----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Bob, The safety of your credit card on the net does NOT depend on the encryption your web browser uses to talk to the e-commerce site. Your credit card safety depends on the LAWS governing your liability for credit card charges. I'm no expert on the details but I've been watching this issue for a lot of years and here's what I think is the fact: The credit card law says you're only liable for the contracted amount or the amount specified in the law (about $50, I think) AS LONG AS YOU READ YOUR CREDIT CARD REPORT AND ___PUT IN CONTEST__ ANY FRAUDULENT CHARGES. A vendor has to provide the merchandise or service to be able to claim your money --> and keep it <--. The credit card company can withhold payments to the vendor if the vendor loses the contest. I've heard you've got pretty good protection against fraudulent charges as long as you file the protest in writing within the period specified on the back of your credit card bill. Summary: I use my credit card with comfort on the net but I WATCH MY BILLS FOR FALSE CHARGES!!!! Corollary 1: You're at more risk letting the kid in the restaurant take the card out of your sight to "run the card" than you are on the Internet. Corollary 2: Your debit card (the thing that looks like a credit card but takes the money out of your bank account) has no such protection unless they've changed the law recently. Once the vendor gets your debit card number, they can clean out your account and you have to sue them to get the money back. For the net: Credit card -- good. Debit card -- bad. Pay by check mail-order -- same risks as debit card. Again, I ain't no expert. This is the way I read it in several computer industry and general audience stories on the subject. I bet this'll trigger responses from those who really KNOW the facts and can give us the exact word. Ed Bob Saville wrote: > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- > > Dear ho, ho, ho..... > Thanks for the tip, but I'm still leary about using my credit card on the net. I know, it's > 'supposed' to be safe, BUT..... > That's what the pentigon thought until they were broken into. And then there was that 11 year old > kid who broke into numerous banks etc and transfered over a million dollars into a 'non-existing' > private account number that he had dreamed up, 'JUST FOR FUN' and to prove that he could do it. > Also, several months ago, everyone in my credit union here in Oregon warned and advised to change > our piin numbers and 'secret word' as some students at the university of xxxxxxxx had broken into our > accounts and they were no longer secure. > I know you write software and know a heck of a lot more about computers than I do, but I'm still not > convinced that they are safe to use credit cards over the net. (IMHO) > > Bob Saville > > N161LH 3B9 wrote: > > > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- > > > > All, > > > > I did nearly all my Christmas shopping this year & last via etail (plus > > refurnishing my living room, BTW -- really! I had bookcases and rugs and > > lamps shipped to my house). Most of it is not especially wonderful, but I've > > come across a real honey of a site you might want to check out. > > > > OK, so the deal is that I wanted to get Ted (husband) a digital camera. So I > > did a C/Net search for a price comparison, and found www.thedigitaldog.com. > > They aren't a C/Net selected site, so you might overlook them. These folks > > specialize in digital audio/visual stuff, and are the single best etailer > > I've used. Here are the high points: > > > > - no shipping fee; uses UPS ground 7-10 day delivery > > - no sales tax > > - Verisign secured site > > - phone number prominently displayed so you can call a person (HELLO Amazon > > -- are you listening??) > > - sends immediate email confirmation of your order WITHOUT billing your > > credit card > > - very quick phone confirmation of your order & shipping info, at which > > point you're billed > > - sales folks pointed out useful other stuff I might want/need -- and I > > actually went for some of it > > - sales folks pointed out relevant rebates > > > > They had the second lowest price on C/Net, and I'm guessing that with the > > shipping, tax, and all they're probably the cheapest. I got the Olympus > > D-360L (1.3 megapixals-- 1280X960, 2x zoom) which is essentially the > > entry-level idiot-proof camera (I'm a lousy photographer) for $237. I've > > seen them for $60 or so more. > > > > Anyway, thought y'all might be in the midst of holiday chaos, and this might > > help. > > > > ho ho ho > > > > __________________________________________________________________________ ___________ > > Get more from the Web. 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