Kudos to AES -- Thank you for verifying my CC Information

[KE5JDJ]

I placed an order with AES last night.  Early this morning I got a call confirming the order really was from me.  I ordered over the internet and had used my new address (911 change, nothing physical)......they did a comparison of the old address and CC with the new address.  They noticed a discrepancy and performed due diligence.

Thanks AES, I like doing business with people who protect me from fraud by verifying my credit card information.     

[TANAKASAN]

It's nice to see a company following the rules, when you do this the system WILL protect you (and I'm talking about retailers here). Contrast this with the hoops that someone has to go through when placing an order to RF Parts from outside the USA:

• Copy of your credit card (front and back) and your credit card billing statement. The billing statement should clearly show your billing address and the credit card number.
• On a piece of paper hand-write or type your credit card number and expiration date, and your signature authorizing the transaction.

None of this is required in the Visa & Mastercard regulations and the whole thing makes a purchaser wide open to the possibility of identity theft. RF Parts therefore don't get my business.

Tanakasan

[K0OD]

None of this is required in the Visa & Mastercard regulations and the whole thing makes a purchaser wide open to the possibility of identity theft.

Heaven help the merchant who lets financial institutions determine his security measures. 

Understand that virtually all risk is on the merchant, not the financial institution. It is very difficult for US merchants to verify foreign information and with some high risk products fraudulent orders far outnumber valid ones. Even on questionable domestic orders we use many ways to protect ourselves that aren't "required in the Visa & Mastercard regulations."  Telephoning the customer is very helpful. Scammers usually can't be reached by phone or they will have to "look up' the order to remember the details. Crooks want the product by air shipment regardless of cost. Crooks almost always fail the "sniff test" which isn't found in the credit card processing manual.

If I were selling high priced electronics I wouldn't mess with exporting at all. Too much risk and too difficult to separate good orders from the bad. 

[TANAKASAN]

The strange this is that RF Parts are the only US retailer I have come across who require all of this. Mouser, Digikey, Jameco, Bytemark, Coilcraft, Kanga US, Powerwerx, Telepost, Elecraft, Ten-Tec, Almost All Digital Electronics, Cable Organizer and International Radio were all willing to ship orders to me here in Europe with just a credit card number, expiration date, address and phone number. The one thing which does make my orders stand out is that I always request registered mail with a signature required at this end, but this is because of parcels going 'missing'  over here rather than something at their end.

What makes RF Parts so special? If I was going to carry out a credit card fraud I would be purchasing large quantities of iPods, not four PA transistors and some PTFE coax.

Tanakasan

[K0OD]

The one thing which does make my orders stand out is that I always request registered mail with a signature required at this end, but this is because of parcels going 'missing'  over here rather than something at their end.

What makes RF Parts so special? If I was going to carry out a credit card fraud I would be purchasing large quantities of iPods, not four PA transistors and some PTFE coax.

I have considerable experience in ecommerce. Crooks never ask for a signature and they almost always place huge orders.  My favorite attempt was the Nigerian who wanted 10 bridesmaid dresses (we don't sell them) shipped next day air to Lagos for the wedding of a 'prince.'  Lately I'm seeing more fraud attempts originating in Latin America and they're tending to be less ham-handed, if you excuse the expression.

Yes, small orders, say under $100, are very low risk. But one could say the same about owner occupied home loans. Until recently.  Do you really think ham suppliers are gold mines nowadays?