This is a Dell Policy?????

A user who has been asking me about what kind of computer to buy told me the following today:-

She had found an offer from Dell in some publication or other and had called the number in the ad and was redirected to India, (no surprise there).

She indicated that she was looking at a promotion and was interested. The conversation proceeded....

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Dell: Ahh... Ok, let me get some details to set up your account. Can I have your name please?

User: Ann Smith

Dell: Address?

User: 123 High Street.... etc.

Dell: Phone number?

User: 3105551212

Dell: Social Security Number so I can see if you are elegible for another promotion?

User: Pardon?

Dell: Social Security Number so we can check with the bank to see if you are eligible for another promotion?

User: I'm really not comfortable with that.

Dell: Never mind, some people get a little uncomfortable giving that....

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The conversation was rather quickly closed by my well trained user.........

Questions:

1. Has anyone else here come across this?
2. Is this a _genuine_ Dell thing or is this guy scamming on the side?
3. How stupid are they to be doing stuff this way if it is their "technique"

i think you should do a reverse look-up of that phone number then shoot that ad off to the FBI.

I have dealt with Dell Canada...and some US Tech Support (server) and have never been asked that type of question...I have inquired about thier promotions for both business and home users

Good move on the user...obviously trained very well ;)

MLF

Tiger: My ex's mom had a similar experience. She was trying to get Dell support (was talking to someone in India of course) and they asked her for her SSN to "verify" her account. She told me that nowhere in the purchasing process did she give out her SSN so they wouldnt of had it on file. As far as I know she did report it to Dell (along with a huge list of other complaints) but they have not gotten back to her. After hearing your story I think that it might of been a scammer she talked to..

I am kinda think along the same lines...worker is just gathering info...for his own use.

Not really a Dell policy....

You gotta wonder how many people will actually give that info out over the phone...to a tech\sales person...in ANY country??

I have trouble giving out my phone number :rolleyes: (unpublished of course)

MLF

Sounds familiar....


http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/0411indiaoutso.html

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-5660274.html

A complaint to the FTC and Dell might be worthwhile.

Ms. M:

Comes through with the skinny as usual.... thank you Ma'am.

I shall be advising our employee to make a complaint to the FTC and Dell.

Interestingly enough he was very reluctant to let her go and gave his number and extension to her and said that if he wasn't there to contact his supervisor at another number.... Either it's a Genuine thing - in which case it is wholly wrong of Dell - or it's a scam being perpetrated by several people there - which is also wrong.

You mean they even OUTSOURCE the scammers!?
Whoa... what a growing industry!
;)

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The conversation was rather quickly closed by my well trained user.........

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You really crack the whip over there Tigershark! You're like a RingMaster.

:)

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You really crack the whip over there Tigershark! You're like a RingMaster.

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Thanks.... But I work with social workers.... the most gullible bunch out there.... Always a sucker for a sob story and the like. I send warnings regularly about new forms of scams as they come out to all users so they are at least informed and know what they should never give out unless the circumstances are in their control.... I guess I do it enough and in a sufficiently understandable way that it is working..... I actually like a few of these people.... :D

Greeting's :

This is my personal experience of call center's and CRA's from India :

1. Very basic product training is given.

2. Will ask you things as per the supervisor's wish (there have been times where many companies have lost contract's due to fact that the supervisor's have given wrong information to CRA)

3. Most of the CRA's are young and in their teen's and very few care about the "QUALITY" of their work this is due to :
A) They have taken job only for summer and are going to leave it in some-time.
B) "who care's hows he going to know who i am"
C) If they fire me here I have another 200 call center's waiting

4. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE : OUT OF ALL THE CRA'S IN INDIA ONLY 0.01 % KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF SSN (I have had people writing SSN on Paper and trying to see how far the next customers ssn is and trying to derive a way to know how SSN is assighned) I know its stupid. :rolleyes:

5. Poor quality control. (but its improving)

So I think if this is a legit call (and i am sure it could be) only thing that is going to happen is that the CRA will be given a warning letter which he will use as a tissue paper or make a paper plane of it. Or even worst if he is sacked he will curse the person for a minute and then apply in the next call center.

Whatever I have said draws a grim picture but its true and improving in better way. People are no longer looking at call center's as a temp. option for their livelyhood but are now taking it seriously.
Although I would like to mention the level of security provided as far as customer data is high at server's end but when it comes to the user or the CRA I am not sure what i should say. I gave example of how stupid and desperate people here are but just for the sake of it for those who know what a gold mine of information they get to see everyday "DO" try their best to exploit it.

and just for a bit of fun you may watch https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/xythoswfs/webui/_xy-5011688_2

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trying to see how far the next customers ssn is and trying to derive a way to know how SSN is assighned) I know its stupid.

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Not entirely.... Using a known first three numbers of an SSN reveals the following:-

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The Social Security Number XXX-82-8725
is valid and was issued in North Carolina.
This SSN is ACTIVE.

Would you like to learn more about this SSN?........

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I hid the first three because they are mine.... the rest was a random selection.... I landed in Charlotte, NC in 1989 entering the country for the first time as a "Resident Alien"... Funny how my SSN indicates that.... wonder what else is in there.... The second pair is probably significant too....

PS: "Active" means I'm not dead yet..... Which is a relief... I check it every morning at 0530 before I have my coffee..... ;)

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PS: "Active" means I'm not dead yet..... Which is a relief... I check it every morning at 0530 before I have my coffee....

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I am glad to hear that old chap, please do NOT forget the "rules":

1. You require my written permission to die.
2. I require a written invitation to the funeral.

:D :p :cool:

Greeting's

One more incident that I remember very well is when one of our collection agent was "ABUSED" by a customer who also was an indian living in america.
This agent who was abused got so angry that he noted down the number and in the break that he got called back that customer and abused and threatened him.
The CRA got a warning and because the customer couldn't do anything except call back an complain; it seemed that he did not have a recording of the conversation.

Nihil:

I'll try to abide by the rules but it would be really handy if you can pass them on to all those dumbass drivers over here that are talking on their cell phones, doing their hair etc. on the way to work and point out that I shouldn't be killed randomly because of their stupidity without your permission..... fair... ;)

You are hereby invited to my funeral..... One way or another the beer will be free, tears will be disallowed and laughter and jokes about what and ******* I was will be encouraged..... :cool:

Celebrate my death.... There will be many others who will... You might as well have fun with them while they are at it.... :D

This article from the register may be interest

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04...ia_call_staff/

"Hey tig if you die can i have your antipoints?" lol
but back to the subject i also think you should report it to dell and social security so that they can put your ssn on the watch list

No you can't.... They are mine and will be buried along with me.... ;)

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Originally posted here by Tiger Shark
Using a known first three numbers of an SSN reveals the following:-

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The Social Security Number XXX-82-8725
is valid and was issued in North Carolina.
This SSN is ACTIVE.

Would you like to learn more about this SSN?........

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You can also find a list of the Social Security Number Allocations by state...

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/employer/stateweb.htm

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4. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE : OUT OF ALL THE CRA'S IN INDIA ONLY 0.01 % KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF SSN

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first off, that percentage is only your opinion. SSN#'s are very important, very private, and VERY valuable to anyone who is interested in assuming an identity, creating false identification cards, credit cards, false birth certificates, passports.

secondly, jsut because the person taking the call might not have much use for the SSN# he is asking for, what if his higher ups do? their supervisors could be telling them to ask for that number for their own benefit. they could very well be running a massive scam, or even a terrorist ring.

a SSN# is not like your telephone number. this number is YOU; your own personal barcode. this number should never be given out over the phone, PERIOD.

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Dell's Policies + Processes -- Canada
Why We May Ask for Your Social Insurance Number?

If your choice of payment for a Dell product is by way of leasing, we will ask for your Social Insurance Number (SIN). This is requested so that we can provide your information to a credit bureau in order to perform a credit analysis. The SIN is the best way to ensure that the information we are provided actually refers to you. This will avoid us making incorrect conclusions about your financial status. However, you should be aware that [COLOR]using your SIN in this manner is voluntary and you have the right to refuse to provide it to us[/COLOR].

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Dell's Online Policies -- USA
Dell only asks for specific types of personal information
Information we may request includes your name, e-mail address, phone number, address, type of business, credit card details, customer preference information, customer number and service tag number, as well as other similar personal information. Should you choose to apply for credit through our financial service providers, [COLOR]we may also ask for your social security number and other information to process your credit request[/COLOR]. If we ever ask for significantly different information we will inform you.

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Check out those policies ... But as you can see you can either give it to them or refuse ....

Over the past 10 years I have bought two computers from Dell...................there will NEVER be a third !..... I would say that "they have reached rock bottom, and started to dig"........with appologies to the Royal Marines Lt. Col. from whom I stole that phrase :D

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No you can't.... They are mine and will be buried along with me..

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Hey Tiger~............complete with full military honours?.............riderless horse............boots in the stirrups facing backwards..............guess we will have to arrange a flypast?

The RFC have told me they have just changed the plugs in the Sopwith Camel.............seems to be a problem in getting canvas belts for the twin Vickers though?

Might have to re-activate the Sopwith Pup?..............I think I have a drum or two for the Lewis?

:p :D

For my American friends, please think "Eddie Rickenbacker", Nieuport 26 & SPAD XXIII.............Lafayette Esquadrille?

The symbol on the sides of the airplanes was a ring with a top hat in the stars and stripes thrown into it .................

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Over the past 10 years I have bought two computers from Dell...................there will NEVER be a third !

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I won't ever buy ANY computer that has a name on it! No way! I will state just a few of the reasons I feel this way.

Compaq... One of their most widely sold and promoted home PC lines for several years had the system BIOS installed on a hidden partition on the hard drive. When your basic home user was faced with a crash due to a virus or by their nephew deleting User.exe to make space for his new Doom game... or worse yet!! they lost their restore CDs that have the cute little program on it that creates this hidden partition and installs the BIOS....

Packard Bell... need I say more?

E-machine... very cheap, low quality... originally given away free to promote some ISP service , they are now found every where.

I could go on and on about each and every department store brand I have ever encountered. If it has a name on it don't buy it boils down to a much simpler view... Build your own box, or have someone build it for you who you can trust, or do without. :D

Awwwwwwwwwwww!

C'mon, my three Compaqs are just great .........matching 286, 386 and 486 Deskpros :D

My first Dell was a PII/333MHz and worked just fine, the second one was a P4/1.7GHz and is OK, but not as good as the first in terms of computing experience.

Like aeallison, I would build my own, or get someone I trusted to do it for me..................

I mess around with upgrades and refurbishments quite a lot for institutions/charities and find that Digital and Siemens Nixdorf are the best (PI/133MHz) boxes :D

I loved the Siemens Nixdorf, because it had this 512Kb (yes...K!) onboard cache card..............it could outrun any of the others in my PI/133 collection :)

I my self have never bought a Dell, although I work with a guy who purchesed one. They have a return policy like most major computer manufactures have, ya know 14 days, a month, a week, what ever if you decide you don't like the computer for what ever reason, well anyways he returned his computer and they credited him no questions asked. A few months later he recived a bill for a few dollars, no kidding it was like 2 dollars (me i would of just paid it and got on with it) but he called Dell and they told him that he had to pay them. He must of called Dell 20 times and got people from all over the world many diffrent countries..
I think Dell out sources everything I tell ya I would not buy anything from them, then again, thats just one bad experience I am sure they don't try to screw people on purpose. It would help if you could understand what the hell the people at the outsourced call centers where saying.
I think you should get call centers in the country your calling from I would think that would make it easier to do business just my OPINION

I agree just build you machine at least you can only blame yourself

Well,

In all actuallity the person may have really called Dell and got a sales rep that works for Dell.

Dell sometimes runs specials if you finance with them ,although it is not really a great deal. So in light of that, yes the SSN may have been required to run the persons credit.

I do not thisnk this is odd, as I have purchased my Dell Laptop through a similar methed with Dell.

just my 2 cents.

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So in light of that, yes the SSN may have been required to run the persons credit.

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Actually that may not be true. I know in Canada it is illegal -- unless it's related to employment -- to ask for a SIN (Social Insurance Number -- same idea as a SSN). Credit checks can be done without it and it tends to give out too much info.

In defense of Dell... My parents bought me a b/w Laserprinter from them about six months back. A couple of months ago, it stopped working completely. I checked for paper jams and the works, and there was nothing. I put off calling tech support for three months 'cause I thought I'd get India. I called them last night, got someone who spoke perfect English (even lived in my town for a while he said) and was very helpful. I got disconnected from him, called back, after like a two minute wait got the same guy again. w00t! After about twenty minutes, he decided it was a memory issue in the printer. They're shipping me a new one on Monday. I put my broken one in the box, tape it up, slap on the return label that they provide and call to have it picked up. Time elapsed from when I first picked up the phone: half-hour.

- Xierox

That sounds like you got good service. Which number did you call? Anyway I have got a horror story for just about every tech line I have ever delt with I don't think that it makes that coputer company bad, I just think that all these companies scorce out thier tech support and somtimes you get substanderd service. I really don't think Dell, Gateway, Hewlettpackerd, or even emachines or any other computer manufacture does this on purpose. Just educate your self more by using web sites like this one, read books, learn everything you can, and maybe everybody won't have to call tech support as much, and you can by any computer you want.

Anyways my point is the more you know the better off you are
learn what you can about your specific machine and have fun

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Originally posted here by crashburn181
Which number did you call?

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877-459-7298

- Xierox