Whoa, Canada: SSN Request Doesn't Add Up

The Washington Post is reporting on the interesting practice of a Canadian online retailer that has been demanding social security numbers from American customers. Weird.

Whoa, Canada: SSN Request Doesn't Add Up:

"Gaithersburg reader Denise McQuighan was ordering a pair of $269 Mission D3C roller hockey skates for her son, Patrick, from an online Canadian sports-equipment retailer recently, but she stopped cold when the order form required her Social Security number.

'The Web site indicated that this was needed by the U.S. Customs agents for some reason,' says McQuighan, who knows better than to hand out her Social Security number (SSN) to just anyone who asks for it.

McQuighan told Patrick to find different skates -- from a U.S. company. 'But could you tell me,' she asks via e-mail, 'is there some requirement to provide a SSN to order something from Canada?'

The policy statement at the retailer's Web site, http://www.hockeygeeks.com , says: 'We require a Social Security number for U.S. customers or else products cannot cross the border and failure to provide this information will result in delayed or even non-shipment.'..."