In surveys of Internet users, one of the top concerns expressed is always security of personal information, especially credit card numbers. We're here to assure you that your credit card information is safe when you're ordering from our site.

When you order from us, our commerce server uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to create an encrypted connection between itself and your browser. In this process, your browser identifies itself as capable of handling this type of transaction and both the browser and the server verify each other's credentials with a third-party agency that confirms that both sides of the conversation really are who they say they are.

Furthermore, everything that passes over the Internet between you and our commerce site is scrambled in such a way that we can understand it but nobody else can. This is done using a technique called public key encryption. This is the same type of technique your bank uses to transfer millions of dollars between itself and other banks every day.

When you give the waiter your credit card in a restraunt, it is generally taken out of your sight for several minutes. During that time your waiter and any others standing around have the opportunity to copy your name and credit card number off the card. Not very secure, yet people do this every day.

When you phone in an order to a direct marketing company, you talk to a minimum wage order taker who, if he's like most other Americans, is already over his head in debt. It's not unusual for direct marketing companies to fire dozens of order takers every year for copying confidential customer information down on a scratch pad as they take orders and later using it to purchase items for themselves. Again, not very secure but people place millions of dollars worth of phone-in orders every day.

Using your credit card on the Internet is completely different. When you place an order on the Web, it's generally the case that you are the only human who views your personal information. The rest of the transaction is handled automatically. Yes, it's possible that someone may look at your credit card number to handle a customer service problem -- like issuing you a refund -- but in general nobody ever looks at your credit card number. This is true at Laridian and at any large commerce site you visit on the Web.

Like every other company you do business with, we store your credit card number for required accounting purposes. We don't generally display your credit card number on any screens or reports that are viewed in the normal course of business. In all cases, access to this information is restricted to authorized personnel and is secured with passwords and other techniques.

Your credit card number is not stored in your customer record. Once you've ordered something from us, there's no way for you (or someone who has your Customer ID and Password) to place another order by automatically reusing a previous card number. Each order requires the card number to be reentered.

For your convenience, when possible we look up your credit card number and use it to issue refunds so that you don't have to give it to us again (and even then we may ask for the first two and last four digits in order to confirm we have the right account). Other than this situation, we have a policy not to reuse a customer's credit card number for a future transaction even though if we dig far enough we'd be able to find it. So if you called us to place an order, we won't go find your last credit card number in order to save you time on the phone. This both limits the number of human eyeballs viewing your data and secures your account against unauthorized access.

Review our Privacy Policy for a complete description of what personal data we collect in the course of doing business with you and how it is used.

Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions about security of your credit card information on the Internet.