What Do Pawn Shops Do With My Personal Information?

Have you ever asked yourself, “What do pawn shops do with my personal information?” Pawn shops can hold onto a lot of things ranging from novelty items to old video game consoles. Throughout all of the various business transactions that they make, pawn shops hold on to a lot of customer profiles that match up to every item that is kept in their business.

Pawn Shops & Your Personal Information

Are you asking, “Do pawn shops keep my personal information?” Pawn shops do store customer information mainly for their business operations, but also to assist law enforcement agencies. There are many ways that pawn shops use their customer database to help law enforcement agencies.

Running a Pawn Shop

Pawn shops take in a wide variety of items including jewelry, vintage memorabilia, television sets, gold bars, old firearms, electronics, and more. These items can be used as collateral to obtain a loan that matches the value of the item depending on its quality and market value. Many times, pawn shops may even purchase it from their customers to resell it.

Due to the potential danger of accepting stolen products and other goods, pawn shops deal with local law enforcement agencies on a regular basis to help regulate the records within the pawn shop so that it adheres to state and federal laws.

Assisting Law Enforcement

Many times, customers feel afraid that they may be purchasing a stolen item when buying from a pawn shop. They would believe that they would be seen as the prime suspect since pawnshops document their customers.

Pawn shops collect personal information from their sellers and buyers alike that abide by state and other laws. This makes transactions safer and more secure when customers are required to show their ID during a sale.

The item sold or purchased from the pawn shop will then be logged into their personal inventory and be accessible via a nationwide database. This allows law enforcement to cross-reference any goods that may match the store’s inventory. Law enforcement can download certain information about the identification and description of the individual making the transaction besides the item in question.

Holding on to Customer Records

The amount of time a pawnshop holds on to records depends on the workflow of the establishment, in addition to state laws. Depending on the state, different types of information are kept on record.

Typically, these personal databases are held onto for three to five years. After enough time has passed and no hit on the local law enforcement database matches with the archives in a pawn shop, the records will be deleted from electronic and physical records to avoid any cause for compromising customer data.

Final Word

You can have a different experience every time you visit a pawnshop. Since items are continuously passed around from sellers to buyers, it seems like a small market in its own world. But besides having a place to go to be able to find bargain deals, pawnshops are also an important establishment that assists in solving crimes by partnering with local law enforcement.

Categorised in: Personal Information

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