epassporte requiring paperwork from lots of users

[basschick]

i just logged into my account and saw this:

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Account Alert!
It has been requested that you submit documentation regarding your epassporte account. To view the details of this request and submit requested information, please click HERE or select "Upload Documents" from the Menu Options listed on the left-hand side of this page.

We thank you for your assistance in this matter.

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sounds reasonable so far, right. well, here's the list of everything they want us to upload to them:

Verification Form
Credit-Card Number
Copy of Credit/Debit Card (Back)
Copy of Credit/Debit Card (Front)
Copy of Credit Card Statement
Proof of Name and Address
Government Issued Photo ID

good god! and it will take them 7 - 10 days to sort each account's paperwork out, they say.

there are several threads on gfy about this and one on adx. i hit michael o up, but he's probably going to be pretty busy for a while dealing with all this.

[RDude]

Holy cow. I just logged in and didn't see that stuff but perhaps it's because I don't have any load options.

Very intense indeed. That's getting pretty personal. Can they do that kind of thing? Does a US Government Issued Photo ID have your SSN on it? If I'm ever asked for my Social Insurance Number (the Canadian equivalent to a US SSN) online, I refuse to give it out. The things people can do with that number I may as well give them my CC number. If I had a credit card that is. LOL.

But anyway....some pretty personal things they're asking for there.

[basschick]

no, your i.d. doesn't have your ss# on it, but this seems to be more info than anyone has asked us for up to and including our bank :(

wuoldn't you think a bank statement and photo i.d. should cover this? i mean, that will show address, name and bank info.

[Gaystoryman]

no, your i.d. doesn't have your ss# on it, but this seems to be more info than anyone has asked us for up to and including our bank :(

wuoldn't you think a bank statement and photo i.d. should cover this? i mean, that will show address, name and bank info.

Well I had a talk with them, as it was on my account too. Like no way was I going to give em a passport, and frankly, I am not so sure I will send the info, and just cancel instead. I mean, just how secure are they? Weren't they hacked not long ago?

They coudln't give me a valid reason, helpful they were, but really, no valid explanation other than to prevent identity theft, which makes me wonder, did someone using it get stiffed?

:bang:

[deanb]

They didn't ask for anything from me, but I don't have any options set up for loading it.

[MrJD]

they can go fuck themselves :) no way am I giving them all that info...

[Gaystoryman]

I really don't want to either, more I think about it, less I like it. I'll have to talk to those who pay by epassporte, to see if they have alternative ways to pay. I really don't feel like providing them with anything like my DL or bank statement or anything. Just seems so sudden, so random too.

[gaydemon]

Do they require all of those or only a couple of them?

To be honest, what they are asking for is exactly the same we here in the UK gets asked to show all the time.

We always have to provide copies of old statments, passports or IDs etc. Even when you signup for a gas or electriciy or a mobile phone. No one will open you an account of any type without any such information.

I'm wondering if they are simply trying sort out their act. From what I remember I was asked very similiar things when I signed up for a business account with them.

The problem is, what other ways of payment are there? If you get paid by wire well both you and the sender will have up to $30 to pay on each transfer.

[basschick]

they are asking for ALL of them, not some.

Verification Form
Credit-Card Number
Copy of Credit/Debit Card (Back)
Copy of Credit/Debit Card (Front)
Copy of Credit Card Statement
Proof of Name and Address
Government Issued Photo ID
Check with Void written on it

i missed the check in the first list. and how is your i.d. not proof of name and address?

[gaydemon_jr]

I won't be giving them any of my documentation either. They have been quite happy to have the business without all this palava before now. The card they are requesting info from doesn't even exist any more.

Like Bjorn, I'm used to having to show all this stuff for opening accounts in the UK, but this account doesn't even allow me to withdraw to a UK bank account, so I'm off.

[dzinerbear]

I got the exact same request as Patti. Maybe they're under pressure from the government and banks to be more legit. If they can say they have verified documentation on their users, they can refute fraud and money laundering claims. I use my ePass account too much not to comply.

Michael

[HunkMoneyLuke]

I did not get that message, BUT I did have to provide most of this documentation when I originally setup my credit card reload options earlier this year, so perhaps I was just ahead of the game.

I don't see any problem with giving epassporte this info, after all, its pretty much the same info that you would hand over to any shop where you purchase something with your credit card when you provide them with your physical card plus another form of ID to prove its you (other than the voided cheque, which I assume is only needed if you reload your account by direct bank transfer)

[gaydemon]

Im with both Luke and Micheal here.

I didnt get this request but I'm fairly sure I already provided all those documents to them.

Like Micheal says I do think this a sign of Epassporte sorting out their affairs and making sure they know exactly who they are dealing with. IE going legal.




I got the exact same request as Patti. Maybe they're under pressure from the government and banks to be more legit. If they can say they have verified documentation on their users, they can refute fraud and money laundering claims. I use my ePass account too much not to comply.

Michael


I did not get that message, BUT I did have to provide most of this documentation when I originally setup my credit card reload options earlier this year, so perhaps I was just ahead of the game.

I don't see any problem with giving epassporte this info, after all, its pretty much the same info that you would hand over to any shop where you purchase something with your credit card when you provide them with your physical card plus another form of ID to prove its you (other than the voided cheque, which I assume is only needed if you reload your account by direct bank transfer)

[archer]

no msg(yet) for me beyond that they're doing some sort of system upgrade.

as to the info being required.

i can SOME of info being requested as legit... ie asking for a credit card and two pieces of ID is pretty standard here in Canada

but ALL of it? gimme a break. that's overkill.

[Gaystoryman]

Well after calming down, from a few other things, and going over my call to them about it, the problem I have is simply that they want to verify my address, according to the rep I talked with.

Address verification doesn't require all that stuff, but as Michael said, its handy, and is used a fair amount.

Problem is the explanation given. They have my address, went through it all in order to be able to talk with the rep about the account, plus, that's where their card was sent to, which was well over a year ago.

However, given what was requested, which was no blank cheque btw, I'll do it, simply to maintain the convenience of it.

[basschick]

you give a bank statement, your credit card AND a cancelled check along with your drivers license number to a shop? our merchant account doesn't give us the bank account number or routing number for the purchaser's bank, so this is way more info than we see.


I did not get that message, BUT I did have to provide most of this documentation when I originally setup my credit card reload options earlier this year, so perhaps I was just ahead of the game.

I don't see any problem with giving epassporte this info, after all, its pretty much the same info that you would hand over to any shop where you purchase something with your credit card when you provide them with your physical card plus another form of ID to prove its you (other than the voided cheque, which I assume is only needed if you reload your account by direct bank transfer)

[dzinerbear]

I know GayStoryMan is having trouble, but I checked a few days ago, and all of my docs had been accepted. Considering the mass mailing to ePass members, I guess it went pretty quickly.

Michael

[terrytowel]

I'm brand new with ePassporte. So is this just for people who have the option of uploading money? I just logged into my account and I didn't see anything. Mind you I just sent money to someone once, and have never used this to withdraw money, not even once!

[dzinerbear]

Don't worry about it, when and if they want it, they'll contact you.

Michael

[gaydemon]

I dont think you would get it, your account is what they call a affiliate account so shouldnt require any paper work.

Its only if you are setup to transfer or put money into your account that you will get asked for these things.

Its quite simply protection against money laundring, epassporte needs to know who are putting money into the system. Otherwise it could easily be used for money laundring.



I'm brand new with ePassporte. So is this just for people who have the option of uploading money? I just logged into my account and I didn't see anything. Mind you I just sent money to someone once, and have never used this to withdraw money, not even once!

[gaydemon_jr]

Its only if you are setup to transfer or put money into your account that you will get asked for these things.

My account was just an affiliate account, but I still got asked for the documents. Though, I did have the VISA electron card.

[basschick]

my account was also an affiliate account, although i did a couple years back have a credit card attached to my account.

i understand that banks - not just epassporte's bank - are asking for stuff like this to make sure no one is using them to launder money.

[Gaystoryman]

So now it is to make sure no one is using it for money laundering? I don't know, how many have had PayPal ask for all these documents?

I can see wanting to verify we are who we say we are, but maybe there is some secret video cam attached I don't know about? I mean photo ID, for electronic money upload/withdrawal... explain why that is necessary?

One of the items asked for was a SIN card, which btw up here doesn't have a photo, however the Canadian Government only recently made it allowable for a BANK or CREDIT UNION ONLY to require such identification. Other than that, only Revenue Canada, Provincial Health Care, and BANKS (now) can require it. No other institute can, and we are warned NOT TO give it out to them, if asked. Even my bank says that.

I don't know, but I think this just isn't kosher.

[GTP]

So now it is to make sure no one is using it for money laundering? I don't know, how many have had PayPal ask for all these documents?


Paypal asked me to send them my ID after I sent some thousands of dollars in a few months using it. I sent to epassporte my ID when I created the account to increase the withdraw limit. I don't think it is strange...