Age Verification Ecommerce

[Krakkan]

Well I was doing some research and I came across a relatively affordable online age verification system that can integrate into most shopping carts.

It is what the wine clubs use to insure their buyers are over 21 who purchase online and the database is so accurate it can stand up in court so I am told by my winery friends.

Solutions for ID verification and age verification - IDology

The product will use and quiz system it pulls from live databases based on name address etc used to purchase. I went through the demo with a sales rep named Scrib Daily and I was impressed how it worked.

The system will pull stuff that 99% of teenagers would have no chance in hell of knowing about their parents.

Here is an excerpt from website. The costs were a small initial investment and a monthly fee that was very reasonable.

Below is info from their website:
Verify Age

It’s a lot easier to know if someone is the right age to purchase your product or service when you’re in a store than online. And with the increasing best practices and mandates for how businesses interact with children on the Internet, it gets even trickier.
IDology sets the industry standard for age verification solutions. That’s why Wine America endorses us. And why some of the largest restricted product companies in the world choose to use ExpectID Age.
ExpectID Age was developed to quickly confirm an age while promoting the guidelines set forth in the Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Specifically we designed our age verification solution to prevent and deter the activity of under-age consumer not-present activities for companies that want to replicate the protection standards in the bricks and mortar world.

“IDology’s age verification solution gives wineries an important, effective and efficient way to instantly confirm someone’s age when making remote wine sales”
Bill Nelson, President, WineAmerica
How ExpectID Age Works:

Through a sophisticated technology platform, ExpectID Age performs an age verification check on your customers. Add in our knowledge-based solution, ExpectID IQ for further identity verification.
ExpectID Age Benefits:

• Helps eliminate age-restricted product sales to minors online
• Prevents minors from accessing restricted content
• Increases protection of your business
• Reporting features help show your due diligence efforts
• Alerts you to interactions with minors under COPPA
• Provides flexible limit settings
• Confirms age based on name and address only

Sample Applications:

• Alcohol and tobacco sales
• Gaming
• Rated entertainment
• Wireless mobile content
• Subscription based services
• Online dating
• Restricted access websites
• Promotional item requests
• Gift purchases

 

[Krakkan]

I figure our biggest hurdle is the fact that people think we market towards kids and I think something like this for the ECA and for suppliers would be a huge step forward. If it works as I have seen I do not doubt it.

 

[martha1014]

I don't quite understand how this works but if a person under 18 enters their parents information would this be ineffective. I know my children could answer any question about myself. Of course this would be illegal.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

I am all for whatever keeps kids from purchasing...

And I will certainly direct the ECA to this thread Krakkan... so thank you for pointing it out...

That said, I STILL believe Kids are going to do as they want. I remember when I was babysitting back in the day. The parents were control freaks. They had programmed the remote with a 6 number id to even turn the cable on. After 1 hour of solid trying, the kids got the cable to work.

Of course I told the parents as you kind of have to if you want the job again....

We went through this every weekend for the entire summer and every time, the kids figured it out. 6 digits! That's not easy! Finally, the parents gave in because they ran out of numbers to use that they could remember and when they wrote them down and hid them in their closet... the kids found those too.

HA! Kids.

 

[Timekey]

I am all for whatever keeps kids from purchasing...


Really ? Would you be all for making it illegal to sell retail in a mall?

 

[Krakkan]

Well the system asks questions I know that most teenagers wouldn't know its 3-5 questions randomized. Everything from your last 4 digits of your socials to what was your first car its multiple choice so and some questions will have nothing to do with you. I know I dont know my dad or moms social much less the color or make of their first car or what city they lived in when they were 21. Its a pretty thorough database and I was impressed by the demo.

 

[Krakkan]

I am all for whatever keeps kids from purchasing...

And I will certainly direct the ECA to this thread Krakkan... so thank you for pointing it out...

That said, I STILL believe Kids are going to do as they want. I remember when I was babysitting back in the day. The parents were control freaks. They had programmed the remote with a 6 number id to even turn the cable on. After 1 hour of solid trying, the kids got the cable to work.

Of course I told the parents as you kind of have to if you want the job again....

We went through this every weekend for the entire summer and every time, the kids figured it out. 6 digits! That's not easy! Finally, the parents gave in because they ran out of numbers to use that they could remember and when they wrote them down and hid them in their closet... the kids found those too.

HA! Kids.

No doubt but if a system like this makes it legal to sell booze online the government couldn't say **** about ecigs with it. Kids will get what they want no matter what but its our job to make it as hard as possible for them and protect our own asses as well.

 

[Mustang394]

So your saying this data base knows the color of my first car? I find that hard to believe?

 

[Mustang394]

I am all for whatever keeps kids from purchasing...


Really ? Would you be all for making it illegal to sell retail in a mall?

If they are selling them to kids! Yes

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Really ? Would you be all for making it illegal to sell retail in a mall?

I can speak only from a parental perspective: Children do frequent malls. Is it proper to place an ecig kiosk in front of the Disney store? I don't believe so. (There was mention in an article somewhere that the ecig kiosk visited was in front of a store that children frequented. So this is obviously an issue, which as a parent, I can see)

EDIT: More appropriate would be a store like Abercrombie where teenagers (more so than young children who wouldn't even look twice at an ecig) would most likely be without an adult and a plume of vapor... might catch their attention. Spencer's Gifts carries adult type items in a mall setting, however, they are more towards the back and not out in the open area of the mall. End EDIT.

Do I think that the kiosks should be locked showcases instead of those little carts that are open to theft? Yes.

There are upstanding kiosk owners who take it very seriously not to sell to children, so I certainly do not want to restrict them from their ability to sell, but at the same time, we do need to ensure that these products are treated with respect when it comes to placement and children's access.

No doubt but if a system like this makes it legal to sell booze online the government couldn't say **** about ecigs with it. Kids will get what they want no matter what but its our job to make it as hard as possible for them and protect our own asses as well.

We would like to think that... but don't forget... alcohol is protected by an amendment in the Constitution.

 

[kristin]

Why do people seem to forget that parents often frequent "kids" stores as well - especially something like the Disney store. My teen wouldn't go near there. Most likely that is why the kiosk was there - to catch the parents - who are usually adults. An e-cig retailer would be stupid to focus on kids when that is not their most profitable demographic. The only one who thinks that is ASH. Cigarettes in general just aren't that high on the priority list for most teenagers and ones that are already smoking do so because it's cool and that is what their friends are doing and it's cheap (they usually share packs.) If kids want something that tastes good, they'll spend $1.75 on cool (and oh-so-healthy) energy drinks, not $150 on an e-cig that...ewwww....their parents use. Look at the age polls here. Over 75% of of owners are over the age of 30, for pete's sake. Not only that, teenagers are the laziest creatures on earth - e-cigs take a lot of upkeep.

But on the point Lacey made - kids will get stuff they want no matter WHERE you put them, so taking them out of malls is pointless.

The point is, they don't even WANT them.

 

[kristin]

ooops - I forgot to comment on the OP! LOL

GREAT find! I think it's an awesome idea and would immediately eleminate one scare tactic from the ASH arsenal.

 

[kristin]

So your saying this data base knows the color of my first car? I find that hard to believe?

It would be in the DMV records - so, yes.

Only certain government officials and those properly licensed (like private investigators) can access those records, so a kid definitely couldn't get in there.

 

[TheIllustratedMan]

Ehm... what if even *I* don't know the color of my first car or where I lived when I was 21? For instance... I'm pretty sure that my first car was registered to my dad, and my current car is registered to my fiance. Not totally sure that I've ever had a car registered in my name. I also find it a little creepy that this system has access to all of that data.

However, it's a pretty excellent idea. I support it.

 

[kristin]

Ehm... what if even *I* don't know the color of my first car or where I lived when I was 21? For instance... I'm pretty sure that my first car was registered to my dad, and my current car is registered to my fiance. Not totally sure that I've ever had a car registered in my name. I also find it a little creepy that this system has access to all of that data.

However, it's a pretty excellent idea. I support it.

I'm sure the system is set up with a lot of questions, in case you don't remember some. You probably have to just get a certain number of them correct. (You seriously don't remember the color of your first car?? I remember the color of all of my cars!)

So, they'd probably ask the color of a different car or the style/make or whatever - something you don't currently own. Or what your job was in a certain year. What schools you went to, what city someone was married in, year they were married, etc. A lot of these things kids would have no clue, but could be verified with the right software.

Any licensed private investigator has access to the DMV, but the average person can't even buy access, so it's not so bad.

 

[TheIllustratedMan]

Well, it was green, but I don't remember if it was ever technically my car, so I may not be able to answer that question, is all I'm saying.

 

[sayuwont]

That's a great idea. However, Isn't credit card verification enough?? I mean you have to be at least 18 to have a credit card and although SOME *ahem* parents allow their spoiled children access to their personal credit cards wouldn't that be fault on the parents'?

I don't see the big issue where people think e cigs are marketed to kids.. There aren't any cartoon characters on the packaging or advertisements, no brightly kiddy colors, e cigs are not priced to attract children. Mainly it is not marketed to be cool, it is a 'smoking alternative'!

 

[kristin]

That's a great idea. However, Isn't credit card verification enough?? I mean you have to be at least 18 to have a credit card and although SOME *ahem* parents allow their spoiled children access to their personal credit cards wouldn't that be fault on the parents'?

I don't see the big issue where people think e cigs are marketed to kids.. There aren't any cartoon characters on the packaging or advertisements, no brightly kiddy colors, e cigs are not priced to attract children. Mainly it is not marketed to be cool, it is a 'smoking alternative'!

My kids had my credit card info memorized, so that's too easy to get around!

 

[grimmer255]

sweet Im glad to see that the suppliers are taking action to make sure that there is no underage buyers.... two thumbs up for this.

 

[mpetva]

As for e-cig kiosks in front of Disney Stores etc. Perhaps the reasoning is that people who have children are more motivated to go to a smoke free smoking alternative?

Just a thought....