Giving out your Social Security Number to DBS companies

[Chris Blount]

The short answer is DON'T DO IT! Find another way for them to identify you.

Here is an interesting FAQ about your SSN:

http://www.networkusa.org/fingerprint/page6/fp-ssnfaq.htm#1.%20Do%20I%20have%20to%20give%20my%20S SN%20to%20XYZ

Please read. It's very enlightening.

[Jacob S]

I think you have a right to keep it private. They also have the right not to sell you a satellite system or give you service I presume.

[Bill R]

Good advice Chris.

The fewer people that have your SSN the better off you are. It only takes one dishonest employee to reck havoc by using your personal information to start charge accounts or do other things that often take years to repair.

[Rick_EE]

Havoc can be wreaked w/o the SSN. I worked with a guy who had just moved to the state. He had a heck of a time convincing the telephone and power companies that he wasn't the guy with the same name that ran up thousands of $$$ of bills. He couldn't get service turned on.

[DarrellP]

Rick, my wife had the same problem in the last town we lived in, some deadbeat had the same name and everytime we tried to do something financially, she had to prove who she was because a bad report always came back on her name.

One day a guy showed up at our house trying to serve some legal papers to my wife and I very politely explained to him that he had the wrong person. He wouldn't believe me and I darned near had to chase him off my property with a shotgun because he was so persistent on delivering his payload. Needless to say, he never came back.

[Chris Blount]

That sort of thing can happen with or without giving out your SSN. There is another Chris Blount here in town that loves to default on loans. I was always getting phone calls from banks.

This sort of problem is MUCH easier to deal with than identity theft.

[BobMurdoch]

There are 47 Bob Murdochs in New Jersey on AOL ALONE. I'm amazed there have not been further problems for me up to this point.

[raj2001]

A much more effective method of controlling ID theft is to monitor your credit report. Being paranoid about giving out your SSN is one thing but that will only go so far.

[Richard King]

The satellite companies need SS numbers for credit verification. To avoid giving your SS number the only option is to pay cash, non subsidized for the hardware. If you want the "free satellite system" deals they require the SS number.

[Chris Blount]

Originally posted by Rking401
The satellite companies need SS numbers for credit verification. Of course thats hogwash. They can get a credit report without a SSN. All they need is your full name and address.

Here's another article from CNN Money about using your SSN:

http://money.cnn.com/2002/11/26/commentary/everyday/sahadi/

[Richard King]

It may "of course" be "hogwash" but Dish will not honor promotions other than fully paid hardware promotions without an SS number.

[Kerry High]

Originally posted by Chris Blount
Of course thats hogwash. They can get a credit report without a SSN. All they need is your full name and address.


However, when they get your credit report, it will have your SSN on it. :shrug:

[morrmar]

I just got a 508 in March and absolutely refused to give my SS#. It was no problem

[Richard King]

A copy of an advertisement I received in the mail yesterday which clearly states a Social Security number is required.

[Chris Blount]

Like I said before, they can "require" it all they want but you still don't have to give it to them. The real reason they need the number is make it easier for them to do a credit check. Just because it's more work to do a credit check without an SSN is their problem. I think a round of CSR roulette might yield some success. The worst that can happen is that you just don't do business with them.

Besides our guest user Morrmar above, has anyone else tried to sign up with Dish without an SSN?

[Richard King]

Actually, an SS# also provides a way for them to track "previous customers" who want to get in on "new customer only" specials for a second time. I have sold many systems on the "Free Dish" promo with no SS#, but on this promo the customer buys the system and earns the "Free Dish" over a 12 month period of reductions in programming costs. No credit check or SS# is required for this promo. All other promos require a credit check.

[timdoll]

When I worked for Directv customer care (don't laugh), we were required to ask for the SSN, although if the customer declined we wouldn't push them. We were just asked to strongly encourage the customer to give it. However if they did decline to give it, we would not run the credit check and then require a deposit or get a credit card to setup automatic payments. We weren't allowed to run the credit check without the ssn.