Visit China

Question:

Sounds like you are buying your ticket from a consolidator.  I personally do not think it is unreasonable for them to ask for this information.  They are just trying to protect themselves from fraud just like you are.  IMO, this is no different from some merchants not taking a credit card number over the telephone.  Doesn’t sound fair, but if they’ve been burned, it’s their perogative. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I am from Asia and have stayed in US for couple months.  I am going to buy an > international airline ticket from US to Asia but they asked me a lot of thing > beside my credit card. They don’t have on-line shopping so I contact them by > e-mail and they sent me a credit cardholder’s authorization.  But they asked > me to fax it complete with copies of Credit Card ( both front and back ) and > passport ( with signature & photo ) or driver’s license. That’s not necessary > ! I think it’s doesn’t make sense to me because a credit card is should be > enough. I just try to be safe before I buy something. What’s the consumer’s > right for this ? Is there anyone can help me to answer my question ? > Thanks a lot ! > Chikung

Response:

>Sounds like you are buying your ticket from a consolidator.  

When you should be using a travel agent who can access those same consolidator fares. >I personally do not think it is unreasonable for them to ask for this

information.   Sounds to me like they are assuming something about their Asian client.  (e.g. He’s a foreigner, how can he have a credit card?) >They are just trying to protect themselves from fraud just >like you are.  IMO, this is no different from some merchants not taking >a credit card number over the telephone.  Doesn’t sound fair, but if >they’ve been burned, it’s their perogative.

True, but reporting them to the local Attorney General’s office for racial discrimination would be a prudent thing to do, IMHO Then go find a travel agent which you can deal with one-on-one.   Photocopying a credit card is dangerous.  What if the photocopy gets lost in the mail?  What if you make two copies and carelessly toss one in the trash at the photocopy place? Most issuers will ask that you not do this. -Erik

Response:

> I am from Asia and have stayed in US for couple months.  I am going to buy an > international airline ticket from US to Asia but they asked me a lot of thing > beside my credit card. They don’t have on-line shopping so I contact them by > e-mail and they sent me a credit cardholder’s authorization.  But they asked > me to fax it complete with copies of Credit Card ( both front and back ) and > passport ( with signature & photo ) or driver’s license. That’s not necessary > ! I think it’s doesn’t make sense to me because a credit card is should be > enough. I just try to be safe before I buy something. What’s the consumer’s > right for this ? Is there anyone can help me to answer my question ?

Who is "they" exactly?        Most airlines or on-line booking website would probably not ask for all such information/identification/documentation. Sounds like you’re using a travel agent or consolidator ("bucket shop") of some sort. In this case, what you’ve experienced seems quite normal.  They merely want to protect themselves (and yourself, indirectly) from fraud and cheating.  What if a person stole a credit card (maybe yours!) and tried to call a travel agent to buy a ticket?  It’s perfectly reasonable for them to ask you to provide proper and complete indentification so that they know that you are who you claim to be. If you have a big problem or discomfort with this, then I can only suggest taking your business to some other trusted travel agent where you feel more comfortable, but many if not most travel agents are going to ask for such identification and credentials if you’re e-mailing or calling over the phone. Mihir

Response:

> True, but reporting them to the local Attorney General’s office for racial > discrimination would be a prudent thing to do, IMHO

This is silly. I am just a regular non-minority American and I got asked exactly the same things when I purchased a pair of airline tickets through a consolidator last month.

Response:

They are trying to protect themselves from fraud of a stolen credit card number.  They probably have been burned in the past.  Your consumer right is to take your business some place else if you don’t want to comply. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I am from Asia and have stayed in US for couple months.  I am going to buy an >international airline ticket from US to Asia but they asked me a lot of thing >beside my credit card. They don’t have on-line shopping so I contact them by >e-mail and they sent me a credit cardholder’s authorization.  But they asked >me to fax it complete with copies of Credit Card ( both front and back ) and >passport ( with signature & photo ) or driver’s license. That’s not necessary >! I think it’s doesn’t make sense to me because a credit card is should be >enough. I just try to be safe before I buy something. What’s the consumer’s >right for this ? Is there anyone can help me to answer my question ? >Thanks a lot ! >Chikung

Response:

In the US asking to verify ID on a CC purchase is OK, asking to keep a copy of the id is not – a question privacy.  

: >I am from Asia and have stayed in US for couple months.  I am going to buy an : >international airline ticket from US to Asia but they asked me a lot of thing : >beside my credit card. They don’t have on-line shopping so I contact them by : >e-mail and they sent me a credit cardholder’s authorization.  But they asked : >me to fax it complete with copies of Credit Card ( both front and back ) and : >passport ( with signature & photo ) or driver’s license. That’s not necessary : >! I think it’s doesn’t make sense to me because a credit card is should be : >enough. I just try to be safe before I buy something. What’s the consumer’s : >right for this ? Is there anyone can help me to answer my question ? : The consumer’s right is to not proceed with the transaction. No-one : can stop you from doing that. : What’s your objection to providing the information asked for? : — Craig — Hassan Alam

Response:

Concept of privacy – the person does not have to have a reason. Realize this is an alien concept in certain unnamed SE Asian countries .  

: >In the US asking to verify ID on a CC purchase is OK, asking to keep a : >copy of the id is not – a question privacy.   : That might well be the legal answer — but I’m still puzzled as to : what the original poster’s objection actually is … : — Craig — Hassan Alam

Response:

I am from Asia and have stayed in US for couple months.  I am going to buy an international airline ticket from US to Asia but they asked me a lot of thing beside my credit card. They don’t have on-line shopping so I contact them by e-mail and they sent me a credit cardholder’s authorization.  But they asked me to fax it complete with copies of Credit Card ( both front and back ) and passport ( with signature & photo ) or driver’s license. That’s not necessary ! I think it’s doesn’t make sense to me because a credit card is should be enough. I just try to be safe before I buy something. What’s the consumer’s right for this ? Is there anyone can help me to answer my question ? Thanks a lot ! Chikung

Response: