As I've said here, I was planning on entering the 21st Century by moving from dialup through work to my own high-speed internet access. I just called Charter to sign up for an appointment to get it installed next weeek, when I'm taking off from work.
They want my Social Security nember! Apparently, there was somebody in Duluth with the same name who stiffed them, and they want my SSN to prove that it wasn't me.
Unfortunately, they seem to be without competitors that I can go to. I guess that I stay in the 20th century.
-- Michael F. Stemper #include <Standard_Disclaimer> A preposition is something that you should never end a sentence with.
> As I've said here, I was planning on entering the 21st Century by > moving from dialup through work to my own high-speed internet > access. I just called Charter to sign up for an appointment to > get it installed next weeek, when I'm taking off from work.
> They want my Social Security nember! Apparently, there was somebody > in Duluth with the same name who stiffed them, and they want my > SSN to prove that it wasn't me.
> Unfortunately, they seem to be without competitors that I can go to. > I guess that I stay in the 20th century.
> -- > Michael F. Stemper > #include <Standard_Disclaimer> > A preposition is something that you should never end a sentence with.
Call Social Security and complain. My card says it is not an ID card. And if Charter insists, demand a copy of their tax ID and a copy of their incorporation papers. Make them prove who they are first. Won't help you get service but you might feel better. Oh yes, ask for the name of who you talk to and have them spell it. Bugs the heck out of the corporate drones.
<mev...@gcfn.org> wrote: >On Nov 17, 1:39 pm, mstem...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) >wrote: >> As I've said here, I was planning on entering the 21st Century by >> moving from dialup through work to my own high-speed internet >> access. I just called Charter to sign up for an appointment to >> get it installed next weeek, when I'm taking off from work.
>> They want my Social Security nember! Apparently, there was somebody >> in Duluth with the same name who stiffed them, and they want my >> SSN to prove that it wasn't me.
>> Unfortunately, they seem to be without competitors that I can go to. >> I guess that I stay in the 20th century. >Call Social Security and complain. My card says it is not an ID >card.
The newer ones don't say that.
>And if Charter insists, demand a copy of their tax ID and a >copy of their incorporation papers. Make them prove who they are >first. Won't help you get service but you might feel better. Oh yes, >ask for the name of who you talk to and have them spell it. Bugs the >heck out of the corporate drones.
-- "Soldiers, when I give the command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her ... Soldiers, Fire!" - the Last Words of Michel Ney
Michael Stemper <mstem...@siemens-emis.com> wrote: > As I've said here, I was planning on entering the 21st Century > by moving from dialup through work to my own high-speed internet > access. I just called Charter to sign up for an appointment to > get it installed next weeek, when I'm taking off from work. > They want my Social Security nember! Apparently, there was somebody > in Duluth with the same name who stiffed them, and they want my SSN > to prove that it wasn't me. > Unfortunately, they seem to be without competitors that I can go to. > I guess that I stay in the 20th century.
Thank you for refusing rather than knuckling under.
Very likely you can argue them out of it if you're sufficiently persistent. Especially if you go to their head office in person. -- Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/ Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.
On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:05:41 -0800 (PST), "mev...@gcfn.org"
<mev...@gcfn.org> wrote: >On Nov 17, 1:39 pm, mstem...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) >wrote: >> As I've said here, I was planning on entering the 21st Century by >> moving from dialup through work to my own high-speed internet >> access. I just called Charter to sign up for an appointment to >> get it installed next weeek, when I'm taking off from work.
>> They want my Social Security nember! Apparently, there was somebody >> in Duluth with the same name who stiffed them, and they want my >> SSN to prove that it wasn't me. >Call Social Security and complain. My card says it is not an ID >card.
Unfortunately, they want to prove not who Michael /is/, but who he /isn't/, which probably isn't covered.
On Nov 17, 1:39 pm, mstem...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote:
> As I've said here, I was planning on entering the 21st Century by > moving from dialup through work to my own high-speed internet > access. I just called Charter to sign up for an appointment to > get it installed next weeek, when I'm taking off from work.
> They want my Social Security nember! Apparently, there was somebody > in Duluth with the same name who stiffed them, and they want my > SSN to prove that it wasn't me.
> Unfortunately, they seem to be without competitors that I can go to. > I guess that I stay in the 20th century.
As Keith notes, many corporations will, if pressed, let you use another ID number of some kind. One way to do this is say that you're Canadian, and don't have an SSN.
As for the legality of using SSNs, the restriction is, as I understand it, only for non-employment related governmental use. Non government entities are free to request it, and you are free to refuse to do so. Of course, if you refuse, they are free to not do business with you.
cryptoguy <treifam...@gmail.com> wrote: >On Nov 17, 1:39 pm, mstem...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) >wrote: >> As I've said here, I was planning on entering the 21st Century by >> moving from dialup through work to my own high-speed internet >> access. I just called Charter to sign up for an appointment to >> get it installed next weeek, when I'm taking off from work.
>> They want my Social Security nember! Apparently, there was somebody >> in Duluth with the same name who stiffed them, and they want my >> SSN to prove that it wasn't me.
>> Unfortunately, they seem to be without competitors that I can go to. >> I guess that I stay in the 20th century.
>As Keith notes, many corporations will, if pressed, let you use >another ID number of some kind. One way to do this is say that you're >Canadian, and don't have an SSN.
Would they then not ask to see your green card?
-- Dorothy J. Heydt Vallejo, California djheydt at hotmail dot com Should you wish to email me, you'd better use the hotmail edress. Kithrup is getting too damn much spam, even with the sysop's filters.
cryptoguy <treifam...@gmail.com> wrote: > As Keith notes, many corporations will, if pressed, let you use > another ID number of some kind.
For a phone company, a good choice would be one's phone number.
> One way to do this is say that you're Canadian, and don't have > an SSN.
Or you could say that you're an American, but don't have one. There's no law that every US citizen must have one. Or, like me, you could tell the truth and say that you have one but don't give it out.
> As for the legality of using SSNs, the restriction is, as I > understand it, only for non-employment related governmental use. > Non government entities are free to request it, and you are free to > refuse to do so. Of course, if you refuse, they are free to not do > business with you.
In my experience, such refusal is extremely rare, though you may have to argue with several levels of management. -- Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/ Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.
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