@Hugh ; just for the record, I was not smugly bragging about not ordering online, or deriding anyone who does. Whether my own ignorance, valid or unjustified fears, or whatever... I simply haven't. Eventually, not doing so turned into habit, and so it goes.
What I will say is, I don't receive spam at my emails because I'm not adding it to an online order form. People I know who do, seem to often find themselves flooded for years with unsolicited emails... how many are toxic/virus/etc., hard to say. But, what isn't is how these retailers also make money by selling every email address they get, feeling NO responsibility toward the client like a local retailer would. Naturally, if your credit information is not available online, you've protected yourself in that regard (somewhat), even further.
Understand, I'm not someone who pushes nationalism, but, when I discovered how many people make a business on simply offering the cheapest product they can find internationally, and only work as an initial contact to you... then shift your order to this guy, who sends it on to that, and so on, all to have Bob's Gifts in X-nation ship it from there (as though I bought it directly from them)... Well, I don't see that as helping my community, even my state or country. It's helping some guy who discovered a way to sit in his underwear all day, making money for doing nothing, and then casting my money like eroded soil round the globe.
In the end, many in that chain, even the end all manufacturer feels little to no responsibility for what they sell or how they sell it... that's what makes me hold my line.
Thanks for the topic!
K2