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From: Gene Spafford <spaf@cs.purdue.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Quirk With "The Universal Card"
Message-ID: <6210@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 10 Apr 90 00:55:37 GMT
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Reply-To: Gene Spafford <spaf@cs.purdue.edu>
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 243, Message 10 of 10


I just called to apply for "The Universal Card."  Everything went more
or less okay as the guy entered my name & address into the database.
Then he asked for my social security number.  Well, I haven't given
out my social security number in over a decade as a personal protest
against its use as an identifier.  It is abused far too often. If
someone doesn't pay me taxable income, they don't get the number.

Well, the entry clerk couldn't process the application without the
number (his program wouldn't allow it).  So, he refered me to customer
service.  At customer service I was told that it didn't matter if I
had any credit history with AT&T, or anyone else in the known
universe, without a SS# they would not process an application.

This is interesting.  I've had an AT&T calling card for a decade.
I've been able to get two Visa cards, a platinum AmEx, and various
other bits of plastic, but I have never had to give my SS# to do it.
My credit record isn't golden, but it's certainly up to getting one of
these cards ... if AT&T would cooperate.

The customer service person informed me that the only people who were
preapproved for cards had their SS# on file with the phone company
already as part of their customer record, so I didn't qualify as a
pre-approve!  Thus, those of you who were preapproved can take comfort
in knowing about the records the phone company keeps on you :-)

I asked that they send me a paper application.  I'll fill it out
(minus the you-know-what) and send it back.  If they deny it, I'll
file an appeal under the Fair Credit Act and see how they respond.
Neither Equifax nor TRW requires a SS# to pull a credit history, so
AT&T can't claim that it is required.  The last time someone tried
this, they sent me the card rather than answer the appeal (it was
Texaco, btw).

Anybody from AT&T out there who can comment on this?  (And maybe
comment on why the "customer service representative" was so haughty?)


Gene Spafford
NSF/Purdue/U of Florida  Software Engineering Research Center,
Dept. of Computer Sciences, Purdue University, W. Lafayette IN 47907-2004
Internet:  spaf@cs.purdue.edu	uucp:	...!{decwrl,gatech,ucbvax}!purdue!spaf


[Moderator's Note: Probably the customer service representative was
'so haughty' because they perceived they were dealing with still
another in the growing number of people who mistakenly believe the
credit grantor *has* to give them credit no matter what. Credit
grantors are entitled to set any criteria they please -- save certain
illegal criteria -- and your options are to meet their criteria or do
without their credit. Credit is a privilege, not an automatic right;
and provided all applicants must meet the same requirements, there is
no unlawful discrimination; i.e. you have no valid complaint. You
chose not to identify yourself to their satisfaction.  PT]