Hi Margaret,

> Hi, Dien - not all experiences of trading on
> the net are good - I run a small gift and
> coffee shop; have sold some jewellery on the
> net; have been targetted by some
> mean-spirited people who
> "purchased" high ticket jewellery
> items using fraudulent credit card; I ended
> up paying chargebacks, loosing the (already
> banked) value of the sale and the goods
> which were dispatched in good faith to
> Pakistan.

> My rule nowadays is; if the order looks too
> good to be true, it probably is. Caution is
> the word.

Wow, thanks for the warning.... I was actually thinking of doing a kind of "hybrid" online-offline thing, possibly buying online and selling offline, but I'm still investigating it.... I'm not sure yet if there is an opportunity here or not.... However, thank you for your warning!

I know that some people who accept credit cards only accept them from certain places, and block credit cards from other areas which they've found to have a high rate of fraud.... I don't know if that would help in the case you mention, though, since if I understood you right it sounds like they may have used stolen credit card numbers....? People engaging in credit card fraud sounds like a difficult problem to solve....

> The majority of people are honest; its the
> few baddies which spoil the fun.

Yes, it's a pity.... I guess it's something to watch out for, thanks again for the warning....

> Good luck in the venture.

Thank you Margaret! Most of my focus nowadays seem to have gone offline, or a combination of online/offline type stuff.... I do believe there are profits to be made online, but I also have to watch out not to compete directly with the "big guys" without having adequate capital to do so....

However, I do believe there are opportunities online, especially selling "real world" stuff online (like you are with jewellery) and especially in "niche" products, too "niched" for the giants to want to bother with it....

And when you think about it, many big businesses today actually started as "niche" companies. When they started, Microsoft and Apple were definitely dealing in "niche" products, the "hobby" computer business.... I love the idea of "niche" businesses because they can be started and made profitable with smaller amounts of start up capital.... It's also a great way to work with something you love. :)

> Here's some cherry blossom! - Helensburgh
> was awash with colour this spring.

Wow, Helensburgh looks like a beautiful area, especially this time of year.... Wow, thank you for sharing that photo! I've never been to Scotland (I guess I've figured out now you're in Scotland), but I would LOVE to go one day. :)

Best wishes :)

Dien