Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

This isn't Wal-Mart we are talking about. It is Target!

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

Why do they need the information in the first place? My default is to not give out personal information. Why is that funny?

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

You pay with cash only, I assume.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

Yeah, one of the reasonings I heard when I googled Target scanning for drivers licenses is that it takes any fault/error away from the employee if something slides by. You can fault an employee for selling to a minor by not checking ID, but if it's a fake driver's license or something I assume the burden isn't on the Target corporation. It seems pretty obvious how a computer could only look for the DOB and nothing else.

Er, did you miss the rest of this thread? They need your "information" to verify that you're old enough to purchase the game (or alcohol, or certain medication).

Don't get me wrong, I can see why people want to avoid giving out their drivers licenses and such, I just think this is a pretty minor thing to refuse and get up in arms about.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

Here is what irritates me about it:
Alcohol, tobacco, and medications have laws concerning them that must be followed....while I am a dozen years past legal age, I have no beef with busting out my driver's license if I am buying a six pack to confirm my age, as the store needs to cover itself legally...

Video games, movies, and music only have guidelines/recommendations, as their respective rating systems are not legally binding....a store may have their own policies they wish to follow, but it is not illegal for a minor to purchase an M-rated game, an R-rated movie, or a CD with a Parental Advisory sticker....if you are old enough to even HAVE a driver's license, then in my book, you are definitely old enough for any of these three things...

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

Of course...unless I use a debit card.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

When I moved back to Minnesota, I still had my Wyoming driver's license which doesn't have a magnetic bar strip on the back. When places like Target wanted to run it, they flipped out, unable to believe it's possible to enter the numbers manually. It happened often enough that I was able to hand them my card and tell them how to punch it up without them needing to call a manager over.

OP, the kid must've thought you looked pretty trendy and/or hip to approach you like this. You're in his cool book, man! Or at least, you WERE until you didn't buy the game for him. What happened to you, man? You used to be cool!

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

Yesterday, when I went to TRUS to get ODST, there were a mom and ~10 years old kid, maybe younger, getting the game. They wanted to change the action figure, but they were denied.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

This explains what happened to me last week. I was at Target buying some stuff (cat food, diet coke, etc.) and they asked me for my license to scan. I thought maybe it was an extra check for the credit/debit card I was using. But, on a whim, I had also stopped by the computer games section and picked up Resident Evil for the PC. It's all clear now.

BTW, if some kid came up to me this week asking for Halo, I would've told him to get Katamari Forever instead, just like I was doing. :p

EDIT: Except I was getting Katamari at Best Buy, as I checked and Target apparently doesn't carry that game in stores.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

Personally, I've read a few too many stories about identity theft to let my guard down like that when someone wants to scan my ID. Asking to see my ID is perfectly reasonable, but there's no reason for Target to store that info. Sure, Target probably won't steal the info, but a disgruntled employee might. If I don't agree with a store's policies, I take my business elsewhere. Why that's so laughable to you is a bit strange, but to each their own.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

So....about buying M rated games for minors ;)

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

I'm telling you under certain circumstances they could well be prosecuted for collecting data and using it in ways that were not agreed to by the consumer.

There are consumer protection laws that can impose pretty stiff fines for misuse of information. Granted in the US, these laws are often less stringent than in the EU and other countries, but it is highly possible that they are just validating the age info and allowing the purchase, and not gathering any personal identification data.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

I think most of us do not a problem handing our credit card over to a waitress in a restaurant. Who knows what they do with those when they walk away.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

I don't know about you, but I hand it over with a threat of coming back and cutting them up if I find any unauthorized charges.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

I think one assumption being made here is the information is actually being saved.

I'm sure the DOB is in the barcode on the back of the ID. The system is probably just looking for that info and nothing else and knows how to parse the barcode to get it. If the only thing that is needed for manual entry is DOB, there's really no reason to think they are reading anything other than DOB in automatically. If they were found to be doing this, it would be big trouble for them.

Retail chains have to submit to audits that are very similar to a full body cavity search. I've seen it first hand (the audit, not the search). They question everything. If Target was keeping driver license numbers they would surely be called on it. They might be allowed to keep them for check users, but for this, no way. The trend I've seen is keep as little info as possible so if you do get compromised, your liability is as low as possible.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

Pfft. You're assuming I've even been to a restaurant or didn't have a sudden urge to go to the bathroom when the check arrived. :p

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

I wouldn't like it if somebody tried to circumvent my parenting, I'm certainly not going to do it to somebody else.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

As a parent, I agree. Those rules are there for a reason, even if I don't agree with the rating of Halo games, you should still respect another's parent's decisions on the raising of their children.
So no, I wouldn't buy a game for a young teenager if he asked me.

As far as the new Target policy goes, I still think it stinks. Asking for ID is one thing, but scanning a driver's license is certainly an invasion of privacy. Sure, it's not like putting a camera into your home or wearing a GPS tracker, but even little invasions of privacy are a big deal to me. There's no logical reason why they should have my driver's license number or even my name if I purchase a video game with cash, so why give them all that info.
And if anyone disagrees with my; if anyone feels I'm wrong on this front, please feel free to post so below.... and please include your real name, address, height, weight, gender, eye color, hair color and driver's license number.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

:lol:

All information that is basically public anyway?

What are you going to do...send me a letter?

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

+1 :up:

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

This.

I also generally want people to leave me alone so i wouldn't buy it for the kid because i would be irritated he bugged me.


Get off my lawn!

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

I agree, it's bullshit. They try to do that here for buying cigarettes at the gas station - I tell them I don't want it scanned. They look all miffed or think I'm a freak, I don't really care. Some of you people aren't paranoid enough.

Oh and I would've taken the kids cash and split...what's he gonna do? ;)

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

I wanted the satisfaction of seeing tears of sadness from kid MUAHAHAHAHA -wink-

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

I agree with you, Tarantino.

I worked at Target, I can just imagine getting that person complaining about needing to scan your ID. Guess what, the manager doesn't give a shit that you're complaining and not gonna buy the game. These aren't mom and pop stores, nobody cares. I don't understand the point of doing that other than making yourself feel better. It's not going to accomplish anything.

Re: Buying M rated games for Minors?
 

My point exactly... these companies are only allowed to keep certain info without explicit opt in. And then they are only allowed to use the info for purposes declared when you opt in. If they change their privacy agreement then they are often required to notify you.

The day is coming when you will need to scan your ID to get on a plane, to get into a movie, to do anything that is either ID or age restricted.

Its not unlike the concept of scanning the UPC on products as opposed to keying in or having a manually priced item. Its specifically to reduce errors and fraud.


I wonder how many folks here who are complaining have a grocery store savings card, etc (and assuming you gave your correct info at the time of signup, which obviously you don't have to) where you actually gave up quite a few privacy rights on when you opted into the program.

Not to mention the cookies, etc that are getting downloaded from various sites to your computer for tracking purposes.

There is a lot more to get ticked off about regarding privacy invasions than Target scanning your ID to electronically check the age of the purchaser (and to some extent that the ID has not been forged).

I highly doubt that without an explicit opt in that Target is tracking any personally identifiable information from scanning your ID. The backlash on something like that could be huge, both legally and with consumers.

And I agree with others here who have said, I wouldn't buy it for the kid, as I would not want to override the parents rules.