Privacy Gripe

[profdsny]

Okay, figure this out. I've noticed, as probably all of you have, that in the last year or so, when you call MS, you need to not only give your member number, but your last soc number, plus your name, plus your address. Used to be just your member number, then that plus soc. The other day, they even asked for my phone number. "So", I asked, "how come all the questions now a days?"
The answer is to protect our privacy! Well, asking all those questions doesn't protect our privacy. Now, this is not a call where I want to know how many points I have, or change a reservation, or anything else on those lines. This is long before I even get to ask a question!!! And, apparently, they are mandated to do this by federal law. (another governement agency doing this? Homeland security checking up to protect us?)
I can see at some point during a reservation type call they want to verify who they are actually talking to to make sure that someone hasn't gotten access to someone's points, (has that ever happened?) but for "privacy" sake when all I want to do is to make a dining reservation or check on availability? Come on!

 

[Doctor P]

I really haven't run into this but once--when we called a resort directly to make a reservation during Hurricane Frances and MS was closed. I really appreciated the extra care they went through under THOSE circumstances. Otherwise, we have password on our membership and in almost every instance have been asked to give the password after we give our member number. No further questions are necessary because of that.

 

[Candace]

Yes, it is that way each time I call also. It really makes the call SO much longer to MS! You get excited to get in quickly and then you have to go through the whole spiel!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

It's HIPAA regulations that are probably causing all these questions. Next time you go to your family doctor, you'll have to fill out a form about privacy. And you'll get lots of extra paper from your credit card company.

 

[Alphatexana]

Well, it isn't HIPAA. That deals with personal health information.

Might be Gramm Leach Bliley. Gramm Leach Bliley covers financial information including oans and extensions of credit--so if Disney is carrying your note this could apply. However, even if it is Gramm Leach Bliley, GLB does not require that a specific list of questions be asked for verification purposes; it requires that Disney keep your information private and not share it with third parties. My hunch is that all of the questions is just Disney wanting to make sure that they take reasonable precautions to make sure that everyone's information is kept private.

I'm not really a privacy law expert, I just play one on TV.


Alphatexana

 

[goldilocks_63]

and why do they always ask the age of the child????

what's that about.

I find it extremely unpleasant. (no very magical).

And, after recently having a bout of identity fraud, don't really like even giving my last 4 digits of SSN.

Just my opinion, Goldi

 

[OneMoreTry]

1. Credit card companies match my card number to the caller ID of the phone number I'm calling from. Plus they ask a couple of questions, like maybe birth date or phone number. I wonder if MS could do that.

2. If I initiate a call, I'm not so reluctant to give the information they ask for. If someone calls me, then I am. It's unlikely someone is rerouting calls from my home. Although, I guess someone could be listening to a cordless phone from the street.

 

[Chuck S]

In Disney's reservation system, your dining PSs are filed under home phone number. Your DVC info is filed under mem# and Soc. Security.

They also probably want to verify your address, maybe a lot of folks have moved and failed to notify MS.

 

[CarolA]

Well, if they don't ask for the info and I get your membership number that is all I need and I am off using your points.

You already gave them 90% of that when you signed on!

I figure the phone number and address are important if I would like to be sure I receive the confirmation or any phone calls (waitlists, Vero Beach closes due to hurricanes etc.)

 

[Coach Rick]

I can certainly understand Name, Member #, address, and phone. But that is it! I don't remember them asking for SS# last year, but I am getting ready to make new ressies for August. So we will see. I know in the past on other requests for that info from CC compaies, and such, I simply decline to offer that info over the phone, and have never gotten any flack about it.

 

[CarolMN]

I don't recall ever having to give MS my SSN to make a reservation or bank points - not even the last 4 digits. Also don't recall giving them anything except my member number. Granted, I haven't called since last January. Maybe this is something new.

If I gave them my member number, I do not think I would give them my SSN without a very good explanation of why they need it. That would include talking with a Supervisor.

Not sure why you would have to give your address & TN - unless MS is just verifying that their records are correct.

Since they only mail the confirmation letters to the address of record, I'm not sure how anyone could use someone else's number fraudulently and get away with it. Maybe for a very last minute reservation - but eventually, they'd get caught. I know that I carefully monitor my point balance, LOL!

FWIW, I would not want MS to change my address or TN based on a phone call without a lot of verifying that I am who I say I am! Afterwards, I would expect to receive a letter saying that they changed it. The letter should go to both the old and new address. That's how the financial services industry does it - at least the company I work with does it that way!

For what it's worth, banks and financial services companies have to collect a lot more information on thier customers since the Patriot Act was passed. Purpose is to make sure that terrorists and crimminals cannot use our financial system to their benefit. In some ways, we have lost some of our privacy.

Best wishes -

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have never had to give more than my member number either. I have only had to give out the phone # when making PS ressies.

As to the ages of occupants, that might have something to do with safety issues in case of an emergency, or with occupancy requirements. I have only had that question asked once in 8 years of making ressies.

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by Alphatexana
Well, it isn't HIPAA. That deals with personal health information.

Alphatexana

Agreeing with Alphatexana.
HIPAA just seems to be everywhere (and even the privacy parts of it were supposedly not the reason it was passed), but only applies to health care settings.
HIPAA actually stands for Health Insurance Portablility and Accountability Act. What that has to do harrassing you with forms that tell you how private your information is and making healthcare providers jump thru a bunch of hoops to show that they provided the harrassment, is beyond me.

 

[Muushka]

We are privacy fanatics. We never provided them with a SSN. For the past 3 or so times we called, they have asked us:

1. Membership number
2. Name
3. SSN

I then refuse to give my SSN and they say OK, what is your address and or phone number, and that I will give.

While I can appreciate the fact that they want only the member making reservations, considering that they will send us the confirmation letter should be enough to alert us that someone else has made a reservation. I hate my privacy being invaded .

 

[ErinC]

Yesterday, I called CRO to make a res. for a one night stay before our DVC stay. She asked all of my children's ages, and then proceeded to ask their birthdates. Frankly, I really wanted to say, that it wasn't their business, and I did ask why she needed to know. She replied something about updating their system, blah, blah, blah, ... In hindsight I wish I wouldn't have given it to them. You think MS has a lot of questions, Try calling CRO!!

 

[Cruelladeville]

I think that the questions that MS asks are invasive. I made several ressies last summer, and they asked for name, member #, last 4 digits of my SS number, address and phone number. Why they asked about my kids ages is beyond me, since they have it right in their computer, along with how many trips I have taken, and when. They use that stuff to verify that you are you, I guess.

 

[OneMoreTry]

Originally posted by Chuck S
In Disney's reservation system, your dining PSs are filed under home phone number. Your DVC info is filed under mem# and Soc. Security.

They also probably want to verify your address, maybe a lot of folks have moved and failed to notify MS.

My point regarding using the caller ID is that it's unlikely an identity thief will be calling from your home phone.

Remember, MS is not your best friend. They don't know the sound of your voice. If someone screws up your account they will be responsible

 

[kathleena]

While annoying to answer each time - I don't find this to be invading privacy at all. I am telling them nothing more than what they have in their system already and I consider that 1) they are verifying that it's really me calling and I appreciate that and 2) they are making sure that the system is correct with my information.

Although I think it's overkill to ask the filler questions each and every time (c'mon I just told you my address, do ya really need my ZIP too?), I can see where they may get a lot of returned mail, perhaps errors in maintaining records etc.

If they have 100 or so MS CMs who take calls and can do routine maintenance like changing addresses, recording family members etc etc - they probably get a good % of errors and this can be one way of QA a well as keeping the records update.

Same routine is employed with CRO, so I find this no big deal for the 3-4 times I might call in a year.

But previous posters are correct - this has nothing to do with HIPAA. That's just medical stuff.

 

[Chuck S]

I agree with Kathleena,

How is it an "invasion of privacy" when it is all info they already have on file, and we are just verifying it? It's not like we're giving them new info, it is info that any MS rep can call up on their screen.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) WDW and DVC do ask questions.
2) This goes into the database for marketting & demographics.
3) They can then target you for special ads or offers.
4) It also lets them tailor future specials and offers
5) When I call, my past visit history is on their computer system
6) They ask
. . . your birthdate
. . . kids birthdates
. . . if you bring grandkids or others
. . . how often you visit
. . . time of year when you like to visit