Comment Other options, like Escrow... (Score 1) 213
Since you live in the UK, a lot of options like X.COM or PAYPAL aren't available to you. On the other hand, there are relatively inexpensive escrow services--in particular, iEscrow--that can take the place of your "trust" in dealing with online merchants.
The idea is simple--pay your money to iEscrow--, with a $2.50 fee (normally), the merchant sends you the merchandise, you inspect it, then release the money held in escrow to the merchant if you're satisfied.
The problem with using Escrow services is that most merchants won't want to deal with them, since they require you, the customer, have an "inspection period" to inspect the merchandise and make sure everything's ok before you send them the money. This means that not only do you have to trust the merchant, but the merchant also has to trust you, the consumer. Most are unwilling to do this, and so will instead try to get you to send alternate forms of proof of ID, like you're dealing with now.
As several people mentioned below, the person or people asking you for photo ID for a silly credit transaction are mostly causing themselves problems, not you.
The idea is simple--pay your money to iEscrow--, with a $2.50 fee (normally), the merchant sends you the merchandise, you inspect it, then release the money held in escrow to the merchant if you're satisfied.
The problem with using Escrow services is that most merchants won't want to deal with them, since they require you, the customer, have an "inspection period" to inspect the merchandise and make sure everything's ok before you send them the money. This means that not only do you have to trust the merchant, but the merchant also has to trust you, the consumer. Most are unwilling to do this, and so will instead try to get you to send alternate forms of proof of ID, like you're dealing with now.
As several people mentioned below, the person or people asking you for photo ID for a silly credit transaction are mostly causing themselves problems, not you.
