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PC World editors' views, news, and reviews of Treo handhelds and associated gear.

Treo Kills Hotel Room Keys?

Posted by Andrew Eisner | Friday, May 27, 2005 10:20 AM PT

I was in New York for a conference last week when the plastic key to my hotel room stopped working. The key required re-programming, and I didn't give it another thought until a few days later when the same thing happened in a different hotel.

The person at the desk asked me if the card key had been next to any tech gadgets. That's when I realized both cards were in the same pocket as my Treo.

So in addition to generating weird chirping noises on almost any audio equipment, my Cingular-based Treo appears to erase hotel room keys. Anybody out there experience the same?

Comments (127)

I expect the hotel card key is based on magnetic strip. and your treo have magnets in the speaker. rubbing them together erases the magnetic information on the card.

But this should not happen unless the hotel's card key is loosely encoded. bank cards and credit cards are strongly encoded with magnetic information so their chances of loosing the information is slim. not sure about the hotel cards though.

Anonymous
May 29, 2005
8:26 AM PT

I work in a Motel as Chief Engineer, and I can verify ALL cell phone type equipment will erase keycards. When the device recieves an incoming signal it kicks the device up to a higher power setting and this is when it create a strong enough magneric field to erase keycards, credit cards, ect.. If close enough to the device.

Lonewolf024
May 29, 2005
9:17 AM PT

accoarding to treo manual page 10 tips column

important : the treo 650 speaker includes a large magnet, so be sure not to store your treo near credit cards or other items that could be demagnetized

mrpalm.com
May 31, 2005
9:18 AM PT

I work at a large resort as a front desk agent and I can assure you that the plastic keys are loosely encoded. On a daily basis ( primarily with conference attendees) I have the privilege of reprogramming dozens of keys. Word of advice, with a picture ID there's no problem getting new keys-just don't yell at the agent and accuse her of locking you out. It takes much longer for security to let you in. :)

Nedge
May 31, 2005
11:55 AM PT

I was at the Sienna Suites hotel for a month long business trip in Las Vegas. My hotel key got erased about 5 times. It was extremely aggravating. Especially because I was van pooling with a lot of equipment and my hotel room was quite a walk from the main desk.

Anonymous
June 05, 2005
6:31 PM PT

Yes, I have had exactly the same issues. Doesn't have to be a striped card either. Perhaps the rf field does it. Or the "silent" ringer magnetic field more likely.

jrt
June 08, 2005
8:57 PM PT

Does anyone have stats on what counts as "near"? I'm wondering if I'm likely to run in to surprise trouble carrying my treo around in a small bag if it happens to fall next to my wallet...

Anonymous
June 27, 2005
9:28 AM PT

From the Colorado Bureau of Investigation:
Southern California law enforcement professionals assigned to detect new threats to personal security issues, recently discovered what type of information is embedded in the credit card type hotel room keys used throughout the industry. Although room keys differ from hotel to hotel, a key obtained from the "Double Tree" chain that was being used for a regional Identity Theft. Presentation was found to contain the following the information:
a.. Customers (your) name
b.. Customers partial home address
c.. Hotel room number
d.. Check in date and check out date
e.. Customer's (your) credit card number and expiration date!
What they found was..... When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense. Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee re-issues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process. But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!!!!
The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them in to the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader. For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic information strip!

Bill
July 18, 2005
11:16 AM PT

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is a E-Myth. Go Goggle it. You'll find a dozen or so sites that have found that to be false. In fact Pasadena, who actually did issue the warning later retracted it and issued one saying the exact opposite. Do your research so you don't look like a uninformed fool.

Ben
July 22, 2005
4:37 AM PT

i experinced the exact same thing
i was at camp for cheerleading and i had the key that was next to my phone since it was the only thing i was holding when the key didnt work we thought that it was just switched with another girls i had a feeling it was my fone but i wasnt sure

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