From: "Billy H" 
Newsgroups: uk.legal uk.finance
Subject: Re: Companies with webcards that are student friendly?
Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 18:50:37 -0000

Palindr?me wrote:
> Adrian wrote:
>> =?UTF-8?B?UGFsaW5kcuKYu21l?= (me9@privacy.net) gurgled happily,
>> sounding much like they were saying :
>>
>>
>>>>> Not quite - they can be used for a wide range of "cardholder not
>>>>> present" transactions - eg booking a hotel room by phone (one of
>>>>> the things I do use my webcard for).
>>>>>
>>>>> Not only do they give the advantage that the hotel (or whatever)
>>>>> can only charge up to the (low) limit I have set but, if a third
>>>>> party can get hold of them (say by stealing a hotel notebook) -
>>>>> the limit still applies* and the "card" will soon expire.
>>
>>
>>>> What happens when you check in at the hotel and they ask to swipe
>>>> your card?
>>
>>
>>> If they haven't debited the webcard,  which is usually the case, I
>>> just give them a real card if there doesn't look to be a way to get
>>> out of it. That isn't very often.
>>
>>
>> How about booking cinema tickets on the web - where you have to
>> insert the card you used for the booking into the machine in the
>> foyer in order to print the tickets.
>
> Nope, can't use it for that, or for travel tickets which you have to
> pick up - the webcard website that I referenced mentions that the card
> is unsuitable for these sorts of purchases. Of course not a problem if
> they will post the tickets to your home address. And, of course, it
> doesn't protect you against a supplier sending the wrong goods, or no
> goods at all - any more than a bit of real plastic will.
>
>


Incidentally, it isn't advisable to try to clean glass with the lump hammer, 
or a claw hammer to screw screws. Nor can a screw driver to the work of a 
set of Stilsons, strange how there aren't tools that are total purpose.

It isn't strange to learn the credit card tools don't work best in every 
situation.

> What it does mean is that all the other places, the vast majority that
> would have my "permanent" credit card details complete with potential
> access to my full credit limit - just have a number that can no longer
> be used and could only have been used for a very limited amount to
> start with. I buy quite a lot online or over the phone and I find
> that quite reassuring...