On 30 Apr 2005 at 9:11, Wayne Johnson wrote: > At 06:13 AM 4/30/2005, Hugh Gundersen typed: > >However, phone and internet purchases are usually Ok as the vendor only has > >your card number and not your PIN which you NEVER tell anyone. His card > >company will either verify or deny the sale on number + address + name (+ > >credit) so still relatively safe as they won't know your PIN so can't clone > >the card. > > With WiFi cameras these days that's not even safe. Most convenience & > grocery stores the customer swipes their own card so it never leaves their > hands but that doesn't keep some one from peering over your shoulder either > with their eyeballs or a camera. The only truly safe way is not to have any > CC, ain't that right Bernie ? ;-)
You rang? :o) Actually, CC's are wonderfully safe and most of this handwringing is really excessive. The laws bias CC transactions *very*much* in favor of the customer. If you dispute a charge, the *presumption* is that the charge is invalid [and it will be removed] unless the vendor can substantiate that the charge is legit (and even then you get to dispute it again). It is really hard to get stuck with a fraudulent charge on a CC... Most of the stuff about "fraud protection" and such isn't really to protect you [you're *already* protected] but to protect the CC issuer [since they get stuck holding the bag]. If you use something like Quicken or MSMoney to check your CC issuer regularly, it is even smoother: you can catch improper charges a day or two after they happen [instead of having to wait for a month until you shuffle through the cryptic monthly-statement]. Now, *debit* cards are a different matter: whereas CC charges go into a limbo state [where you have plenty of time to dispute them and get them sorted out], debits happen *immediately*. Some banks are offering "zero limit" fraud converage for their debit cards, but the fact is that at worst you'll discover that your CC# has been snarfed because you've run into your limit; with a debit card you'll discover you've been had when checks start bouncing. You can ameliorate this risk by using "overdraft protection", but, IMO, it is still more risk and more hassle than just using a CC. /Bernie\ -- Bernie Cosell Fantasy Farm Fibers mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Pearisburg, VA --> Too many people, too few sheep <-- -- ---------------------------------------- WIN-HOME Archives: http://PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM/archives/WIN-HOME.html Contact the List Owner about problems: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unofficial Win-Home List Members Profiles Page http://winhome.wavijo.com/
