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From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Credit card carbons ("No, you can't have them")
Message-ID: <777@kitty.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 1-Feb-86 23:33:46 EST
Article-I.D.: kitty.777
Posted: Sat Feb  1 23:33:46 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Feb-86 02:13:24 EST
References: <8529@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 35

> When I had my car washed this afternoon, I paid for the wash with a
> credit card.  Like a good, conscientious consumer, I asked the cashier
> if I could please have the carbons (so I could tear them up, so no one
> could find them in the trash and use my card number fraudulently).
> 
> He said no, I couldn't have them -- and then pointed to a pre-printed
> notice on the credit slip, just above the signature space, which said:
> 
> 		    DEALER IS REQUIRED TO
> 		    RETAIN CARBON SHEET AS AN
> 		    ACCOUNTING RECORD.
> 
> ...
> Any comments?

	Without any evidence to the contrary, we have to assume that the
above statement of the dealer is true.  Therefore, the dealer is presumed
to archive the carbons as a business record.  Obviously the dealer has the
right to know and maintain a record of your credit card number as a result
of making a transaction with you.
	The only problem with credit card carbons is when they have been
discarded in a careless and indiscriminate manner, allowing them to easily
fall into the hands of people bent upon committing fraud.  You have to TRUST
a merchant handling ANY credit card transaction for you to maintain proper
confidentiality of its customer records.  If you canNOT trust that merchant
for some reason, then don't use a credit card.  Can you trust the above
car wash?  This is a decision you have to make on a case by case basis,
hopefully with a clear mind unbiased by feelings of paranoia.

==>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York        <==
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