Equally, it's in the College's interests that the position is made clear. It doesn't want to chased for a debt owed by one of its students. There are other reasons why you might like information about the customer. For instance to avoid taking an order from a minor who may not be obliged to pay for your services, or to avoid taking on a commitment to supply someone in Iraq with restricted goods, or you may want to avoid doing business that would involve you in complying with the laws and regulations of certain foreign jurisdictions. None of this is foolproof.
People can, and do, falsify details.
Although you might check the prospective customer's IP address or the time zone of the customer's server, you can't be sure of the customer's location. Increasingly, however, technology will help overcome the issue of authentication. There are good reasons why a supplier should identify itself properly. If you're a company and your letters and order forms don't contain your proper corporate name and registered office, the company and its directors may be fined for non-compliance with the Companies Act. Most contractual disputes arise when the expectations of the customer differ from those of the supplier.