Credit Card request from support

Hi, I recently bought a reseller Alluminium plan. I was able to enter whm, create packages and acconts and enter the users' panels. But after a few days when trying to login my password is not accepted.
After contacting (with e-mail) support they asked me to call them. I answered that it's a problem for me to call the States. And here is the support reply:

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From: Hostgator Sales Department <sales@hostgator.com>
to: ++++++++
Date: 14-ott-2005 23.26
Oggetto: [HGSales #EFV-61691-188]: unable to access whm and cpanel

Can you fax us your passport/id with the front and back of your credit card?

Thanks, Ben
HostGator.com

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Is it normal for you to be asked credit card informations by HostGator? Did this already happen to you?
As you may understand am not much willin in send personal info on not safe madia like fax.

What do you think?

Thanks.

Diego Del Duca

[MachineDog]

You were probablly flagged for possible Fraud, things that do this is if the IP you were on doesn't match up with the home address or something like that.

[GatorJay]

Yes, if you were marked as fraud and are not able to call in you must send in that information. Theres nothing we can do with it that we can not do with the information you already gave us. It is just to verify.

I see.
Actually I did register using a dial-up connection which assigns a dynamic IP (same IP for different users at different times) so checking the IP would only bring up my internet provider, not me.
Ok, I'll fax in the data ASAP.

Does HostGator need to keep the credit card numbers anyway? Cant users ask to delete them once the transaction is made? Of course the user would need to do another transaction when the renting period expires.

Tank you,

DDD

[GatorJay]

Originally Posted by DDD - Unregistered

I see.
Actually I did register using a dial-up connection which assigns a dynamic IP (same IP for different users at different times) so checking the IP would only bring up my internet provider, not me.
Ok, I'll fax in the data ASAP.

Does HostGator need to keep the credit card numbers anyway? Cant users ask to delete them once the transaction is made? Of course the user would need to do another transaction when the renting period expires.

Tank you,

DDD

We do keep the credit card number on file for rebilling. But you are free to have that cleared anytime. You would just need to make sure you payed the invoices each month manually.

Yeah same thing happened to us, My wife signed up than they Blocked our account. It seems that HG mindset is that everyones a criminal.

Typical stuff.

I think it's the Internet that does it. To many people stealing each others information company's have to protect themselves more and more. I am sure this is just a precaution.

[Blondy]

I signed up, never had a problem. My husband signed up, never had a problem. I guess it all depends which flags your transaction trips. It's sort of like SPAM email. Mostly only SPAM gets caught, but sometimes an innocent email may get caught as well because it set off too many "flags". Don't take it as a personal insult

[MachineDog]

I did just great, had me up within 30 mins.