I occasionally get a call from a customer that insists that they will not use the online order form and secure credit card checkout. They tell me that they will not put their credit card information on the internet. They even get hostile with me and hang up on me as I try to explain why I won't take an online order.

Sorry folks, you are mistaken if you think that it is safer to phone in your order rather than order it online. Here are some reasons:

1. Our company would use on online form to enter your credit card information, much the same as the one you would enter the information into. I believe that most transactions today are processed via an internet connection, especially at the big retailers.

2. If it happens in an instant, it most likely happened via an internet connection. Seldom is there a situation where the information on your card does not have to be transferred to the companies card processor and then to your card company... how does that happen? Most likely through an internet connection as computers are communicating with each other.

3. If you are giving anyone your credit card number, you are increasing the risk of that number being used fraudulently. If you enter it on a secure credit card processing form, only you have that information and it is not stored by my site or seen by me and it is not on my site ever.

4. You eliminate the possibility of an improper order entry.

5. Fact of life, your card information is alive and sifting through some sort of connection every time you use it, like it or not.

6. I don't want to ever know your credit card number, your 3 or 4 digit code or your expiration date... before or after the sale. Neither do you! The less I know, the safer I am; the safer you are.

Because of fraud issues and being scammed by fraudsters, I have to make tough decisions. One of those tough decisions is not to take phone orders. Phone orders take away part of my business' fraud measures. I cannot afford to lose that. One fraudulent phone order cost me over $3000.00. Not again.

So, if you decide that you won't order with my company because I won' take your order online and you will be safer by placing your order on the phone with another company, be my guest.. you are only fooling yourself.