-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Gidday Greg You wrote..

Most consumer-level transactions are based on a general sort of trust-in-human-nature sort of policy, backed up by the knowledge that a single failed transaction (or even a constant low level of failed transactions, where failed == "didn't get paid but gave the stuff away") isn't likely to kill off a business or even make it unprofitable.

Failed transactions are more likely to affect consumer confidence than trader confidence. I have yet to find a site on the net where goods are shipped before receiving payment, therefore the 'at risk' party is the buyer. Cybertraders will need to establish a level of credibility and reliability on a par with their terrestrial cousins. Cyberbuyers will need to be confident in their ability to call upon yet unwritten international laws to gain a refund or replacement when goods and services don't arrive as advertised. BTW do you want to buy a really big rock way out in the middle of nowhere? [:>) cheers Peter -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBMKsP0uvjRao+WEx9AQGq5wP9EicYrEbW3wDoLZ8FcPSvp9b9qk3GhoQH H7pmHq3OvXr++DZHZqqzL2whvz24BvEA4DQ0mwPa1Te9EtIn/VGqbdv2UO23iI9H ysGX80T3wokORgKay157KC70aykgiafpHYb0t+hQxClN2FY/jTA5FiheGTaNERQc UkhP+wOg7zY= =qewX -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Flight to Quality Wiltshire Productions Pty Ltd Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Intl Voice 61 7 3376 3535 Intl Fax 61 7 3279 4027 Email wiltship@gil.com.au PGP Key ID 3E584C7D PGP Fingerprint 01 03 FB F4 BE F8 2B F3 5D 84 6B 69 37 80 FE 10