Quote:
|
Its made clear that the triple digit security code is for protection to me and the retailer due to the fact that the card is not present.....but that is my concern from the begaining. Someone besides me knowing all the info to play santa on my expense(time is money and cleaning it all up afterwards is very expensive.....ID theft is a major problem these days)
|
By day, I play an information security professional. While ID theft is a problem, consider the following factors that limit your risk or at least put it in perspective:
(1) You are going to be calling the order in (or mailing it), so it won't be in a juicy, hackable, web-accessible database for teenagers to crack open and sell for 14 bucks. If you're thinking about telephone eavesdroppers, tempest attacks, and tinfoil hats, you are way-overestimating the value of your credit card information.
(2) Your card is probably more at risk by being swiped through a reader at a restaurant (criminals pay off waitresses all the time to swipe a few through their "special" reader -- this is the tried-and-true, traditional method). I know of really paranoid people who refuse to give their cards to someone to be swiped out of sight -- they insist on seeing it swiped with their own eyes every time.
(3) Contracts with credit card companies forbid retailers from retaining copies of the CVV numbers. I assume Milt Sparks is a good retailer. If you don't want their processor to have the CVV, then how is our economy to function, anyway?
(4) Some retailers now even require cashiers to type in the CVV when the card
is present (since the CVV is not stored on the magnetic stripe).
(5) If you are not afraid to own and use a credit card already, then your increased exposure is extremely marginal (i.e., if you're this worried about it, be consistent, and don't use it anywhere else either -- read: don't have a credit card).
(6) The CVV is similar to another verification code that is present on the magnetic stripe -- the credit card number itself is not good enough to secure a transaction anymore. The CVV is just for when the card isn't there. And in your case, it's not. So that's what it's designed for, eh?
And don't use a debit card (unless you've confirmed with your bank that you've got fraud protection). If you use an unconfirmed-safe debit card, don't have overdraft protection.
Also, if you're that worried about them having your CVV, why would you give them your checking account routing number? If a check only makes you uncomfortable because of the extra time, then why are your fears so inconsistent?
And a money order is as good as a check (though it costs you a small fee), and doesn't take as long.
Heck, Milt Sparks seems like such a nice company, I bet they'd be willing to work you a deal to pay in pieces of 8, if need be.
-Jephthai-