So I was on the phone with my more than a few companies today trying to straighten out billing options. Seems my bank protected me from making purchases of ammo and security locked my credit card and after finally fixing that I was trying reorder my ammo.
And I swear to GOD, without fail…when I finally get a person on the phone they inform me that I can go to their website and simply make the purchase. Of course the fact that I’m on the phone seems to be lost on them and it usually means I’m away from my desk and computer. And when I inform them of that fact every single person told me that I can visit their website on my phone and place the order.
Now I know I can do that, but I don’t buy ANYTHING on my phone because I don’t do any kind of transactions on my phone. That is why I called a PERSON to resubmit the order.
Obviously I’m some old as dust dinosaur who doesn’t use his phone as a computer and doesn’t trust the security of my phone to conduct financial transactions. And obviously I’m the last person on the planet still making purchases this way.
Swear to GOD, if one more person tells me I can visit their website on my phone and place the order I’m gonna inquire how I can pay by personal check. I mean damn, maybe put down your donut and just help me do the simple thing I’m trying to do.
I can assure you both that you’re not alone. I’m actually amazed at the number of people who do use their phone as a computer to make online purchases. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve asked grown men why they are using their phone to view products on a website and make purchases.
I use my phone to make purchases. I use a real credit card not a debit card, not bank EFT, etc…
If somebody steals my CC info, the **** do I care?
Dear MasterCard…somebody stole my shit… “oh we real sorry bout that, you arent liable for anything, your new card is on the way”…
If I dont use cash I only use a real CC to make purchases anymore also. My debit card gets used to get cash at a single ATM so if there is any funny business with that card, I can say “oh look, I only use it to get cash at one ATM, that purchase wasnt me”…
My first online order was probably 2000 give or take a year with SKD Tactical because they had no phone # on their site. I emailed them and asked for a phone #(not sure if I mentioned not comfortable with putting the CC online or they guessed it correctly) and got the response back that no they did not, but even they did they would be plugging the # in to the same computer system the online ordering process was hooked to.
I seem to be the exact opposite and purposely avoid verbally ordering things over the phone. There’re so many chances for mistakes; wrong part number, wrong quantity, wrong address, wrong name, wrong credit card info, etc. I much prefer to be able to see my order on a web site and check for errors before submitting.
You two aren’t the only ones. I’m the same way. Nothing by iPhone. Nothing by iPad. Only use my MacBook on a secure server (or so I hope) and only when I have no other choice. I prefer brick and mortar to actually go and see/handle/try on whatever I want to buy.
I’d think that over the cell network is more ‘secure’ than Wifi through my cable provider from prying private entities. I’d think it would take a govt to hack you cell connection- and they can get whatever they want anyway.
That’s a good question, and I don’t have a good answer. I’m not tech savvy (although I’m not tech stupid either). I guess I figured a portable device is more subjected to outside attack than a device only used at home on my private wifi, but you make a valid point.
I realize if someone wants in they will get in, but I never felt my phone or any portable devise was truly secure. In all likelihood it probably doesn’t matter. Nothing is secure anymore.
In this instance, all my information was there and correct. I just needed a person to resubmit the order without depending on the website to do it correctly. The order was originally submitted on my desktop and I needed a person to help sort out what did go through ok vs. what needed to be resubmitted.
That was the other annoying thing about being directed to visit their website.
Most phones don’t run the Microsoft operating system that is very prevalent on desktops and servers around the world. Not all, but a high percentage of exploits and exploit kits target windows vulnerabilities.
Microsoft is getting better and no-one is perfect, so I’m not saying Microsoft is total garbage. Their success and weak coding practices have both made them a high value target.
Why would a bad guy target an operating system that has only 2% market share and thus limit the targets of opportunity? It is a waste of resource, time and money.
For many of the same reasons, why would a bad guy target an individual phone? They won’t. They’ll target the website where everyone is transacting business in hopes of getting CC or credential information to sell.
Targeting your individual phone is a waste of time and money and they’re much smarter than you may think.
My business no longer takes cards over the phone. We got burned on a couple frauds where people claimed their card was stolen and we were out the money. In person or online is the only way we do it. Both those methods have never burned us despite numerous tries by people claiming fraud.