We take your security very seriously. We know that your credit card security is our business, and we do everything possible to make your transactions safe. What We Do With Your Credit Card We validate (but do not charge) your card when you first place your order with us. This helps us process your order more quickly because we can catch typos and you can correct them right away. We charge your card only when we actually ship your products out to you. All your credit card information is transmitted encrypted, and kept encrypted and password protected. It is not accessible from the Internet in any way. How We Ensure Your Credit Card Security Our site uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to ensure that your personal and sensitive data -- credit card number, name, address, and so on -- is transmitted securely, every time. In addition, we use internal security measures to further increase your data security. When we ask for your credit card number or other personal information we transfer that information from your computer to ours via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL encrypts your data before it is transmitted. If someone "listens in" on the wire, they'll only get encrypted information. Yes, even encryption can be broken, but it's not easy. If your browser uses the short or 40-bit key, in theory your key can be broken by a knowledgeable person who has access to networks of workstation-class computers. If your browser is using a 128-bit key, then breaking the encryption would take longer than the age of the universe -- even if you could harness all the computers in the world. That's pretty secure! Forget the Internet for a moment. When you give someone your name and credit card over the phone or in person, you run two risks. These risks are:
When you send your credit card over the Internet, you run LESS of a risk than when you read it over the phone to a mail order company, or hand it to a waiter in a restaurant. Why? Because we don't use carbons. We don't write your information down. We don't repeat your number aloud in a room full of telemarketers. You enter your data and it goes directly into our system, where it is stored encrypted and password-protected. Buying from our site with a credit card is no more risk than paying for dinner out. If Your Browser Doesn't Encrypt Most modern commercial web browsers handle encrypted communication, but some browsers don't. If yours doesn't, then you will not be able to place orders through our on-line store. But you can always call us and order by phone at 207-846-5802 during eastern time business hours (9:00am - 5:00pm.) If your browser cannot support secure transmissions, you may want to obtain a new browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.
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