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Hi, All

I'm looking at the Downtown Denver Arts Festival and the application on Zapp wants my Colorado driver's license number.  I'm cautious about giving it out as there is a lot of personal information that can be gleaned from that number.

Is this common with a lot of shows?  This is my first year doing festivals, and my first time using Zapp.

Thanks in advance!

Jackie

Tags: application, driver's, festival, license, zapp

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This show is for Colo. artists only, probably need # to verify that. I walked the show last year when vacationing..nice quality..great location.
Good luck,
Kevin
My teenage daughter was applying for summer jobs recently. You would not believe the applications that asked for both driver’s license number and social security number! Like I want that info floating round the mall. I told her to fill in each blank, “will provide if hired”.

I do know another residents-only show that asks for a photocopy of the driver's license. I scanned it, blocked out the digits, and sent it.
Good ideas Linnea! With ID theft running rampant today I don't blame your caution.

I do basically the same thing when purchasing at shows. I can't tell you how many exhibitors want my phone number when I give them my credit card. (One wanted my SSN!!) I don't know who they are. So if I give them that personal information, they can look it up and find my address. Now they have my name, address, telephone number, credit card number, and the CVV code on the back too. And my signature!

So I ask, "You can't authorize the card now?" If not, they lose the sale.

Just like the topic at hand. I don't give out personal information to anybody I don't know.

Linnea Lahlum said:
My teenage daughter was applying for summer jobs recently. You would not believe the applications that asked for both driver’s license number and social security number! Like I want that info floating round the mall. I told her to fill in each blank, “will provide if hired”.

I do know another residents-only show that asks for a photocopy of the driver's license. I scanned it, blocked out the digits, and sent it.
Thanks, folks! I'm sure it is to verify that I am Colorado resident, but seeing my ID at check-in should suffice. I will contact the promoter and voice my concerns. It disturbs me that Zapp would even allow this field. Besides, what's to keep someone from entering a bogus DL number or that of a friend who lives in-state?

I was really looking forward to the possibility of doing this show since it's so close to home. Bummer if I have to skip it over this.

Thanks for the feedback!

Jackie
I collect phone numbers when accepting credit cards and checks, this past weekend I had a credit card declined after I returned home from a show. If I didn't have their phone number I would have been out of luck. In the past year that has happened twice.
If you want me to accept your card I will need to have contact info so I can get ahold of you should there be a problem.
-Also as a good artist promoting yourself shouldn't you collect addresses of your clients for your mailing list? I, like many others, have had great sucess by sending out post cards to past customers with my show schedule on it. I know facebook and twitter are free, but I have tracked many many sales to my old fashioned postcards.

-Back to the DL, give Jim a call. He's a very resonable guy and does what he can to help each artist. I got in to this show last year off the waitlist but it was too late to do. Some of my friends did the show and commented on how it was one of the best run shows that they had been too. I think it's worth it to get the details ironed out and get the application in.

Chris Hoyt said:
Good ideas Linnea! With ID theft running rampant today I don't blame your caution.

I do basically the same thing when purchasing at shows. I can't tell you how many exhibitors want my phone number when I give them my credit card. (One wanted my SSN!!) I don't know who they are. So if I give them that personal information, they can look it up and find my address. Now they have my name, address, telephone number, credit card number, and the CVV code on the back too. And my signature!

So I ask, "You can't authorize the card now?" If not, they lose the sale.

Just like the topic at hand. I don't give out personal information to anybody I don't know.

Linnea Lahlum said:
My teenage daughter was applying for summer jobs recently. You would not believe the applications that asked for both driver’s license number and social security number! Like I want that info floating round the mall. I told her to fill in each blank, “will provide if hired”.

I do know another residents-only show that asks for a photocopy of the driver's license. I scanned it, blocked out the digits, and sent it.
There are federal laws about what PII (personal information) can be collected, and how it has to be handled. I'm not sure if DL number is on the list, but it should be. If it is, I think that the form requesting it must also state how that number is being used, and what is being done to protect the information. Google "PII" and you will find lot's of regulations and information.
Ben,
Just be aware that many states are making it a crime to demand personal information when accepting a credit card unless the item is to be shipped. Many states have instituted fines. Those pesky privacy laws, you know.

And why aren't you just getting the card authorized at the time of the sale? Just key in the processor's 800 number on speed dial on your cell if you don't have a terminal.

And with the new cards coming out with no raised numbers, just printed on the face, even knucklebusters will become obsolete in time.

As I have stated before, my phone number is none of anybody's business. If you demand a phone number, I'll just give out a false one, and you'll never know. And if somebody is going to give you a bad card on purpose, do you really think they're going to give you a real phone number? Get the card authorized at the time of the sale to avoid any problems later.

And I have never had a mailing list in over 30 years of doing shows.
I have a wireless Nurit terminal (not cell phone) but there are times when I can’t get a signal. Sometimes I’m in a remote area, sometimes the signal is blocked by a hill. Sometimes just because it feels like it. This happens at a few shows a year. I have store and forward, so I can send it later, but that doesn’t help me on the spot to get an approval. When I have to do this, I can print out an “offline” receipt, but I still ask for a phone number. Maybe I’ve been lucky…no one has questioned me on this. I have explained a few times that when it isn’t approved on the spot I need to have some recourse. Customers have been very understanding.

I have used the phone number a few times…not from being given a fraudulent card, but because someone was over their limit. They all worked out.

I suppose if someone wants to be a stinker they will. …meaning they are looking for a chance to get something for nothing. When I used the knucklebuster all the time (before I had a battery system, I took them home or back to the hotel to process) that did happen once. Someone started a chargeback because the charge was processed the next day.

I still prefer to have the approval on the spot, especially at a busy show…where a charge-happy customer may be over their limit quickly. But having a wireless system may not cover all situations. (I’m sure everybody has seen artists holding their machines up into the air?)


Chris Hoyt said:
Ben,
Just be aware that many states are making it a crime to demand personal information when accepting a credit card unless the item is to be shipped. Many states have instituted fines. Those pesky privacy laws, you know.

And why aren't you just getting the card authorized at the time of the sale? Just key in the processor's 800 number on speed dial on your cell if you don't have a terminal.

And with the new cards coming out with no raised numbers, just printed on the face, even knucklebusters will become obsolete in time.

As I have stated before, my phone number is none of anybody's business. If you demand a phone number, I'll just give out a false one, and you'll never know. And if somebody is going to give you a bad card on purpose, do you really think they're going to give you a real phone number? Get the card authorized at the time of the sale to avoid any problems later.

And I have never had a mailing list in over 30 years of doing shows.
Linnea,
I too have a Nurit. And up here there isn't always a signal either. So yes, I will put the terminal in store and foward mode and upload later. But I also get a printout every time I put into that mode.

"Merchant accepts all risk for declined or unauthorized use of cards".

That means if I get a bad card I just gave away my merchandise. And sometimes I do get a decline at the hotel. So what do I do? I wait a week and then put it through again. 99% of the time it is accepted. Either the customer was just over their limit or the payment was late. I can probably count on one hand the number of cards I haven't been able to collect in this way since I started using a terminal in 1993. An old Verifone Tranz 420 with a bag phone. That setup took up more room than my cash register.
I have had that too, the customer that is temporarily over the limit. I know I’m getting more debit cards, though I can’t tell from the receipt whether it is. Despite the fees they have to pay for overdrafts, I think many people routinely run over. Sometimes it does take me a few tries to get “MY” piece of their account that is owed. So far it hasn’t happened in these cases, but having had the chargeback experience mentioned above, in the back of my mind is the fear that the charge being processed much later than the sale will be used by someone to contest it. Though I would have my arguments ready if they did!

Chris Hoyt said:
Linnea,
I too have a Nurit. And up here there isn't always a signal either. So yes, I will put the terminal in store and foward mode and upload later. But I also get a printout every time I put into that mode.

"Merchant accepts all risk for declined or unauthorized use of cards".

That means if I get a bad card I just gave away my merchandise. And sometimes I do get a decline at the hotel. So what do I do? I wait a week and then put it through again. 99% of the time it is accepted. Either the customer was just over their limit or the payment was late. I can probably count on one hand the number of cards I haven't been able to collect in this way since I started using a terminal in 1993. An old Verifone Tranz 420 with a bag phone. That setup took up more room than my cash register.
A Autumn show I had last year in the NC mountians I kept loosing my connection. I have used my settup for a year (wireless) and had to take and store 7 transactions. I haven't done this much and didn't take phone numbers. two came back. ouch! next time I will! And I didn't know about entering the number again. I wish I did.
Hi, Paula

I sent the promoter an email and he responded almost immediately, which was very nice. He said that the DL number never leaves the Zapp system, not even as a printout. He responded in a an email, so I have it in writing. I have applied to the show and will have to show my DL at check-in if I'm chosen to exhibit. But they're apparently not comparing it to anything when that happens. I guess they want what they want. There are a couple of shows that I'm skipping because they want even more, but I'm pretty satisfied that my DL is relatively safe with this promoter.

Thanks for checking in!

Jackie

Purse Stuff - Paula said:
Jackie,
What did the promoter say about the DL requirement? Did you decide to apply for the show?

Purse Stuff - Paula

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