They need your social security number to opt OUT of Credit Card offers?

[tvguy]

My adult daughter is fed up with daily junk mail offering her credit cards.
She called the 888-567-8688 toll free number that allows you to opt out.
First thing they want is your Social Security number! Ah no, name and address should be enough in my book. She isn't applying for the card, she is asking to stop being ASKED to apply.
Is there a big issue with people fraudulently asking NOT to get credit card offers? It isn't like you can't go online and apply for a card on your own if you want the card.

 

[Sadie22]

There is a big issue with disgruntled persons wanting to do harm to or harass someone else. Think mean divorcing spouses, perhaps. The credit bureaus should be asking for additional pieces of identifying information, not just name and address. This is not a junk mail issue. It's a credit issue.

 

[tvguy]

There is a big issue with disgruntled persons wanting to do harm to or harass someone else. Think mean divorcing spouses, perhaps. The credit bureaus should be asking for additional pieces of identifying information, not just name and address. This is not a junk mail issue. It's a credit issue.

I respectfully disagree. It isn't a credit issue until you apply for a credit card, and stopping the junk mail has zero impact on your ability to get a credit card.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I respectfully disagree. It isn't a credit issue until you apply for a credit card, and stopping the junk mail has zero impact on your ability to get a credit card.

This is the first time I ever heard of such a thing. That's crazy and I agree with you. I stopped junk mail/credit card offers by filling out someplace on-line, it was so long ago I forget the website. Hunt around you'll find it.

Now if I could just stop the store circulars but there's no way to stop it according to my mailman.

 

[tvguy]

This is the first time I ever heard of such a thing. That's crazy and I agree with you. I stopped junk mail/credit card offers by filling out someplace on-line, it was so long ago I forget the website. Hunt around you'll find it.

Now if I could just stop the store circulars but there's no way to stop it according to my mailman.

I wonder if the website asks for a social security number too? None of their business if they are sending unsolicited offers to me and I want them to stop.

Yeah, store circulars are where the Post Office cleans up financially. Everything is pre-sorted by the company, minimum amount of work for the Post Office. Allegedly those mailers are why our Postal Rates aren't higher than they are. They aren't going away because they are effective. I had lunch today at a restaurant that mails out coupons, almost everyone there was using it. Waitress said they tried online coupons, nowhere as effective. But this is a small 16 table family run diner which draws a customer base of 55 to deceased. Of course, with the largest chunk of the popular hitting 55 or more, they have a growing customer base.

 

[Luvchefmic]

You know what I was wrong, guess I forgot since it's been a long time ago like I said. You do have to put SS# ( encrypted on website if it makes you feel any safer ) . Apparently I must have.

If not well, I guess the best thing is she should invest in a good cross cut paper shredder that can also take those fake plastic cards.


http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0148-prescreened-credit-and-insurance-offers

 

[Sadie22]

I don't think I was understood.

Someone might try to harass someone else by trying to prevent them from getting credit offers or by putting a hold on their credit.

Even if it's just the case of two people of the same or similar name living at the same address, a Junior and a Senior, for example, credit bureaus will ask for identifying information beyond just a name and address, in order to properly fulfill the request for the correct individual.

Credit card offers are not simply junk mail. Credit card offers can be stopped through credit bureaus. If you want to stop junk mail, you contact the Direct Mail Marketing Association.

 

[Dznypal]

especially from Capital One

Finally I wrote void on the application form cut it up into small pieces

expect you could still read the address and where I wrote void

and sent it all back in "their" self addressed envelope--this way they paid the postage to get there own junk mail back


its been a long time since we got any credit card offers-- I was thinking that with the credit these places were giving out and a lot of it not getting paid back they sort of gave up--I guess not

anyways good luck

 

[happymommy]

NO! You do NOT need to give your SSN to opt out of any credit card offers.

 

[Sadie22]

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0148-prescreened-credit-and-insurance-offers

 

[Luvchefmic]

NO! You do NOT need to give your SSN to opt out of any credit card offers.

Apparently you do. If you look at the link I posted above. I was convinced I didn't but yes you do. Yes Sadie22
same link.

 

[tvguy]

I don't think I was understood.

Someone might try to harass someone else by trying to prevent them from getting credit offers or by putting a hold on their credit.

Even if it's just the case of two people of the same or similar name living at the same address, a Junior and a Senior, for example, credit bureaus will ask for identifying information beyond just a name and address, in order to properly fulfill the request for the correct individual.

Credit card offers are not simply junk mail. Credit card offers can be stopped through credit bureaus. If you want to stop junk mail, you contact the Direct Mail Marketing Association.

I don't see stopping junk mail as harassment. How does it impact anyone? If they want a credit card, they can apply without this impacting them. You don't need an offer to apply, you just apply.

 

[pryncess527]

I don't see stopping junk mail as harassment. How does it impact anyone? If they want a credit card, they can apply without this impacting them. You don't need an offer to apply, you just apply.

The FTC believes their are benefits to getting these offers, so presumably want to take care to ensure requests are legit and processed for the correct person - jrs can create a banking nightmare so that's a non malicious phase where SS identity might be needed.

Benefits, from their site
As you consider opting out, you should know that prescreened offers can provide many benefits, especially if you are in the market for a credit card or insurance. Prescreened offers can help you learn about what's available, compare costs, and find the best product for your needs. Because you are pre-selected to receive the offer, you can be turned down only under limited circumstances. The terms of prescreened offers also may be more favorable than those that are available to the general public. In fact, some credit card or insurance products may be available only through prescreened offers.

 

[HM]

We get them constantly. I just tear them up and throw away. Easy.

 

[tvguy]

The FTC believes their are benefits to getting these offers, so presumably want to take care to ensure requests are legit and processed for the correct person - jrs can create a banking nightmare so that's a non malicious phase where SS identity might be needed.

Benefits, from their site
As you consider opting out, you should know that prescreened offers can provide many benefits, especially if you are in the market for a credit card or insurance. Prescreened offers can help you learn about what's available, compare costs, and find the best product for your needs. Because you are pre-selected to receive the offer, you can be turned down only under limited circumstances. The terms of prescreened offers also may be more favorable than those that are available to the general public. In fact, some credit card or insurance products may be available only through prescreened offers.

Okay, I see their explanation and I sort of see a tiny weeny bit of benefit, but the broader picture I don't get in my daughter's case is her credit history. On the plus side, she has had 1 student credit card for 5 years, and always paid her bill on time.....with DW's and my money. Her total income the past 5 years came from 1 part time job 2 years ago was $1,700. I just wonder why she has become so attractive through pre-screening to these credit card companies.

 

[tvguy]

We get them constantly. I just tear them up and throw away. Easy.

Which is what I told her, but she saw the "opt out" option, and is tired of getting of this junk mail.

 

[MillauFr]

We get them constantly. I just tear them up and throw away. Easy.

That is what I do. My wife used to try to call to get them to stop sending crap to us but gave up when they would just ignore her requests.

 

[dsneprincess]

Okay, I see their explanation and I sort of see a tiny weeny bit of benefit, but the broader picture I don't get in my daughter's case is her credit history. On the plus side, she has had 1 student credit card for 5 years, and always paid her bill on time.....with DW's and my money. Her total income the past 5 years came from 1 part time job 2 years ago was $1,700. I just wonder why she has become so attractive through pre-screening to these credit card companies.

I assume they see:
a payment history, which can be seen as responsible and likely to pay back.
Her age, which they can assume will lead to expensive, impulse purchases for fashion or furnishing an apartment.
Her lack of income, which can mean many years of lucrative minimum payments, if they can just get their card in her hands so she can BUY what she WANTS NOW, not later.

Just a guess that they just place the temptation in front of young adults who maybe aren't as aware of the consequences and pitfalls of accepting the forbidden fruit in these circumstances.
I am not saying any of this applies to your daughter, just that I can see the appeal from a credit card company view point.

 

[willowsnn3]

My adult daughter is fed up with daily junk mail offering her credit cards.
She called the 888-567-8688 toll free number that allows you to opt out.
First thing they want is your Social Security number! Ah no, name and address should be enough in my book. She isn't applying for the card, she is asking to stop being ASKED to apply.
Is there a big issue with people fraudulently asking NOT to get credit card offers? It isn't like you can't go online and apply for a card on your own if you want the card.

I thought the same when I called but finally a few weeks later bit the bullet and gave it out. I get so many offers it is pathetic. I'm leery of just tearing up and putting in trash. Didn't mind so much when I could take it all to work and use the shredder but that is broke so the offers just keep piling up.

 

[tvguy]

I assume they see:
a payment history, which can be seen as responsible and likely to pay back.
Her age, which they can assume will lead to expensive, impulse purchases for fashion or furnishing an apartment.
Her lack of income, which can mean many years of lucrative minimum payments, if they can just get their card in her hands so she can BUY what she WANTS NOW, not later.

Just a guess that they just place the temptation in front of young adults who maybe aren't as aware of the consequences and pitfalls of accepting the forbidden fruit in these circumstances.
I am not saying any of this applies to your daughter, just that I can see the appeal from a credit card company view point.

It's greed, stupid people, and to be honest, it is pressure from federal regulators. That's what happened when everything crashed 2008-2010. Banks extended credit to marginal folks hoping to make money, but they were under intense pressure from the feds and did not want to be accused of discrimination in their credit practices. And bottom line, a lot of individuals accepted credit that they should have known they could never afford.

Flip side, when we bought our house in 1983, a lender offering a similar program made it possible for us to get a mortgage for just 5% down. The payments were 60% of our take home pay . And mortgage rates had just dropped from 16% to under 13%

We made it work, and were able to refinance at 9% and then 6%. A lot of borrowers in that era did not make it work, and that tiny 5% down was not enough to cover the banks foreclosure costs. Our bank took a bath on those mortgages. So much so, when 4 years later we went to refinance for the first time, the same bank insisted I was wrong when I said we put just 5 % down......."we don't write mortgages for just 5% down". Then he pulled the file from the archives, and was genuinely shocked that they HAD written loans like that.