Every third appointment, we get to the kitchen table and they pat their pockets like it’s a magic trick — no ID. Tonight at 6:05 p.m., after a 25-minute drive, I got, ‘Can you just use my Costco card?’ Anyone else keep a stack of reminder texts and still end up playing Notary Detective?
I started doing a 10-minute confirmation call where I say, “grab your ID and read me the expiration date” — it forces them to have it in hand before I drive. If they still try the Costco-card cameo, and your state allows credible witnesses, I keep one on-call as a backup; otherwise I reschedule. It’s the only magic trick I want: making the “no ID” vanish.
After too many 25-minute ‘Costco card’ surprises, I added a posted no-ID trip fee and a confirmation text that says “government-issued photo ID only — no Costco, school, or gym cards.” @aurorawal83’s expiration check is solid, but the fee did the training for me and cut the misses to near zero.
I send a pic of my commission card before I leave and ask for a quick photo of their ID in reply (they can cover the number); reciprocity works — like staging props before the show. I delete it after confirming — @bstevens75, ever try the ‘Put your ID by the coffee maker now; text DONE’ nudge?