Confirming ID on online auction site fails and frustrates

The need to prove our own identities purely online is becoming increasingly important as services need verify users to protect accounts but are struggling to find accurate and reliable systems.

Our CFO Graham Paterson had a frustrating experience with an online auction site when their method of confirming his identity repeatedly failed.

Here is his account of the story:

I spent over an hour last night with a popular online auction site who was trying to confirm my identity. I’ve used this site for over ten years and tried to list an item using my new laptop for the first time. As they did not recognise the computer, they asked me to confirm some details so they could send a pin which, when input into the appropriate field, would ‘confirm my identity.’

Well, the pin arrived, in fact several pins arrived, but none of them worked. I was asked to call customer services in the US and whilst the support was friendly and very helpful, I was still unable to list the item because the system kept requesting and sending me more pin numbers.

So, I called my friends in sunny San Francisco once again……they confirmed the problem was fixed this time … but it was not to be … more pins arrived and Mr Angry from Edinburgh resorted to using another computer.

If only they accepted my miiCard, I could easily confirm my identity, that it really is me, from any device I wanted.

Have you had a situation where you've had trouble confirming your identity online? Please share your experience in the comments below or contact us at info@miicard.com.