Had a dealership once ask for my social just to “verify eligibility” for a parts discount—no thanks.
Yeah, that’s where I draw the line too. I’ve never actually gotten a better deal after handing over more info—usually just more spam mail. Sometimes it feels like the “verification” is just fishing for data, honestly.
I get where you’re coming from. I’ve seen dealerships and even some insurance agents try to squeeze out way more info than they need, all under the guise of “eligibility checks.” One time, I was just trying to get a quote for a teen driver policy, and the agent wanted my full social, my kid’s school, and even our landlord’s name. For a quote! I just laughed and walked out. It’s wild how often that happens.
Honestly, I’ve found you can usually get most discounts—military, student, safe driver, whatever—by showing a basic ID or a pay stub. The only time I’ve ever had to give up more was when I actually signed up for a policy, and even then, I double-checked what was really necessary. If someone’s pushing for your social just for a discount, that’s a red flag. Nine times out of ten, it’s just going to end up with you on some mailing list or, worse, getting your info sold off.
Funny thing is, I’ve actually gotten better deals by being a little stubborn. I’ll ask, “Is there another way to verify this?” or just say I’m not comfortable sharing that info. Sometimes they’ll back down and still give you the discount. Other times, they’ll suddenly “find” a different way to check. Makes you wonder how much of it is just policy versus someone trying to pad their database.
I get that companies need to verify stuff, but there’s a line. If it feels off, it probably is. And if you’re stacking discounts—especially for military or students—most legit places will have a process that doesn’t involve handing over your life story. Just my two cents, but trust your gut.
If someone’s pushing for your social just for a discount, that’s a red flag.
I get why you’d walk out—asking for a landlord’s name for a quote is overkill. In my experience, most discounts only need basic proof, like a student ID or military orders. The only time we really need a social is when it comes to actually binding the policy, not just quoting. Sometimes agents get too “by the book” or maybe just lazy about explaining why they’re asking. Always worth questioning if it feels off. Have you ever had someone refuse to give a quote without all that info?
Honestly, I’ve had a couple agents insist on running a soft credit check just to give me a ballpark quote, which felt unnecessary. I get that they want to be accurate, but it’s not like I’m signing anything yet. I think some companies just have stricter protocols, or maybe the agent’s new and doesn’t want to mess up. Still, if someone’s asking for your landlord’s info or your social before you even see numbers, that’s a bit much. I’d probably just move on—there are enough options out there.
I get where you’re coming from, but sometimes those soft credit checks are actually helpful if you’re trying to get the best deal. Not every company does it, but I’ve noticed when they do, the quotes are usually way more accurate. Otherwise, you could get a “ballpark” that’s hundreds off from what you’d actually pay once they run your info for real. I’d rather know upfront if a policy’s even worth considering before I waste more time.
That said, I do agree—asking for your landlord’s info or social before showing you any numbers is too much. Like, at least give me a range before you want all my details. But with insurance, some of these discounts (military, student driver, safe driver, etc.) only pop up after they check your background. I stacked a bunch of discounts last year by letting them run the soft check first, and the final quote was actually lower than what they estimated at first.
“if someone’s asking for your landlord’s info or your social before you even see numbers, that’s a bit much.”
Totally fair. I usually just say no if it feels sketchy or pushy. But in my experience, the bigger companies are pretty upfront about what they’re doing with your info, and the soft check doesn’t ding your credit score anyway. If you’re trying to keep costs down, sometimes it’s worth jumping through a couple extra hoops just to see all the discounts you qualify for.
I’m not saying give out all your info to every agent, but if you’re serious about switching and want the lowest rate possible, sometimes you gotta play ball a little. Just my two cents.
