I've been on a steep learning curve since opening Baby Jewels over a year ago. I have learned that when someone mis-uses (fraudulently uses) a credit card to purchase items online, the seller is the loser. When someone orders an item on Baby Jewels, I receive an email from both the site and through my payment gateway. My payment gateway does certain checks to determine the likelihood of fraudulent use of the credit card used in the purchase. Sometimes these fraudulent transactions manage to get through. But I'm getting wiser.
In March I received an order for a bunch of baby and children's jewellery from a man in Venezuela. He purchased some of our most precious baby bracelets, children's bracelets, children's necklaces and a baby brooch. Two months later my bank contacted me advising that it had been charged back, in other words, the owner of the card had denied purchasing these items. In the case where a card is not visible, the signature not witnessed, as is the case with all online business, the seller is the loser.
But I have learned a thing or two since then. There are actions that I can take to cut out the likelihood of fraud, as I found out today. My bank phoned me to say there's a likely fraudulent transaction has come through my payment gateway. Again, for baby and children's earrings, baby bangles and bracelets, children's charms etc. (Even crims love their children, obviously!)
I had seen a couple of transactions from Ghana blocked a couple of days ago, but this one, from the same buyer, had somehow come through. I did an immediate refund so that no chargeback can be made, and obviously have not sent the goods.
Investigations have unearthed some rather amazing methods to have these fraudulent transactions blocked and I'm going for them all! Hopefully these crooks, who love their baby jewellery, will disappear from my site from now on!