Why On Earth Can't One Form Of ID Do?
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
March 24, 2012 1:44pm CST
I lost my rag today..in the Opticians. I went to pick my new glasses up and John had already transferred the £66 deposit required, so I gave the young sales assistant my debit card, in order for her to do the transaction. The money went through fine, as I knew it would.
I was then asked for a form of ID (for the subsequent 10 x £27 monthly direct debits) and I said I didn't have anything on me due to not paying any bills. The debit card was it, I'm afraid. I was then persuaded to walk to the bank in order to obtain my latest statement, which has my name and address on it.
Was this sufficient?
Nope!
Unbelievably, I was then asked if I had a credit card as another form of ID! Now, for someone as skint as me relying on hubby to pay everything why on earth would I have one of those? I'm sick of telling them it's John who has the money, not me.
The young lady asked an absolute COW behind the counter if it was alright for me to have one form of ID and she flatly refused saying, "We need two forms of ID, one is not enough" to which I replied over my shoulder, "Why?" (an Arien's favourite word) and she just kept repeating herself. I told her I don't possess a credit card because I have no money and "do I have to get into debt now so I can pay by monthly direct debit?"
I was fuming!
I said, "Right, I tell you what, you keep the £66 and the glasses, it's fine. I've already given you one form of ID which proves that the debit card is mine..keep the money, it's alright!"
Off I stormed out of the shop, another Aries trait.
In tears (back home) I told John the story. He was really bothered about them taking the £66 off me BEFORE telling me that one form of ID wasn't enough..so we both stormed back in the shop.
Needless to say, the monthly direct debit has been set up in John's name, which - I suppose in hindsight, should've happened in the first place. Armed with about 6 forms of ID he plonked them on the desk to which the Optician replied, "That's OK, we only needed 2!"
He looked like he was about to explode at that point and tears started falling down my face due to the humiliation of it all..so I waited outside for him.
To sum up; why do all these establishments insist on TWO forms of ID? I don't understand it and WHY should a credit card be the f*cking Holy Grail? I don't understand that either, especially now when people are busy paying OFF their debts, not getting into another one.
Unbelievably, I was then asked if I had a credit card as another form of ID! Now, for someone as skint as me relying on hubby to pay everything why on earth would I have one of those? I'm sick of telling them it's John who has the money, not me.
The young lady asked an absolute COW behind the counter if it was alright for me to have one form of ID and she flatly refused saying, "We need two forms of ID, one is not enough" to which I replied over my shoulder, "Why?" (an Arien's favourite word) and she just kept repeating herself. I told her I don't possess a credit card because I have no money and "do I have to get into debt now so I can pay by monthly direct debit?"
I was fuming!
I said, "Right, I tell you what, you keep the £66 and the glasses, it's fine. I've already given you one form of ID which proves that the debit card is mine..keep the money, it's alright!"
Off I stormed out of the shop, another Aries trait.
In tears (back home) I told John the story. He was really bothered about them taking the £66 off me BEFORE telling me that one form of ID wasn't enough..so we both stormed back in the shop.
Needless to say, the monthly direct debit has been set up in John's name, which - I suppose in hindsight, should've happened in the first place. Armed with about 6 forms of ID he plonked them on the desk to which the Optician replied, "That's OK, we only needed 2!"
He looked like he was about to explode at that point and tears started falling down my face due to the humiliation of it all..so I waited outside for him.
To sum up; why do all these establishments insist on TWO forms of ID? I don't understand it and WHY should a credit card be the f*cking Holy Grail? I don't understand that either, especially now when people are busy paying OFF their debts, not getting into another one.5 people like this
15 responses
@vandana7 (100617)
• India
26 Mar 12
We have a voter's ID, we have a PAN card, we have a ration card, and now we have an aadhar card, all these apart from our regular debit and credit cards, and telephone bills and driving licenses and medical insurance cards. :) Tell me about these things and I can fume too. :)
@changjiangzhibin89 (16789)
• China
25 Mar 12
I see no reason why they need two forms of ID.Grant that they didn't seem to make things difficult for you, but they actually could make an exception in your favour,judging from what the young lady asked another woman. What John did really work off your anger,he seemed to say "I defy you to need what, I have 6 forms of ID!"when he plonked them on the desk.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Mar 12
Between us we were extremely angry. John's aggression was more controlled than mine but I could tell he was upset, and that's when I started crying albeit very quietly. Didn't seem to bother the optician though..she was more interested in the money she was creaming off John.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16789)
• China
26 Mar 12
It has been over,there is no need for you to take that to heart.
@pumpkinjam (8770)
• United Kingdom
29 Mar 12
I understand your frustration. It's not too bad for me now as a) I have a photocard driving license and b) all the bills are in my name. However, it is still a pain sometimes. Some places need this ID, some need that ID, some want 101 forms of ID which nobody has ever heard of, etc.
Before I had my driving license, however, I always had trouble with ID because I had nothing with a picture on it. When I lived with my parents, I had no form of ID other than a birth certificate because I had no bills or anything in my name. Sometimes I can understand but, in your case, you were buying glasses. I may be wrong but I don't think there's a particularly large market for fraud there. And the fact that they'd already taken your money was ridiculous. I'd choose another optician if I were you!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
30 Mar 12
Haha! I will in future, that's for sure!
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
30 Mar 12
Unfortunately, this is the kind of world that we live in now.
I remember one time in my previous job where I had to travel to different cities. At one point, I had my credit card maxed out. After I landed, I couldn't rent a car. Even though my credit card was a form of identification, it still didn't qualify because I didn't have credit limit on it. I even had cash, and a passport, and driver's license, they still they didn't let me rent one.
I ended up taking the bus.
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
27 Mar 12
Everything is a process, where you have to do like a million things to accomplish one simple thing anymore. And it is rather frustrating when you are absolutely in a jam and need something, it can be frustrating. I really have an idea why people do this. Why it is such a process. There is so much fraud, so much identity theft, and so much to say the very least. But couldn't their be a happier medium where we meet you half way between supreme trustworthiness and jumping through hoops.
Obviously that would make a bit too much sense to say the very least. And it really is hard. Especially considering a lot of the forms of IDs people simply don't have. Not everyone has a credit card, not everyone has a driver's license, and this is done by choice, to keep them out of trouble. Of course, people tend to make it difficult. You would think that they would make it a bit easier to do business, but everything is a mind numbing process, jumping through hoops to accomplish the most simple task.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
27 Mar 12
You're so right. I was made to feel..well, inadequate by the way I was treated at the opticians in general. Oh, it was fine when I was having my eyes tested and picking my new frames two weeks earlier because they knew..sooner or later, I'd have to part with some cash.
Imagine my frustration then, that I was treated like I was about to fleece them (and I'd already paid them £66) on the day I picked my specs up, the same specs I was told to leave behind when I visited the bank 5 minutes away for my printed statement. I wasn't even trusted with a little walk (15 minutes tops) in my new glasses. Unbelievable really when you think about it. Next time I have my eyes tested I shall type in my prescription details online and buy new glasses that way. I don't want to give them any more money than is absolutely necessary.
No wonder I usually leave it 4 years between optician visits.
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
25 Mar 12
I feel for you on this. Most common forms of ID are a drivers license, a social security card. But some of these places want more information. Like a utility bill with your address on it. Or something like that. I carry my drivers license, my social security card and I always have my car insurance information as well. If they will not accept what I have then I just will not do business with them. But I understand that you need the glasses. It's a shame that you had to go back with your husband.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Mar 12
It was but at least he's calmer than me..just!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
25 Mar 12
Did you go into the dark ages somehow? If the debit card was good enough for them to take the 66, then it should have been good enough to set up the payments. On another note, you need to have some bills put in your name, even if John is paying them, like utilities, etc. In case something happened to him, then you would have credit. Not that I expect anything to happen to him. . . but you never know. Would they take a library card for identification?
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Mar 12
We do have a library but I'm not a member of it. I doubt if a card from there would be sufficient. The Holy Grail seems to be a credit card or a utility bill and I have neither.
I know what you mean about sharing bills but John is in debt and it's taken me a long time to get rid of mine (small that it was, it's just that not working made it harder for me to pay things off) and I really don't want to go down that route, even though companies actually like people who are in debt i.e. credit cards.
What a strange world we live in!
@derek_a (10873)
•
25 Mar 12
I know exactly what you mean here Janey. When we were moving house, we needed all our mail to be redirected for a while and to do this the Post Office needed I.D. A driving licence, even though it had my picture on it was not enough. Since having my heart attack I have not bothered to renew my passport because of increased medical insurance costs of going abroad. I have seen all there is to see, so want' particularly bothered. Anyway, I digress. I had to have a utility bill with my name and address on it too, and had to to all the way home to find one and take one in. The problem was that I had gone paperless on the Internet with most utulity bills, but luckily, the water rates had been overlooked and I had a recent bill. I had this bill photocopied and stamped at the post office, but was told that it wouldn't always be acceptable once a certain amount of time had passed. I can understand the problems and certainly wouldn't want my identity to be stolen, but sometimes things are really over the top when they can see the guy standing there with his driving licence is the guy he is claiming to be. Surely, there are not many about with this ugly mug! - 
_Derek
- _Derek@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Mar 12
Unbelievable isn't it? I mean, debit cards now have those holograms in them with all your information built in..and I'd taken this same card into the bank I have an account with, had a statement printed off, so that was proving who I was with my address and everything..and even that wasn't enough. However, if I'd produced a credit card alongside it with lots of debt outstanding on it that would've been acceptable.
Makes no sense!
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
25 Mar 12
It's because it's "the rules" Janey. Nobody knows why and cares less. It's like mobile phone numbers. If you don't have a mobile you can't open a savings account without extreme difficulty. I blame Nlair and his anti-terrorist legislation. It's all to do with money laundering for Al Queda etc. i am being serious. The Workd's gone potty. I'm pleased that you got your specs though.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Mar 12
Good job I set up an ISA before ditching my mobile phone then, I never knew that..how odd!
I'm getting used to these varifocals now but it's the last time I buy any from an opticians. Internet from now on!
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Mar 12
hi Janey you know when I get into one of those I also end up
crying and feeling humiliated. It is the same way h ere in "southern
California.Now finally I have a senior citizen ID from the DMV
and my atm card debit card with my face on it.So now am set if I a m asked for identification.Some clerks can really make it difficult if you do not have the proper ID. I am glad that your husband helped you to get it all straightened out. 
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
24 Mar 12
I know, he's a love isn't he? That's why I started crying because it was so humiliating for him to plonk all this ID stuff onto the desk and, instead of the optician being pleased she said that "2 would be enough." His self control was something to behold. If she'd said that to me I'm afraid I'd be in a cell by now lol.
Glad you've got your ID.
Glad you've got your ID.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
25 Mar 12
I don't understand that myself. It's not right at all of them! Now I do know it's the law or what not but a stupid one at that. The fact that they told you go down to the bank and then when you returned with your statement it still wasn't enough? I'd have thrown it at them and told them i was taking my business elsewhere, even if it was the obticians office!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Mar 12
I would've done this had they not taken out £66. Put it this way, I shall visit an opticians for an eye test in future but NOT new lenses. Next time I shall go on the internet where they are waaay cheaper.
@angelwithkids (1256)
• United States
24 Mar 12
i can't stand it when they ask for a second form of id. it annoys the peep out of me. i understand that most people want a ssecond form of id to prevent identity theft, but come on! if they can fabricate one form of id, they can fabricate more!! before we know it, we'll be required to carry around our birth certificates to prove we are who we are. God only knows where mine is right now! i can understand how you felt when your husband had to come into the store to get things straightened out. for a period of time, he worked, i stayed home. so everything was in his name. people look at you as you're stupid for not having anything in your name. that doesn't help matters either. i just tell myself that they're just jealous because i have a man that will work to provide for me and i don't have to go to work. :)
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
24 Mar 12
Yes, I was thinking about that myself. The fact that someone could fake more than one document. It's so stupid having to take in two forms of ID but anyway..at least hubby came to the rescue.
Earlier in the day a staff member looked at me "gone out" when I told her I didn't work and wasn't entitled to ANY benefits.
"I get nothing" I told her. "Just handouts from my husband to get by" and my, did I feel humiliated telling her THAT little gem, but it's just me being honest, which is something I pride myself on.
The best bit was the woman asking me to take my new glasses off when I had to leave the shop to go to the bank for my printed statement..and that was after I'd paid the £66 deposit. I told her I wasn't going to "do a runner" but she was such a jobsworth she insisted. Now, if that was me serving someone who'd just given me £66 I'd have said, "Whilst you go to the bank leave your new glasses on so you can get used to them."
I mean, what's wrong with that? Put the customer first for once!
Earlier in the day a staff member looked at me "gone out" when I told her I didn't work and wasn't entitled to ANY benefits.
"I get nothing" I told her. "Just handouts from my husband to get by" and my, did I feel humiliated telling her THAT little gem, but it's just me being honest, which is something I pride myself on.
The best bit was the woman asking me to take my new glasses off when I had to leave the shop to go to the bank for my printed statement..and that was after I'd paid the £66 deposit. I told her I wasn't going to "do a runner" but she was such a jobsworth she insisted. Now, if that was me serving someone who'd just given me £66 I'd have said, "Whilst you go to the bank leave your new glasses on so you can get used to them."
I mean, what's wrong with that? Put the customer first for once!
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
25 Mar 12
Hi Janey,
I have not heard of giving two IDs, we just have debit card and thats it, I don't have a credit card either but when I go to buy anything, I rather just pay cash there and then, I a bit old fashion in that, like your hub, my hubs normally pays for opticians as we both have to wear classes, but that opticians you go to must be dreadful to treat people like that. Sorry hun, you deserve better.
Tamara
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Mar 12
Hello! I thought these opticians would be different as they're family-run and based in the North West of England. It's not like Vision Express or SpecSavers that have premises all over the country. It seems ALL opticians are in the market to rip us off, unless we go online with our prescriptions, something I shall do next time.
@mysticmaggie (2498)
• United States
25 Mar 12
For some unknown reason companies have decided you might steal one ID off a person, but surely not two! Dumb, right? If you want to take an ID then why not take the whole wallet and see if you can get several of them?
Usually rules are made by one company and others often follow suit without a lot of rhyme or reason.
Take for instance the bank I once used had a policy that a new customer had to come inside the bank for their first few transactions. One gentleman had his wife set up their accounts. She brought the identification cards home for his signature. When he had to go to the bank, he pulled up to the drive-in window and the teller refused to serve him unless he came inside. He explained he really could not do that without great difficulty. She insisted and he left saying his wife would be back to do the transaction.
His reason for not coming in? He was a double amputee, who got into and out of his car with great difficulty. The bank insisted there were no exceptions.
I quit using them because of their imminent stupidity and inability to bend the rules for any reason.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Mar 12
Oh my, that's awful for the amputee, a perfect example of what I mean. Poor guy.
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
24 Mar 12
At least you are able to show a credit card for ID, we can't. They need your drivers license or passport and in many cases even the drivers license is not allowed (only at the city hall it is).
Do you know how frequently I have that with me? Never since loosing it will cost me a lot of time, energy and money to get a new one.
I think it's typical for banks to work the way you describe and I agree with you they are seldom smart (or is it too lazy to find the info needed themselves) and yes they do love to humiliate people (I always wonder how those people will respond if it happens to them). I know it's a job, their job, not one to be proud of :-(
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
24 Mar 12
Well, the lady at the bank was OK, it was the staff at the opticians that wanted all the information.
