The Shutterbug Verification Policy

With the advent of online ordering, the problem of security has increased dramatically. Verification is to determine that the person calling us to use your credit card is, in fact, you. The Federal Trade Commission has released its annual report detailing consumer complaints about identity theft and listing the top 10 fraud complaint categories reported by consumers. As in 2000 and 2001, identity theft topped the list, accounting for 43 percent of the complaints lodged in the FTC's Consumer Sentinel database. The number of fraud complaints jumped from 220,000 in 2001 to 380,000 in 2002, and the dollar loss consumers attributed to the fraud they reported grew from $160 million in 2001 to $343 million in 2002.

Verification at The Shutterbug is triggered by any of a number of indicators programmed into our order entry computer system. While the details must remain confidential, we try to verify transactions as quickly as possible, though it could take up to 30 days in some cases. As we protect ourselves, we are also protecting you too. Excessive fraud results in higher prices. The main benefit to you is that our security assures you that the possibility of becoming a victim of card theft or identity fraud is minimized. It is for this reason that we will only ship to the billing address of the credit card used. We don't use verification procedures to inconvenience our customers, but for protection -- ours and yours. We understand that it's frustrating to wait a little longer for your order to be processed, but we feel is an acceptable inconvenience when compared to the difficulty in repairing a credit history damaged by identity theft. We appreciate your patronage, and in the very few instances when your order is sent for verification, we appreciate your patience.