[Contrastique]

I always pay my bills online now. It is so easy. Before I had to fill in a form and drop it off at the bank to make the payment. I was always too lazy to do that with the result my payments were always too late lol!
I think it is quite secure coz I need a small machine were I have to put my pincard in. Then enter the pincode and after that the machine gives me a number wich I have to use to login to the internet to get acces to my account.
And for me no worries about virusses and stuff since I use mac.
Works for me.

 

[Jubei]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Call it "sticking it to the man", but banks these days are getting really pushy about getting people to have direct deposit (impossible for me as I am a freelancer), and direct online transactions. It saves them money, yet they don't pass any of those savings onto me. -Ed

My sentiments exactly. It isn't just the banks, most utility companies want you to do direct deposit so they receive payment on the earliest day possible - this amount really adds up and represents very good interest for them. Most people don't do prompt payment and frankly neither do I. Direct debit forces prompt payment on you.

I still pay bills physically. Over here, it is relatively easy. For apartment estate mgt fees I go over to the onsite office and hand them a cheque. For most other utilities, I pay via the ATM or go personally to their office to pay.

 

[lostspyder]

I think your more likely to get your CC stolen when you hand it to the waitress than when you checkout at amazon.com. Nothing is foolproof, do whatever you think is easiest.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonerGenius /img/forum/go_quote.gif Someone could steal your paper mail and have your information just as easily (if not easier) so I just live my life and don't woory about such things...I do nearly EVERYTHING online...I have ordered pizza, grocery shopped (delivery service) and I have never given risk a serious thought.

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostspyder /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think your more likely to get your CC stolen when you hand it to the waitress than when you checkout at amazon.com. Nothing is foolproof, do whatever you think is easiest.

Dealing with Credit Card info online is one thing, if you get defrauded, you file a dispute, charges are suspended, investigated, then eventually resolved. All the while, there is a freeze and chargeback on the charges, so you don't owe that payment amount immediately.

With banking info, if you get defrauded, your money is gone. Then you spend time trying to get it back.

-Ed

 

[inthused]

Sounds like it's more common than I thought to take the easy way. Just type the info on the keypad and bingo, job done. I wonder what things are going to be like in another 10 or 20 years? No green backs, no credit cards, no way to barter, period. EXCEPT for the RFD you will carry everywhere you go whether you want to or not.
Now how can it get any easier than that? LOL now but crying later. Everything easy comes at a price and what do you think the price will be when you have no choices anymore?
Just a little food for thought, oops, My Bad, it's "easier" to let someone else do all the thinking.

 

[YamiTenshi]

The only time my personal information was compromised was when our mail was stolen from our mail box. It was a headache to call all the CC companies and the bank to stop checks.

Identity theft can happen anywhere not just online. I just do whatever is more convenient for me, I'm not going out of my way out of spite for the credit card companies/banks.

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthused /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sounds like it's more common than I thought to take the easy way. Just type the info on the keypad and bingo, job done. I wonder what things are going to be like in another 10 or 20 years? No green backs, no credit cards, no way to barter, period. EXCEPT for the RFD you will carry everywhere you go whether you want to or not. Now how can it get any easier than that? LOL now but crying later. Everything easy comes at a price and what do you think the price will be when you have no choices anymore? Just a little food for thought, oops, My Bad, it's "easier" to let someone else do all the thinking.

We're going to be implanted with RFID chips.

-Ed

 

[inthused]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif We're going to be implanted with RFID chips. -Ed

Won't that make things really easy

There is currently information coming to light here in Minnesota about a rider bill soon coming up for voting in the legislature that will require all drivers license to have RFID imbedded.
If it sneaks thru, you won't have a choice about it if you want to drive. Either carry the electronic ID that tracks where you are all the time or don't drive, all part of the big plan. Oh, and for those that aren't aware of how these little trackers work, consider the RFID's in your car that are automatically scanned when entering toll lane highways so you don't have to stop to pay.

It's really looking like I'd better stock up on more toys and move to the northwoods in Canada to live out my life on clean water and fresh fish

It's either that or a nice tropical island

 

[stevenkelby]

I am aware of someone (not me and not a friend) who worked at a retail store where many people pay on a corporate card.

When a customer would come in with a card and pay for something, he would simply wait until they had gone, no one was looking, then make note of the card number, exp date and copy the signature, all of which is on the peice of paper that all CC merchants keep when you pay for something with a CC.

Days later, someone else would come in and pay for something with cash. He would put the sale through. When they had left, he would cancel the sale, pocket the cash, then put the sale on the stolen CC from earlier. He would enter the card number manually, as is done when a CC won't swipe properly. The till balanced and he was never caught.

He never used private cards as individuals sometimes check their statements. The corporate cards he used apparently never were checked, or no-one caught on anyway.

He "made" tens of thousands of dollars in a few months.

No internet involved.

Anyway, I do everything online because it saves me the valuable thing in the universe, my time. I have no extra identity protection and am not concerned about the risk. I see risk in a different way to some people though, I'm aware that driving to Mcdonalds for tea is by far the riskiest thing I did today, driving a car and eating too many calories!

I pay my bills manually on line near the due date so I keep the money for as long as possible.

I was defrauded with my Visa card once but got the money back eventually ($800) and it wasn't too much hassle. Most things are covered by insurance anyway.

 

[Blitzula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevenkelby /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see risk in a different way to some people though, I'm aware that driving to Mcdonalds for tea is by far the riskiest thing I did today, driving a car and eating too many calories!

That's right on...that is the way to view risk. It's interesting that people in general don't think that way, and a comment that people really aren't rational.

If people really measured risk quantatively, the market for cars that are safer than others would explode and there wouldn't be such a media focus on issues that are rarely a problem in relation to others.

 

[Blitzula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevenkelby /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see risk in a different way to some people though, I'm aware that driving to Mcdonalds for tea is by far the riskiest thing I did today, driving a car and eating too many calories!

That's right on...that is the way to view risk. It's interesting that people in general don't think that way, and a comment that people really aren't rational.

If people really measured risk quantitatively, the market for cars that are safer than others would explode and there wouldn't be such a media focus on issues that are rarely a problem in relation to others.