Re: Reliable internet photo equipment shop 2nd try

[David Foy <dfoy@xxxxxxxx>]

I have an on-line photo supply business, and my credit card processor 
uses a fraud-analysis algorithm that automatically rejects card payments 
from most of the world outside North America and western Europe. Even 
Japan gets rejected more than I think is necessary, and places like 
Turkey and the Czech Republic unfortunately get lumped in with the 
Belarus's and Outer Fraudistans. It's because credit card fraud from 
Indonesia, Africa, and several of the former Soviet-bloc countries is a 
huge problem, and legitimate sales from those places are very rare. 
Thousands of dollars worth of merchandise gets shipped and never paid for.

The card companies offer merchants zero protection when the card is not 
physically present at the time of transaction, so strictly speaking if 
B&H will accept a faxed card showing both sides of the card, including 
the signature, they're still going out on a limb a little. B&H are not 
going to cheat a buyer, so it makes sense to co-operate with them in 
getting the transaction processed.

David Foy
(on-line as The Frugal Photographer)

Emily L. Ferguson wrote:
> Can you call B&H on their 800 number?  It would cost them but you might 
> be able to work out the faxing problem with them that way.
>
> Alternatively, could your address in the US pay for the stuff and get 
> reimbursed by you when you come here?
>
> B&H really is best for many things (not CF cards or any other things you 
> can buy over the counter at places like Staples or CostCo).  I'd try to 
> work something out with them before going somewhere else.
>
> Between the phishing scams on the internet and the current American 
> xenophobia I'm not surprised that B&H want's to see something like a 
> fax, but still it's hardly secure.