signing my life away

[deird_lj]

It occurs to me that, if you decided to become an identity thief, becoming a mobile phone salesman would be a really good start.

Got a new phone (an IPHONE) yesterday, and I had to give them:
- my driver's license
- my credit card
- my Medicare card
- my address
- how long I've lived there
- where I work
- my boss's name and contact number
- how long I've worked there
- my signature (three times)
- my bank account details

O.O

I'm going to wake up next week to discover that my bank account is empty and the guy who sold me my phone has moved to Hawaii, aren't I?



(And to prove, once again, that computers do indeed hate me, my phone decided not to connect to the network for three hours after it should have, and I had to talk to FOUR different customer help line guys before they could figure out what was wrong.)

Comments

[silverusagi]

- where I work
- my boss's name and contact number
- how long I've worked there

Why is this relevant, I wonder?

[deird1]

Credit check. :)


(Given that they'd just handed me a VERY EXPENSIVE phone, I guess it's reasonable...)

[silverusagi]

If this is too personal, please tell me to shut up-- So does that mean that you are paying installments on it or something? Because if you paid upfront, I still don't see why they need to know this.

Sorry, this is just a pet peeve of mine. Considering that every time I go to Bath and Body Works, they ask me for my phone number. It's like, "I don't WANT you keeping a shopper record on me. I just want to get some lotion, pay you cash, and leave." I've taken to downright lying when stores ask me for my email, saying I don't have it or don't check it, because I don't need their spamming coupons, or them knowing who I am.

[deird1]

Nah, it's a contract. I get the phone for "free" as long as I have a rather-expensive account with them for two years.

[silverusagi]

Huh. I mean, I have a contract on my phone (though not an iphone) and I didn't have to give them my life history, lol.

[owenthurman.livejournal.com]

*Snort*

They don't sell phones for cash in America.

The very idea. It's like you've never heard of America at all.

Getting a phone requires a mandatory credit check. If you don't participate in the overspending, debt based, credit card fees economy then you're not really considered a first class citizen. Don't plan on renting an apartment, buying a house, opening a company, getting a telephone, or signing up for home internet access. You may have to check with multiple banks before one will open an account for you. If you don't believe in borrowing, your soul stinks in the nose of America.

Let's just say that ever since I came back from abroad, I'm not really satisfied with my native culture.

[deird1]

Yet another reason why I'm glad to not be American...

(Reason number one being the food.)

[owenthurman.livejournal.com]

>(Reason number one being the food.)

Thank the petulant Gods we've been importing more and more immigrants from the Far East and Latin America. Best to hire them to cook your food for you.

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

I'd try and defend our food, but the main plus of American food is that we basically have a concentration of the good food from all the other countries in the world, but kind of different/Americanized...