirement to have a social networking site account and to log in on a regular basis.

I'd stop shopping there for sure. They don't need to do that. The date it there. They don't need to scan it for that. It's at the very least, doing some sort of marketing. At the worse, it's taking personal information. In any case, I'd say no.

It's the same at Wal Mart. I buy my tobacco there because it's the only place I can afford it, and well, at the tobacco aisle it's always the same couple of clerks, I've been going in there buying tobacco for awhile now and they know me well enough to already know what I'm going to buy before I tell them and I still have to show ID every single time, not just show it, but they actually input my license number into their computer. I'm still in my 20s but I look obviously over 21, I dress like an old man, my voice is deeper than most, my face is wrinkled and I'm already getting grey hair. I don't know what they're using my information for, keeping track of people buying this stuff? For what purpose? I don't like it, if I had a better job I'd be buying it somewhere else.

I work for a Circle K here in Minnesota, and have never had to scan an ID. We are supposed to card people who appear under 40, and I do. I know other gas stations out here do scan, but I demagnetized the strip on my dl anyways.

That being said, if my boss told me I had to start scanning everybody who wants to buy smokes, I would. My Dad, Grandparents, whoever. The simple fact is it would be part of my job, and what they pay me for. I live in a smaller suburb that is completely retail dominated, and being a single father finding a job here that is compatible with day care is incredibly hard. So I can't afford to refuse to do my job on principal.

reply to post by DaTroof


I guess You're one of the muppets who has something against common sense.

Privacy issues, laws, liabilities, and hysterical housewives aside, this whole issue of carding 30, 40, 50 year olds is ridiculous. If someone is old enough to work, pay taxes, have kids, fight/die for your country, be filmed having intercourse, etc...they are old enough to decide which vices to partake.

Whether it be a six-pack, or a cigar, showing ID (and having it scanned) to purchase these items, just makes zero sense. ESPECIALLY if the customer is a regular like some here stated. I fear for the demise of common sense.

They are probably storing data on how much you drink and then sell it off to insurance companies so they can raise your rates more.