[modeleng] Re: ALERT!! IMPORTANT!!

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007, Ken Strauss wrote:

> The fact that the company remembered your card number doesn't =
> necessarily
> mean that they kept the number on their files. It is possible that it =
> was
> stored in a "cookie" on your own computer.

Hi there Ken,

To clarify I am talking about order which I sent on paper and over the 
phone - my computer was never involved.

Some items were out of stock (as they always seem to be with model 
engineering suppliers - note that as a professional engineer I only find 
this happens around 1 in 10 orders).

When they tried to send the missing items on later on and charge me for 
it, they complained that my card details didn't work, I started talking 
to them more and realised they weren't using the card number I had given 
to them for the original order and that's when I found out they had them 
stored my card details from about a year ago their computer!

I agree with you though - a lot of web sites do store info on your own 
machine in cookies.

> Changing credit card numbers every few months wreaks havoc if you use
> automatic payment systems for items such as toll road and cell phone
> charges.

I don't use my cards in this way, because again if it goes wrong then 
banks don't have to refund your money because it's not their fault,as it's 
you that gave someone the pin or security code for your card.

I use direct debits carrying a gaurantee that if it goes wrong, you do 
get all your money refunded.

> Also, my card supplier has given me an exact duplicate of the
> original card when I reported that the magnetic stripe no longer worked.

Ah yes, that is unfortunate. I think HSBC do that here - the card number 
stays the same. Barclays gives you a new debit card number every time. No 
connection with either bank, just speaking from experience.

Yours,


Rich.
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