Beverages and More (BevMo) does not want your business

[Brian4Liberty]

To make a long story short, Beverages and More is essentially a large chain liquor store. When you purchase anything there, they ask to see your Driver's License, supposedly to verify your age (wrong, as they even do this to senior citizens). They will quickly swipe the card through a reader in front of them. What was that? So now they have all of your information, and they certainly did not ask your permission or issue a disclaimer that they were going to be taking your personal information. The person at the register will make up a story as to why it is required (and probably doesn't even know themselves). The following stories have been heard: "it's to verify age, no matter how old you appear", "it's a security precaution since 9/11 ", "it's to make sure you get credit on your Club account for your purchase." None of these are true though.

Taking your private information, especially with no disclaimer or warning, should probably be illegal. No doubt, it would be up to attorneys and a Judges to decide that in a Court of Law. In the meantime, a boycott is in order.

Let's be clear, if you do not allow them to scan your ID and take your personal information, they do not want your business. They will refuse to sell you a product and turn you away. Beverages and More (BevMo) does not want your business. It is more important to them to violate your privacy, track information about you, and make sure that you are conditioned to be a mindless sheep than to take your money.

It's an upside-down world when no ID is required when you are voting for President of the United States, yet you must have a computer scan and database check of your ID to make a purchase at a store. What's next? A DNA sample before you can buy potato chips? Maybe a TSA agent and a strip search before you can enter their store? Or maybe they will go out of business, as the free market dictates. All we can do is expedite that process.

Boycott BevMo!

 

[torchbearer]

picket outside locations?

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Lol, if you look at the picture of the gentleman writing this review of BevMo, you will know that this has nothing to do with verifying age.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bevmo-redwood-city#hrid:e5Gogse0HoFiC64Z-kvXUw

They regularly scan driver licenses electronically at the checkout. While the manager assured me that the scanner is only used to verify age, I did some research and found that the specific license scanner they are using can store internally up to 4,000 license records, which may (at the store's discretion) later be uploaded to a database on a computer or elsewhere.

In my opinion, scanning my license is a total invasion of my privacy. I'm willing to politely show my ID when requested (I'm more than twice the legal drinking age), and I have nothing to hide - but scanning it is just obnoxious and unnecessary. Perhaps the manager is right when he says they don't retain the records, but how are we to know for sure? And who's to say that policy won't change tomorrow? Big brother will continue to invade our privacy until we the public stand up and say enough is enough. You can look at my license - but no scanning. So I don't shop there any more - I'd rather give my business to someone that respects the customer.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

picket outside locations?

Haven't seen that happen (yet).

 

[jonhowe]

Reminds me of last year when I, 23, tried to buy some local beers while on vacation in maine. Went into the store, picked out some nice beers ($6-12 dollars EACH. CLEARLY not something I was just buying to get wasted), and went to check out. I was told that because my ID was out of state, they could not sell to me unless I was 25... even though the drinking age is 21. Absolutely ridiculous.

Also, a liquor store in NY told me the reason THEY scanned my card was because it wasn't from NY, so they had to "verify".

 

[Deinonychus]

That's weird. They don't do that at our BevMo.

 

[torchbearer]

That's weird. They don't do that at our BevMo.

interesting. if it is a franchise. one of the owners may be breaking with franchise policy.

 

[jkr]

EVIDENCE

 

[PaulConventionWV]

We had to do this at the 7-11 where I live and used to work, too. It was required by law that they present ID, but in a very few cases, we let it slip. We usually just scanned the license because it was easier, but if it wouldn't scan, as was often the case, we would just punch the birthdate of the person into the cash register manually to complete the sale.

I guess, if you really wanted to avoid it, you could somehow obscure your driver's license code to the point where it wouldn't scan and wouldn't look deliberate, and they would have to punch it in manually by actually looking at the card. However, perhaps you could just demand to have them read the card instead of scan it, and if they refuse, just take your business elsewhere.

 

[cstarace]

Walmart has been doing this for years. Even for tobacco purchases.

 

[Carson]

That reminds me of the story of the nose hair clipper that used to run ads everywhere back in the olden days.

It was a cheap item like some of the garbage they sell on television. We had a merchandizing teacher that told us they made more off of gathering your name and address than they did selling you the product. Not only did they have your name and address they had you pigeon holed into a demographic that made the list very valuable to other sales outfits.

I was still young then but I pitied those guys with the onions in their belts.

 

[angelatc]

Can't you take a magnet to the back and muck it up?

My husband's cards are always too worn to scan.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

That's weird. They don't do that at our BevMo.

You might not notice it. They try to be sly.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

EVIDENCE

I am a first hand witness. You want me to take video for you next time?

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Walmart has been doing this for years. Even for tobacco purchases.

Never noticed it there, not that I'm a regular customer. No one has a problem with that? Guess we are all well conditioned.

 

[evilfunnystuff]

I was still young then but I pitied those guys with the onions in their belts.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

We had to do this at the 7-11 where I live and used to work, too. It was required by law that they present ID, but in a very few cases, we let it slip. We usually just scanned the license because it was easier, but if it wouldn't scan, as was often the case, we would just punch the birthdate of the person into the cash register manually to complete the sale.

Showing the ID is one thing. Swiping it through a reader is entirely another. I've seen many places where they look, and then punch in a date, usually not your actual B-date though. And if you look old enough, they just punch in some date without even asking.

However, perhaps you could just demand to have them read the card instead of scan it, and if they refuse, just take your business elsewhere.

Done and done. I showed them the ID, but refused to let them scan it. They said I couldn't buy.

 

[Deinonychus]

You might not notice it. They try to be sly.

Well, unless they can somehow scan my ID while it's in my wallet, then I don't know about that.

 

[specsaregood]

Lol, if you look at the picture of the gentleman writing this review of BevMo, you will know that this has nothing to do with verifying age.

If I was the owner of a business that sold such beverages I too would have a policy of "ID everybody, no matter what". It's a lot less expensive and risky than leaving it up to clerks to decide who to ID and who not to. Those fines add up, and losing your license would be even worse.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

If I was the owner of a business that sold such beverages I too would have a policy of "ID everybody, no matter what". It's a lot less expensive and risky than leaving it up to clerks to decide who to ID and who not to. Those fines add up, and losing your license would be even worse.

Sure, but what you have is government laws resulting in businesses becoming government surveillance agents. And privacy is out the window. The road to hell, paved with good intentions. As the Gentleman in the Yelp review said, how do you know what is being stored? They must be pinging that off of a government (or government derived) database if you really want to ensure that an ID is valid.

So instead of E-verify just for new employees, we will have it at every point of sale (for starters) for everyone.