Canadamommy is well know to predict mayhem when shops are recorded or ID required. Those of us who have, collectively, done thousands upon thousands of such shops have not had any of her dire predictions come true. Because I am active in shopper conferences as well as in the rather small video shopper community, I hear from and about video shoppers and shoppers who do the kinds of shops that require unique aliases and follow-up information. I even teach workshops on how to develop and manage aliases and unique phone numbers and emails. So, I come into contact, in person or via forums and emails with far more shoppers doing these sorts of shops than you can imagine. No one goes very long doing apartment shops for the same management company if they give out real emails and/or their actual phone numbers. But working emails and phone numbers are required. In addition, many shoppers use their passports (which do not contain an address unless the holder has elected to insert it by hand). Even if one uses a driver's license, as a woman, stating that you have just come through a nasty divorce, the home has been sold, and will change the DL when you know your new address, makes perfect sense. This is not rocket science, folks.
Even though local law and the leasing agent's employment agreement may require that ID be checked (or even copied) leasing agents absolutely ignore this a very high percentage of the time. Why do you think that nearly 100% of leasing companies require that question on the survey?
Finally, the only shoppers that I have heard of/from who have gotten creepy or harassing personal emails, etc. from leasing agents typically gave their true email and/or phone number. The rare exception was a shopper where the target got a friend at the police to look up her auto registration by supplying the license late number. (Not the info from her driving license.) How often is THAT going to happen?
Canadamommy will ask how I KNOW. I know because I interact regularly with the most active schedulers of such shops as well as with hundreds of such shoppers, and dozens of folks who train shoppers at conferences, every year. We all talk shop.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.