NationStates Jolt Archive

What I want to know is if there's a reasonable risk that my personal information will be stolen if I register my credit card to sites like amazon or ebay. And is it true that you don't need a credit card, that you can just buy gift cards and use them on your account? If so, is there any reasonable risk that sites such as amazon will close down and render my gift cards useless? And is there any advantage/disadvantage to shopping online compared with shopping at malls? Like maybe the clothes or shoes you bought don't fit?

What I want to know is if there's a reasonable risk that my personal information will be stolen if I register my credit card to sites like amazon or ebay. And is it true that you don't need a credit card, that you can just buy gift cards and use them on your account? If so, is there any reasonable risk that sites such as amazon will close down and render my gift cards useless? And is there any advantage/disadvantage to shopping online compared with shopping at malls? Like maybe the clothes or shoes you bought don't fit?

There is no real risk, so long as you keep your info hush hush. :)

Personally, I like making transactions in person if I need to see the good, want to see what's out there or know the people that work there, but otherwise it's best to just get it online. I use both of them all the time along with others and have never had any problem whatsoever. You're far, far more likely to have your information stolen at an actual store than you ever would be online...in fact, the only time I ever had my credit card was stolen and illegally used was buying pizza at a goddamn Donatos.

Get rid of the people, get rid of the crime.

If you're buying something from eBay, you would likely be using PayPal, and therefore wouldn't need to give your info to anyone except the PayPal computer.

Since I never applied for a credit card in my life, I had an issue with online buying in that, well I didn't have a credit card.

Luckily you can now buy those pay as you go credit cards, slightly higher charges but I only top it up with small amounts for online buying and it leaves me safe from any form of credit card fraud.

Since I never applied for a credit card in my life, I had an issue with online buying in that, well I didn't have a credit card.

Luckily you can now buy those pay as you go credit cards, slightly higher charges but I only top it up with small amounts for online buying and it leaves me safe from any form of credit card fraud.

Or you can simply use a debit card, which comes with the added advantage that it comes out of your actual checking account with no debt incurred. Much easier to keep within a budget that way.

Or you can simply use a debit card, which comes with the added advantage that it comes out of your actual checking account with no debt incurred. Much easier to keep within a budget that way.

Slightly going off-topic but I do this with bills as well, I pay in cash rather than autopaying with my account and, ironically, it's much to do with budget.

Perhaps I have a simple mind but I like to see my account balance and pay everything in cash to help me keep track, it also means I actually look at my bills.

It's not really about budget as about savings, I grow my account by a set amount a month and this gives me real time knowledge of where I am.

I don't buy anything online. A friend of mine tried to buy me Ambbassador status on NS2 but it didn't work. :(