Tuesday, March 3, 2009

I'd like to sign on paper

Am I the only person left in the entire universe who doesn't trust those machines that every store (seemingly) asks you to put your signature into? Or, I suppose more to the point, doesn't trust the people who hack into those machines in order to steal your money, identity, and soul....

Every time I go into those stores that have a "please sign on the machine" policy, I politely say, "I'd like to sign on paper." Their eyes glazed over, they point to the machine and say, "You need to sign there." "No, no," I say politely again, "I'd like to sign on paper." They insist (usually) that I must sign on the machine. I insist that I want to sign on a piece of paper.

Sometimes they call for a manager. If it's a store that I shop in often enough, I usually learn the key combination they need to press. Occasionally, after I insist, they go ahead and print the receipt for me to sign as if they knew all along how to do it.

And sometimes, they will ask why I won't just sign on the machine. So I explain:
-you know how there are people that hack into stores' info in order to steal credit card info and stuff?
-well, imagine that they steal not only the credit card info, but also steal your signature
-now, they can put that signature on anything, and how on earth could you prove it wasn't your signature?


PS Thanks to Peevish for kicking my butt, even though she probably has no idea, because as I read her post, I knew I was off that blogroll of hers. Yes, indeed, I have been out of commission for longer than I thought possible.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never thought of that.

Perhaps I should start paying in cash.

Anonymous said...

Yay, you're baaaaaaack!

My signature on those electronic dealios is never anywhere near my real signature. Not even close. If someone is stealing that signature, that could already be signing away with any ole scribbly mess. (ooh, especially when the machines all glitchy and starts picking up the pen before it even makes contact...then i get a signature that looks like something a fetus would scrawl if they could grasp a pen)

But, yeh, the whole electronic everything does make me nervous.

Welcome back.

might I add...? said...

Jen- Cash... what a novel concept!

dee- Of course, the signature is never like your real one, but does that make it any less binding? I know that I don't sign on the machine, so if someone tries to say "You bought this $25,000 mink coat" or whatever, I can say, "Oh yeah, let me see the paper that I signed on!"

might I add...? said...

And thanks, dee, for the welcome back. It's kind of weird, you know? I've been "gone" for a long time.