Jim Willett on tue 11 oct 05
Vince,
Maybe they could just add the words, "If you are paying by credit
card you should place this in an envelope, the same as if you are paying by
cheque".
Jim
-----Original Message-----
...As is the case on most subscription renewal forms, there is a place to
check off "bill me," "payment enclosed" (in which case I suppose one would
just place this card within an envelope with a check) or "pay by credit
card." After that, there are spaces for the type of credit card, the card
number, the expiration date, and the cardholder's signature. This is all
exposed on the surface of a postcard to be sent through the US Mail.
Doesn't this seem incredibly irresponsible? In this day of rampant identity
theft, isn't this just an invitation for some disgruntled postal worker to
steal your credit card number and associated information to make some
Christmas purchases at your expense?
....
- Vince
Vince Pitelka on tue 11 oct 05
I just received my new issue of Ceramics Monthly, and it is quite fine, =
especially with the extensive section on galleries all over the country. =
Bravo to CM. =20
However, I have a bone to pick with them, and you might as well. With =
my issue, there was a subscription renewal reminder attached to the face =
of the magazine. Included was a postage-paid subscription renewal card. =
This is not something to be placed in an envelope - it is a postcard. =
As is the case on most subscription renewal forms, there is a place to =
check off "bill me," "payment enclosed" (in which case I suppose one =
would just place this card within an envelope with a check) or "pay by =
credit card." After that, there are spaces for the type of credit card, =
the card number, the expiration date, and the cardholder's signature. =
This is all exposed on the surface of a postcard to be sent through the =
US Mail. Doesn't this seem incredibly irresponsible? In this day of =
rampant identity theft, isn't this just an invitation for some =
disgruntled postal worker to steal your credit card number and =
associated information to make some Christmas purchases at your expense? =
=20
Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but this really struck me as poor judgement on =
the part of CM. If you think so too, I suggest you go to =
www.ceramicsmonthly.org, and send email messages to the editors pointing =
out this problem. I emailed them, but have not heard anything back. =20
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Leesh on wed 12 oct 05
Perhaps they expect people to put it in their own envelope if including a
credit card number, but I agree it is irresponsible. I had a similar
experience trying to subscribe to PMI through their web page. After enterin=
g
my personal information for a subscription, it came to the payment page
where you enter the credit card number and I noticed that it was not using
an encryption to send the data. You can tell because an encrypted web page
will start with "https:" instead of "http:". That means that any credit car=
d
information will be passed through the internet unencrypted, allowing any
hacker along the route to see your private information. This is most likely
a greater threat than a postcard going through the mail. In addition, many
subscribers who are not familiar with data encryption may not even be aware
that their information is vulnerable. I sent them an email but have not
received a reply.
As a result, I have not subscribed. Someday I may buy a copy and send in a
subscription card, but in the meantime they have missed out on the sale.
Leesh
On 10/11/05, Vince Pitelka wrote:
>
> I just received my new issue of Ceramics Monthly, and it is quite fine,
> especially with the extensive section on galleries all over the country.
> Bravo to CM.
>
> However, I have a bone to pick with them, and you might as well. With my
> issue, there was a subscription renewal reminder attached to the face of =
the
> magazine. Included was a postage-paid subscription renewal card. This is =
not
> something to be placed in an envelope - it is a postcard. As is the case =
on
> most subscription renewal forms, there is a place to check off "bill me,"
> "payment enclosed" (in which case I suppose one would just place this car=
d
> within an envelope with a check) or "pay by credit card." After that, the=
re
> are spaces for the type of credit card, the card number, the expiration
> date, and the cardholder's signature. This is all exposed on the surface =
of
> a postcard to be sent through the US Mail. Doesn't this seem incredibly
> irresponsible? In this day of rampant identity theft, isn't this just an
> invitation for some disgruntled postal worker to steal your credit card
> number and associated information to make some Christmas purchases at you=
r
> expense?
>
> Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but this really struck me as poor judgement on
> the part of CM. If you think so too, I suggest you go to
> www.ceramicsmonthly.org , and send email
> messages to the editors pointing out this problem. I emailed them, but ha=
ve
> not heard anything back.
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
> Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
> vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
> http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
> http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
>
>
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>
Bic Wood on thu 13 oct 05
Have we reached the point where it is "incredibly irresponsible" for a
company to provide a form for our use and assume that we are actually
intelligent enough to use it properly? The idea that someone would have to
be protected and told that they should not send their credit card
information on a postcard but should put it in an envelope seems to me to
be the incredible part of this story. What is next - perhaps a class
action lawsuit against Ceramics Monthly because they expect their
subscribers to be able to think about the small details?
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