Apart from the security issues, we are conscious of how annoying it can be to receive unsolicited e-mail from people you do not know. Gourmet Cookware does not under any circumstances pass on customer details to third parties.
Cookies are used on this shopping site to keep track of the contents of your shopping cart once you have selected an item.

If you have any query about our privacy policy, or how your information is recorded, please contact us on the phone number, postal or email address below.

If you've never purchased online before it's understandable that you may feel uncertain about parting with your card details. We have tried to summarise the main concerns about purchasing online and give you a realistic perspective regarding the risk to customers:

Internet, telephone and mail order transactions are all classified as 'Card not present' transactions because the card-holder and card are not physically present for signatures. According to the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS), 'Card not present' fraud accounts for around 2% of all card fraud in the UK. APACS have also found that:
Most cases of internet fraud result when card details obtained fraudulently in the real world are then used to purchase online.
The incidence of hackers obtaining card details through merchant databases is very low.
The risk to customers is further reduced if they use a certified organisation to encrypt data.

Your best defence against fraudsters in the real world is to be vigilant with your card; don't carelessly discard receipts with your card number on it; and always check your credit or debit card statements.

There are a number of ways online purchasing can cause your credit or debit card details to fall into the wrong hands:
Your details are passed over the internet through an unsecured pathway.
The merchant knowingly deceives the customer with no intention of supplying the goods or services.
The merchant does not have adequate internal security.
If hackers access merchant databases for credit/debit card details.
In each of these cases it is possible for someone to obtain and use your credit/debit card fraudulently.

Fortunately, there are simple ways for customers to gain protection:
By using merchants who accept payment through a secure payment service provider (PSP), like Protx, the PSP used by Gourmet Cookware.
Through their credit/debit card acquirer.

Before a merchant can use a PSP they require merchant status from an acquiring bank, in order to obtain this they must meet certain criteria as set out by the bank.

PSP's like protx act as a third party, so vendors never obtain their customers card details - therefore eliminating the merchants liability for transaction related security issues. The PSP is designed to have very high levels of security so credit and debit card details are protected from hackers.
In addition customers are protected from misuse of their card details through their credit/debit card issuer. If customers find a fraudulent transaction they can issue a 'notice of dispute' with their card provider who will reverse the transaction - this is known as a chargeback.

You can always use the Gourmet Cookware Web site as a catalogue and make your purchases in one of the traditional ways. We accept credit card orders by telephone or fax and we also accept payment by cheque using regular mail.

If you have any query about our privacy policy, or how your information is recorded, please contact us on the phone number, postal or email address below.