Personal Information Required for cash purchase INVASIVE

[The Rigger]

Originally Posted by John_H

I always like to try that tact with the IRS.

The IRS wouldn't ask for information like my mother's maiden name. If they do, they can piss up a rope.

Despite the IRS's best efforts, one is still innocent of any crime until proven guilty in a court of law.

[Godfather]

And I'll just bet that next comes" I pay your salary", and "I'll have your job". To which I always replied, "Your name is nowhere on my check", and "Take it".
Getting back on track, if you are dumb enough to walk into a car dealer with 15 to 25K on your person, the IRS is dumb enough to DEMAND to know where it came from. If you pay by check, all they need is name, address, and proof of insurance. If you're borrowing (begging for) money, they can pretty much ask for whatever floats their boat.

[gbryers]

A lot of what can be required is driven by state law - there are 11 (at last count, to my knowledge) states that have made it illegal to ask for SSN for anything OTHER than SSN business (and that counts the IRS). South Carolina requires proof of insurance before the sale can be completed. Other states have other requirements. And yes, for 10k+ transactions, there is a homeland security requirement to report it. In the case of banks, they often have to hold the check being deposited for an obscene period of time (10 days, with incremental release of funds across that period) - all to prevent laundering of money (it doesn't) and financing terrorists (it doesn't).

Welcome to the new millenium!

[NCC1701]

Originally Posted by SuperGeek

NCC - I used to have an online merchant account with Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc. The processors will sometimes require ID verification for purchases shipped to an address other than billing, but the merchant knows this up front - they should have made that clear. The verification is to protect the merchant from a chargeback in case of fraud; without that documentation you can call them up and say you never ordered the product, and they'd be up a creek.

Of course I am aware of that. But, that does not describe the experience I had with this particular merchant. Perhaps my description was too muddy. End of tangent.