On-line merchant pisses me off

[Carlos del Vaca]

So, yesterday I'm looking at CD-RW drives, and I find the one I want
at a good price from a particular on-line retailer.  It's a web site
I've had recommended from a friend, but never ordered from previously myself.

I'm going through the usual drill of entering my credit card info,
and they ask for the issuing bank's 800 number from the back of the
card.  "Please provide for faster verification service," is the only
explanation.

I have NEVER been asked for this one before, in any credit card
transaction, be it on-line, over the phone, or in person.  They seem
like a reputable retailer, and I can't say exactly how having the
bank's customer service number would enable them to commit credit
card fraud more easily.  But I can't think of why they'd need it,
either.  I'm thinking about putting in just a random 800 number, like
my company's voice mail system number or something.

Anyone else ever seen this?  Know of the justification for it?  Think
I'm being overly paranoid?

[CortJstr]

It could be to try and prove you possess the card but for that most places ask for the 3 digits on the signature panel. That's at least a theory.

And you are buying a Plextor or Lite-On drive, right?

[Carlos del Vaca]

It could be to try and prove you possess the card but for that most places ask for the 3 digits on the signature panel.

But they asked for that, too.  That I've seen before.

I am in fact looking at the Lite-On LTR-52327S.

[jough]

The only place I've ever been asked for that was from Comp-U-Plus.  They're pretty reputible, though, and came through with several orders for me and so far have not done anything nasty with my CC info.

[Carlos del Vaca]

I've had it suggested elsewhere that if your shipping address is different from your billing address, the merchant may contact your credit card company and ask "Think this is legit?"  If you do such things, you should contact your credit card company yourself and tell them "You can approve all transactions sent to Pier 38, Warehouse 6 in the Baltimore Harbor" or whatever.

So, since my shipping and billing addresses are the same, they shouldn't need to do that, right?  I filled in my company's toll-free voice mail access number and let it rip.

Soon I will have a shiny new CD-RW drive, which will hopefully work better than the last time.  Dell support can BITE ME, I finally decided I'd rather spend $35 than do the same half-dozen useless tasks over again to prove my fuckin' drive DOESN'T WORK.

[CortJstr]

With my last computer adventure I specifically made sure there wouldn't be a CD-RW drive for two reasons: 1) the Plextor I already own is better than whatever off-brand they'd give me and 2) It is the only way to keep Dell/Gateway from infecting your system with Roxio products.