Do you have an "official" birthday?

No but I am careful about any information I divulge.

No! But think I will now.
Do you keep it around your actual age Madamecholet?
Or do you have younger alter Ego

When asked for my dob on shopping sites etc I always put 01/01/1900. It's never been queried yet.

I hadn't thought of having a younger alter ago, Cherrytrees. I do keep it to round about my real age, as sometimes companies send you details of products that they think would interest you and I don't want to inundated with emails about remedies for teenage acne!

nightowl I think you are wonderful for your age!

Why thank you madamecholet

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. I'm very cagey about what information I give out but in future I will be having a different birthday. Thanks for the heads-up.

I never give my phone number. Systems are just looking for an 11 digit number before they let you move to next stage, so I enter 01234 000000. It's been accepted every time.

Some good tips there, thank you.

Thanks, this has been a wake up call for me.

Just to clarify why it’s simpler to always use the same date, some shopping sites will ask for your dob if you call them to talk about your order, so you need to be able to remember the date you gave them originally.

Katek, I hadn’t realised the systems would accept any 11-digit number. I have been giving my real area code and then random numbers, but I’ll switch to your way of doing it now.

Brilliant ideas. I am careful but now I will be even more so. Thanks.

thanks for this - have just changed my birthdate on facebook - will be interesting to see how many family and friends question this next year...lol!!

I shall never use my correct birthdate again, when using the inernet - am really shocked at how naive I've been!

Oh, wow, this is all so enlightening! Thank you. I have been clueless. I'd better get my act together!

No I hadn't thought of it - we never give our right phone number out on line though.

Since first going online many many years ago, I have ALWAYS used my "official" birthday. No company or competition needs my actual birthday. The actual date is irrelevant.
I can understand firms wanting to see which demographic uses/follows them but they have no need of your actual DOB. If a site is hacked, the hackers get quite an amount of info. Your DOB is the icing on the cake.
I can't believe the amount of info that some people have on their public Facebook accounts. Makes it so much easier for fraudsters.

Would never have thought of having an "official" birthday but am always careful about giving info online.I never give my home or mobile number and just put an area code followed by 0's or just eleven 0's for mobile.It annoys me when sites state that they need a phone number in case they might need to contact you when they already have your e-mail address and postal address if ordering goods.

DOB always out by 1 year, 1 month and 1 day. Random phone number. I am always thrilled when someone says they were unable to find my phone number online. As we are ex-directory, that's the way it should be!

Great idea
I've always mixed up the digits for my phone number but never thought about d.o.b.

Thanks to everyone for all the good hints on this thread regarding birthdays and phone numbers. I'll adopt them from now on.

My own piece of advice is NEVER to give ANY information at all out over the phone. When phoned by non personal parties I make clear that I am not prepared to give info over the phone. This is usually politely accepted and then followed by a question such as, 'So are you the householder?'. I then make a polite excuse and and the call. I certainly recommend this procedure to others as a neutral question answered will be followed by others increasingly intrusive until you give away something you shouldn't.

Just to add that Comapnies House may have your date of birth on their website for all to see because if you are the director or secretary of a company, that information is asked for on the online return.
I keep meaning to find out how to get them to remove this information.
If anyone knows, please tell me!

I always use my fave footballer's birthday, and I have a 'sacrifice' mobile if I need a number - but thanks for that tip re the number of digits. Why I never thought to make up a number is beyond me ;-)
On Facebook, I always used to change my birthday, making my age at the next one 100 - but they stopped you being able to change your birthday more than 3 (I think) times, so spoiled my fun. Can't remember how old I am on there now.

False phone no doesn't always work - some sites will check and tell you it is an invalid number, not sure how they do this! And if you find a number that works it may mean someone else is getting pestered by phone calls querying your orders - this happened to me once, kept getting phone calls about deliveries for someone else.
Didn't think of false birthdate and probably too late now as I shall lose track of which sites have which day. I do have 3 different emails though, for different purposes.

I too use another birthdate unless it for official purposes.........I now also have another weight, because I am rotund and to buy migraine meds over t he counter you have to give some details to the pharmacist, I own up to half what I weigh and it is never queried...................

I always thought I was careful and security conscious, but have never thought of that, Madame Cholet. That's a great tip, thank you. The telephone number, I usually put in an old mobile number that I don't have now but from now on I will just make one up. Great advice!