Journal: Best Buy declines to accept my credit card.

It happened again today. I stopped in at Best Buy to pick up an ethernet switch. I'm extending my home network and wanted a switch at the basement level where the servers and printers are. I found a nice looking one, a Netgear 4 port for $29.95.

I glanced over the Plasma and LCD HD TV's, passed them as I don't really watch that much tube, swung by the DVD's, didn't see anything interesting and went to the checkout.

I passed over my credit card and, once again, heard, "I need to see some ID."

"No."

"What?"

"No. I'm not showing you my ID. You can't ask for it."

Some background. I do computer "stuff" and have a serious amount of computer security in my work history. Serious, as in Intrusion Detection software and Security Policy for the feds. I have a CS MS from an engineering university. I've met with the fraud department of one of the CC's. It's in Florida. The "Show ID" security engineering done by highschool drop outs irritates me.

I refuse to "show ID" at retail establishments. You should refuse too.

In this case, the manager felt that he could decline my sale if I did not "show ID". Yes, maybe it was petty on my part. Yes, it was a little over the top when I pointedly wrote down what he said, "Is this an exact quote?"

"I . don't . have . to . sell . it . to . you."

But he was wrong and violating his merchant agreement. He was also "breaking" the authentication chain that the credit card companies build.

I understand why the credit card companies do not want merchants to ask for ID. There is sound research and scientific reasoning behind it.

Best Buy's store managers have decided that they are smarter than the computer security experts at the credit card companies. It's weird. It must be like, well, any managers who are so full of themselves that they don't know their limitations.

So here's the deal, check out

http://www.mastercard.com/contactus/contactus_mv.html

At the bottom, I got Best Buy on two counts.

[ ] The merchant/retailer required identification.

[ ] A merchant/retailer displaying the MasterCard decal in their window refused to accept my MasterCard card.

After leaving Best Buy, I stopped at Office Depot, which is much closer to my house. They had a Linksys switch for $24.95! I slid my card across to the clerk, the same one that Best Buy had declined to accept. "Thank you for your purchase."

Don't, absolutely do not, ever "show ID" when making a credit card purchase.

This is not Nazi Germany. Retailers are not allowed to ask for other ID as long as your credit card is signed.

Oh, and sign your credit card if you haven't already done so. It's for your protection.