Buying online WARNING!

"In the last week of April 2014 some significant changes took place for us an Online Pharmacy.

The new prescription policy is for our US customers ONLY. For customers outside the US we will continue to accept and process your order as we have done in the past, ie; without a prescription.

If you are prompted for a prescription, please tick the box "prescription will be emailed" - this will allow the order to be completed. We will then process your order without receiving a prescription, as we can see you are in the UK.

This change in our policy for new US customers has resulted from the major credit card schemes such Visa, MasterCard and Amex, who will not tolerate their names being brought into 'disrepute' - as supplying meds without a valid prescription is unacceptable to them.

Visa and Mastercard are targeting Online Pharmacies due to lobbying from Drug Companies and BigPharma in the US. This is out of our control and failing to supply a valid prescription could result in our business being denied access to their payment facilities".......

BE AWARE!!! I had my visa card "blocked" by my bank just by going online to buy, but even more annoying was the fact I was questioned in private by the fraud team and made to feel like a criminal, (who admitted all of the above)..

They photocopied my passport and driving licence, For why?????

This is Just a warning to ALL you new members who like me, think it's "a piece of cake" to buy online outside the UK..

[Fruitandnutcase]

Very worrying. Indeed. What law is there that allows these people allowed to photograph your passport and driving licence when you have done nothing illegal in the UK and who is now storing that information and for how long?

I'm sure there is probably no point in it, but have you complained loud and clear to your MP, sorry, can't think of anyone else you could complain to - although I suppose you could bring it to the attention of the Daily Mail - it would probably be the type of injustice they would like to highlight - but that would mean you would have your name and a photograph of you looking sad splashed all over the place.

What about the National Council for Civil Liberties because to be questioned and have that sort of information taken and presumably retained seems like an infringement of that to me.

[paul_w123]

I run my own online business dealing with credit card payments so can offer a little insight here.

Your bank has blocked your payment as a routine anti-fraud measure purely because it was a payment going overseas and not inline with your normal purchases, this is quite normal and has happened to me personally several times and often happens to our overseas customers. Your bank has questioned you to verify that the attempted transaction was genuine, not to make you feel like a criminal. Perhaps you are reading a little too much into this?

When you say 'They photocopied my passport and driving licence' I presume you are referring to the retailer? As an online business we sometimes ask our customers for this information. When a credit card payment comes through without a verified billing address and no 3D verfiication it is purely at the retailers risk whether to accept the payment and run the risk of a 'chargeback' being claimed back by the card company within the next 6 months, so due to this risk, perhaps you can understand why you may be asked to provide proof of ID when making payment online. This is of course your choice, but if you do not provide ID then it is very likely the retailer will decline your order.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to paul_w123]

I regularly buy all sorts of stuff from overseas - Europe, USA & NZ - using my Visa card (as do my husband and son) and none of us have ever had either our cards blocked or photographs taken of our passports or driving licences.

Actually thinking about Paul's comment - the fact I do it fairly regularly and that it is part of my normal spending pattern is probably why I have no problem. I have had the anti fraud people call and ask about my last few transactions, also had them call with similar requests for my son. They are always very friendly and I might add very welcome, I think they do a grand job and I have never been made to feel bad.

[Hidden in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

You've answered your question, you are a regular user but I'm not, hence I'm making this aware to all new online buyers..

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Hidden]

Realised that when I re read Paul's reply My mother always told me I was unobservant!

[Hidden in reply to paul_w123]

No the bank took the photocopies, saying with no proof no unlocking my account...

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Hidden]

Good grief! What if you'd been an epileptic without a passport?

[Hidden in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Or an illegal immigrant! haha

I'm so embarrassed now In future I'll have to go into my bank in disguise! (Like my member photo)

[Fruitandnutcase]

I regularly buy all sorts of stuff from overseas - Europe, USA & NZ - using my Visa card (as do my husband and son) and none of us have ever had either our cards blocked or photographs taken of our passports or driving licences.

Actually thinking about Paul's comment - the fact I do it fairly regularly and that it is part of my normal spending pattern is probably why I have no problem. I have had the anti fraud people call and ask about my last few transactions, also had them call with similar requests for my son. They are always very friendly and I might add very welcome, I think they do a grand job and I have never been made to feel bad.

[Hidden]

They were very polite to me and "chuffed" that they have a good fraud team in operation! It was more of an embarrassment then anything, like why am I, a quiet unassuming housewife, suddenly online buying from#!##?? Hah

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

I would be most insulted at being called unassuming! lol