Earlier today I wrote to Ecorama Holidays on Santorini explaining how it works and asking them what they thought of the PayPal idea. I'll be curious to read their response.

I'm with Ira on this one - I think you are making mountains out of mole hills. I would have to say that the travel agent is merely covering herself, more than anything else. If you weren't the owner of the credit card, well then she could be out of pocket (say, if it had been stolen). I think it is more than a reasonable request and really nothing at all to worry about.

<<<but the real danger comes from third parties intercepting your data. After all, that's why we have firewall and anti-spyware software on our computers.>>>

That's the point of FAXING rather than sending an e-mail. Compared to an e-mail it's very difficult to intercept a fax

Being Greek and a lawyer, it is my understanding that the reason beneath the request for photocopies of your credit card and passport is that without an adequate ID verification, if you were to deny the particular transaction, the agent would have to undertake the cost at the end of the day.

This may be annoying and it certainly raises certain personal data protection issues. A secure payment method (paypal, easy pay etc) through the internet would be definitely preferable and up to date.

If this is not an option then you should consider to advance the requested documents separately, namely to fax the ID document and communicate by phone the credit card details. If the details of the credit card are correct then the payment will be accepted. There is no actual need to send a copy of the credit card. There is a however a valid reason to send the ID document.

This applies nevertheless only if you trust the agent and only if your concern lies with third parties.

stormbird and alanRow, if you are comfortable having your personal details on hotel and travel agency databases, that's fine by me. The potential problem isn't so much with the email or the fax, but what happens to the information afterwards.

As I said earlier, two laptops containing my personal details have been stolen recently, and I am now faced with the prospect of monitoring credit reports to insure I am not the victim of identity fraud. At least my health insurance company and the VA have come clean and admitted the problem. I doubt that a travel agency or hotel would have been that forthcoming.

I know this is a long time later, but I cannot UN-recommend Fantasy Travel enough! We had a terrible (and potentially dangerous) experience with them after we booked a one-day cruise through them. The day ended up being a nightmare (commencing with them dropping us off, me being 5 months pregnant and my mom being 66 and not in the best health, nowhere near our hotel, in the dark).

I contacted them expecting, at the very least, an apology which was not given to me. They told me they'd look into it and get back to me... which they never did.