Security in The Cooking Shop 

How secure is thecookingshop.com?

We consider the security of the information that you provide to be extremely important and we have therefore taken every precaution to ensure that the privacy of your personal and payment details remains confidential. Our checkout system is the very latest technology called Protx by Barclaycard which is considered the leading and safest online checkout system.  

What is our policy on data protection?

During your shopping experience with us you may be required to input personal data including your name, address and contact details. Once we have collected the details we need from you, they are encrypted and stored on our secure database and at no point are your details stored online. We fully comply with all relevant data protection and consumer legislation, to make sure that our customers and their details will be treated in a safe and confidential manner. At the checkout you can select whether to receive further information from us or any of our partner companies. If you prefer, you can choose not to receive information from us regarding our developments and offers or occasionally from carefully selected third parties.

What are cookies?

Cookies are tiny text files stored on your computer when you visit certain web pages. www.thecookingshop.com uses cookies to monitor what products you have selected to be placed in your shopping basket and logs your shopping history with us.  In order to purchase from www.thecookingshop.com all cookies on your computer must be enabled.  Please accept our assurance that cookies do not contain any personal or private details, are free from viruses and cannot harm your computer.

Shopping basket and checkout

If you decide to buy a product, or a number of products, from us, you can add them to your shopping basket.  This does not mean that you are under any obligation to eventually purchase them and you can remove items at the checkout.

Once you are sure of your choices, you can proceed to our online secure checkout, where relevant details such as name, address, method of payment etc will be asked of you.  We use ProTx payment which is owned and run by Barclays Merchant Services a division of Barclays Bank Plc.  We believe this is the safest online checkout system in the world currently and ensures your safety at all times.

How do I request a refund?

We take every possible step to ensure that your products arrive with you in an excellent condition and that you will be highly satisfied with your online experience. It may be, however, that you change your mind about your order and if so, we aim to make the process as quick and convenient as possible.

If you want to return a product that you have purchased, you must let us know within 7 days of receiving it. This can be by phone, fax, E-mail or mail (see ‘Contact Us’). You must then arrange for the product to be returned to us in it’s original packaging undamaged or unused.  Once we receive the product back and verify that it is undamaged and unused we will refund the original card used with the value of the product.  We recommend that you ensure that you have proof of sending any returns as we will not refund returns which are not received.  By using Royal Mail Recorded delivery, the return is insured and you have proof of sending.  Alternatively we can arrange for Parcel Force to collect the parcel and return it to us in which case we will deduct the cost of the return delivery (usually £7.50 within the UK)

Getting your money back

As soon as we have received and verified the products back at our warehouse, we will initiate a full refund to the original credit card as quickly as possible.

Why does thecookingshop.com store your details?

We are dedicated to efficient, personal service.  While respecting your privacy, we store a small amount of information about all of our customers to ensure that our service standards can be maintained smoothly and speedily.  The information that you provide allows us to track the progress of your order, recognise returning customers and deal with any queries you may have with a comprehensive knowledge of your shopping history with any of our web sites.

Is the information stored safely?

Security is of course one of the primary concerns about shopping online, and one we have taken great care to safeguard.  It is part of our promise to you that we comply with all relevant data protection and consumer legislation.  Please see out ’10 tips’ below if you are worried about online security.

Which of my details does thecookingshop.com need?

We only require a minimal amount of information for your transaction to occur securely and efficiently:

  • Name and address.
  • Date of birth  (We are unable to sell knives to under 18’s)
  • Payment details
  • Delivery address (We recognise that our products make ideal gifts, and there is no problem at all with delivering them to an address different to that of the card holder)

10 ways to be sure your details are safe

1. Credit card companies protect buyers
If a transaction is charged to your account that you didn’t authorise, you can request a full refund from your credit card issuer.

2. Buying on line is just as safe as mail order
If you are confident ordering products by phone, fax or mail, then shopping online should present no additional concern.  You have the same rights and are protected by the same legislation.  If goods are faulty, you are entitled to a full refund.

3. Online fraud
We use the very latest software supplied by Barclays to ensure that a variety of checks are made against the card being used.  This ensures that the name and address of the card holder match those being submitted.

4. Encryption
Encryption is the main factor protecting your security, and the key to online safety. All data that we receive from you is encrypted at all times so it cannot be stolen.

5. Extra verification
The payment process asks you for the 3 numbers on the signature strip of your card and cross references your home address to verify the transaction.  This means you have to physically have the card in front of you or the money will not be taken.  This further reduces the chances of someone using your card details without your authorisation.

6. Mutual benefit
If an unreported stolen credit card is used to buy products from any of our websites, we do not get any money and stands to lose goods to a bogus consumer.  It is therefore of mutual importance and benefit to verify the authenticity of orders that are placed and to use all possible means to protect your details.

7. Contact us
If you are concerned about security, contact us. You can contact us by:
Phone:         0845 3131490
E-mail:          info@thecookingshop.com
Post:            The Galley, 3 Blandford Court, Market Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1UY

8. The big boys
It is easy to underestimate just how much the Internet is being used for financial purposes.  Millions of pounds of transactions are conducted every day, thousands of purchases take place, and multi-billion pound companies such as Cisco are making the Web their main ordering mechanism.  The Internet would not be used on such a scale unless it was fundamentally secure.

9. Alternatives
If you really are unsure about ordering online, you can send your order by mail or fax, but we will still need the same information from you.

10. Protx by Barclays

This is now the industry standard in terms of the safest and most efficient way to order online.  For more information visit http://www.protx.com/about_security.asp

Complaints

If you have a complaint of any kind, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  All complaints are dealt with by one of our Directors.  We promise to deal with any complaint within 5 working days and keep you informed at every stage of the resolution process.

 

Knives

It is illegal to sell knives to anyone under 18 years of age therefore if you have or are purchasing these type of products from The Cooking Shop you agree that you are over the age of 18 and we reserve the right to refuse to sell knives to anyone who cannot prove their age.

If you have any worries about online shopping, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information.

Your statutory rights are not affected.