Thanks for clearing this motel door key card thing up! I guess safety is on the mind of everyone but sometimes we worry too much. This is a place for good answers.
Bill

If someone does get ahold of your CC number and makes fraudulent charges, it's pretty easy to take care of.

I had that happen a few months ago. My bank called because they suspected fraudulent activity, I confirmed the charges I had made, the bank issued me a new account number, transfered all my legitimate activity to the new account, and sent me a new card overnight. I was not liable for any of the fraudulent charges. It was very easy.

If I had been travelling, it would have been more difficult, but I always carry 2 cards just in case, so I would have just switched cards.

One of my girlfriends talked me into putting "Check I.D." on the signature part of my credit cards.

No one ever ever checked her I.D.

One day she got a call from Neiman Marcus in Atlanta at Lenox Mall.

Someone had stolen her credit card.

The only clerk to ever flip the card over and see "Check I.D." asked for the person's I.D. and because it was stolen, the person fled.

Not one bogus charge was put on her credit card.

How do you do that "check ID" thing? just write it in next to your signature or instead of it? or ask your cc bank to issue something special?

It's very seldom that writing that on your signature space would do any good. How often do clerks or servers even LOOK at the signature side of the card? I'd be much happier if they only checked THAT.

I agree that if the cardholder WANTS identification checked each time the card is used, then then card-issuer should plainly identify that as a requirement to merchants. Myself, I don't care much as I'm sure my signature is unique enough that a review of the original charge slips would immediately signal that it wasn't my signature.

In the meantime, if I paid too much attention to all these warnings, I'm afraid I'd spend all my time under the bed hiding from various boogie men ... especially during TV's "sweeps week".

"Is dental floss giving you brain cancer? Details at eleven!"

rb, I agree, since I stand RIGHT in front of the microwave oven all the time while it is on, I am fearless :D

Re credit cards (vs motel room keys):

I guess I'm the second clerk in the whole country looking at the signature line. And everyone in my very small business does the same, on my instruction. At least half of the cc's I see do not have any signature at all on them (and you should see how indignant cardholders get when we ask them for a photo ID at that point - sheesh!)I just don't get it...the card acceptance agreement details how the merchant must check the signatures, and the card itself reads "void without signature". I LOVE the newer cards with photos on them - no signature necessary! I guess it's all due to the fact that the cardholder is only liable for AT MOST $50 of unauthorized charges, and nothing for most cards. Makes people reckless - and the CC companies figure the easier it is, the more likely you'll use their card. Theft is just a "part of doing business" - they say - and they cover it in the astronomical fees they charge both the merchant and the consumer.