Public Listing - credit card authorization question

[riddler 0]

I ordered something on-line, and the company called me back and said they needed further verification. I understand this - credit card fraud is rampant, particularly on-line. But the lady said that she couldn't verify my mailbox address, and I had to give her my home address as an alternative.

She said she used a service called "Public Listing" to confirm my address information, as a way to verify that I am who I say I am. I can't find any information on any service called Public Listing. Is this just a generic name for services that collate public information for identification? Or is there really a service called "Public Listing".

Anyone that regularly processes credit card transactions that know the answer to this one?

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[ryoder 1,590]

(Not really answering your question, but...)

Are you saying your shipping address is not your home address?

I rent a box at a nearby UPS Store and use that as my shipping address. There is always someone there to accept delivery and sign for packages, so I never need to worry about missing a delivery, nor having valuables sit on my porch all day. I use AmEx for online purchases, and have the shipping address on file with them. So far I have never had issues with online purchases with this arrangement. I did have issues before I registered the shipping address with AmEx.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[dgskydive 0]

All they need to verify your info is your billing zip code and the 3 digit code on the back of the card. When they run that through their point of sale system it should be just fine.

Anymore info is asking for to much.

Dom

[skyjumpsteve 0]

I have had the same thing with a large electronics order. I wanted to ship to an alternative address but the shipper said they needed to cross-reference my credit card info with my home address. This was a few years ago and the person I spoke with did not say they were using a particular service....just that they were checking all the info I gave them.

[riddler 0]

That's actually what confuses me. The mailbox that I had it sent to is the business address that I also have the credit card registered to. There should be no other address on file.

Of course, the bank also happens to know my home address, so I could see them requiring my home address for verification.

As far as Amex - I had the same problem you did, but this is not an Amex card - it's a Visa. I had no end of trouble with Amex between the addresses - they kept switching my business address to my home address, despite repeated requests for me to switch it back to my business address. They would allow the business address to work for about 4-6 months, then somehow switch it back to the home address. That company blows, for more than just the reason above.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[ryoder 1,590]

Something I learned about AmEx: When you register an alternate shipping address with them, it goes in with an expiration date, and the customer reps cannot put it in as "permanent". After happily using my AmEx card for a certain period of time, I got a callback from an online order with the vendor telling me they could not ship to that address. After calling AmEx and learning about the expiration date, I told the rep to put it in for as long a period as possible. IIRC, he said the max expiration period was 10 years.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.