If you believe that, you need your head examining! Firstly, how do you know the cash you have is genuine? When you leave a bank with your cash, once you leave the bank that money becomes your responsibility. If someone gives you some change, you could be given a fake note - I saw a fair number when I worked for Toys R Us. If you take money from the hole in the wall, you might be watched and later mugged. Therefore, the money is lost before you get to the shop - no form of insurance will cover this.

If you make it back from the shops after paying for your items, you put them in the car and go to TESCO or ASDA. While, you are buying your groceries some one breaks into your car and steals your clothes from NEXT, your shoes from Dorothy Perkins and the shirt and tie from Burton. Do you think that your car insurance will cover it? Some policies do, but will yours? More to the point, did you look for a policy that would cover that? I never look for that as a priority when choosing a car policy.

Credit Cards:

Paying for your shopping in a shop with a credit card, that's got to be safe right? Wrong. What is there to stop someone stealing your wallet on the way to the shops. They take your credit cards and go on a spending spree before you can get home, find the necessary numbers and cancel the cards.

Far fetched? Well, here's another scary fact you may not know. The following is suitably vague, as there is no excuse for this type of crime and we DO NOT want to encourage it or give anyone ideas! There are boxes, less than palm size which can be swiped with your card, taken home and with a little know how and computer wizardry - create an instant copy of your card. These items have been used in shops and restaurants around the world. Infact, there was even a television documentary about it - What's in someone else's wallet?

Cheque:

Better than cash, safer, there's no interest on a cheque that's got to be the safest form of shopping. Alright, when was the last time you went out on a shopping extravaganza and wrote a cheque in every shop you bought something from? We don't do it! We wouldn't have enough cheques for one thing, but do you actually know anyone who does this?

There is nothing to stop someone adding an extra zero to a cheque and forging your initials for any changes they make. Theft is a problem once more. If your handbag is stolen, you lose your cheque book and cards. While you report the theft and try to remember what's in the bag, our criminal is spending your hard earned cash in Harrods!

Mail Order:

Well, the problems with this are obvious. We love The Post Office and the service they provide is fantastic and very cheap. However, if you are sending your personal and bank details through the post, what more does a criminal need? How easy is it to intercept mail?

Telephone Shopping:

You could order your shopping by phone. That's okay if every single person you talk to is honest. After all you are giving them all of your personal details and your bank details! Even if they themselves are honest, who else in the office has access to your information?

To conclude, internet shopping is no more or less safe than any other form of shopping in our opinion. You might say we are bound to say that as you run a website where people can book holidays, buy insurance or even sort their Finances out. However, here's our ace up the sleeve - the only time we have been subject to shopping fraud, was where someone ordered items online using one of our credit card details. Where was the information obtained in a shop!