When I checked into Budget Suites of America in Phoenix Arizona on West Yorkshire Drive, I was given a two page questionnaire to fill out. It included asking for my social security number. I was stressed and tired and did not stop to think.....why do they need my SS#? I supplied it. I stayed there a year and cannot complain except to say that the carpets and couches do not match, the furniture is old and grungy, and they do not even supply bedding.
But the worst thing is, I went to work for a car dealership in a very responsible position. Part of my job was pulling credit reports. I decided to pull my own as I had not given it a look for quite some time. I was SHOCKED to see that an entity calling itself a 'cleaning company' had made an inquiry on my report. The date corresponded to my check in at Budget Suites, but what was worse, this so-called cleaning company had the IDENTICAL address as the Budget Suits facility I checked into. Now a giant red flag started waving. They are no permitted to check credit without a written consent form signed by ME....plus, it is a hotel and there is no reason to check credit, period. All you need is a driver license. The sheriff's department came by weekly to the office and looked through all of the recent check-ins' DLs to see if anyone was wanted for anything. NO REASON TO CHECK CREDIT AND NO LEGAL PERMISSION, PERIOD.
I confronted the manager (they changed as frequently as I change uderwear, which, I assure you, is quite frequent) with a copy of my credit report and showed him the inquiry bearing their identical property address. He feigned great ignorance and innocence as tohow my credit report was violated and denied that it was done by them.
I called their corporate office in Nevada (shady?) and had a series of caustic and head-butting conversations with their female corporate lawyer. I do not back down, but I did back her into a corner. She was forced to admit that no other entity occupied the same property address as the hotel, ergo, someone from there illegally looked at my credit. She proffered a ridiculous scenario; that an unknown ex-resident must have tampered with the phone in my suite and was running some sort of shady credit scam activity from there. Hello? would a first grader believe her?
Fortunately, I have a credit lock on my SS# so whatever they were up to at Budget Suites was doomed to fail. I left Arizona subsequently and called an agency and reported them. I learned that they were being investigated by the IRS.
I now stay at another long term facility in another state. I told their manager what had happened in Arizona and she raised her eyebrow. This facility did not ask for my SS#, only my DL, to check in. She told me NO HOTEL is supposed to be asking for SS#s, period.
Budget Suites of America used a fraudulent business entity name and the correct property address to investigate my credit. I can only believe that the purpose of this either identity theft, perhaps to supply an identity for the illegal aliens they employ. DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR SS# TO ANYONE, unless you are about tobe hired for a job or are dealing with an insurance company or other entity that legitimately needs it. Hotels don't!!!