I don't use them

Post #111,668 by tuberculosis 7/27/03 11:53:50 PM 8/21/07 6:06:17 AM Reply	I don't use them I have a visa check card. No credit. I get offered all the time - but last time I needed credit, I found they like to kick you when you're strapped. Fuck em. I'll pay my own way. NO CREDIT. Smalltalk is dangerous. It is a drug. My advice to you would be don't try it; it could ruin your life. Once you take the time to learn it (to REALLY learn it) you will see that there is nothing out there (yet) to touch it. Of course, like all drugs, how dangerous it is depends on your character. It may be that once you've got to this stage you'll find it difficult (if not impossible) to "go back" to other languages and, if you are forced to, you might become an embittered character constantly muttering ascerbic comments under your breath. Who knows, you may even have to quit the software industry altogether because nothing else lives up to your new expectations. --AndyBower Edited by tuberculosis Aug. 21, 2007, 06:06:17 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #111,669 by Another Scott 7/28/03 12:01:09 AM Reply	How do you rent a car?
Post #111,672 by FuManChu 7/28/03 2:02:51 AM Reply	Many local branches will rent on a debit card Budget and Enterprise, for example. The airport locations won't, but more "local" ones will. I'm gonna go build my own theme park! With Blackjack! And hookers! In fact, forget the park!
Post #111,701 by SpiceWare 7/28/03 10:32:34 AM Reply	AMEX I only use American Express now - it must be paid in full each month. Darrell Spice, Jr. [link\|http://www.spiceware.org/cgi-bin/spa.pl?album=./Artistic%20Overpass\|Artistic Overpass]\n[link\|http://www.spiceware.org/\|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
Post #111,712 by tuberculosis 7/28/03 11:20:19 AM 8/21/07 6:07:22 AM Reply	I'll never use them again I have an AMEX horror story - it goes like this. While a roadwarrior for Platinum Technology I was expected to front all expenses and get reimbursed. This resulted in a routine rolling balance of about $10k. Upon my resignation, Platinum decided to be nasty and denied my final expense report as "excessive". Leaving me without the cash to pay the balance. So I phone up AMEX immediately to let them know there is a problem and to arrange a payment schedule. We agree on a timetable and I agree not to use the card until payed off. Every week they call to tell me I'm delinquent, send me threatening letters, and every week I ask if they have a record of the agreement. They do not. I fill in the latest goon on the situation and schedule and they say fine - no problem. Meanwhile I'm paying them as fast as I can. (Platinum came through with the cash about 3 months later). But they still trashed my credit rating. Multiple derogetories. So they don't honor their agreements and they screw you if they can. Fuck em. Smalltalk is dangerous. It is a drug. My advice to you would be don't try it; it could ruin your life. Once you take the time to learn it (to REALLY learn it) you will see that there is nothing out there (yet) to touch it. Of course, like all drugs, how dangerous it is depends on your character. It may be that once you've got to this stage you'll find it difficult (if not impossible) to "go back" to other languages and, if you are forced to, you might become an embittered character constantly muttering ascerbic comments under your breath. Who knows, you may even have to quit the software industry altogether because nothing else lives up to your new expectations. --AndyBower Edited by tuberculosis Aug. 21, 2007, 06:07:22 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #111,780 by kmself 7/28/03 5:51:35 PM Reply	Get it in writing Was the repayment schedule recorded in any document? --\r\n Karsten M. Self [link\|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com\|kmself@ix.netcom.com]\r\n [link\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/]\r\n What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?\r\n [link\|http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/\|TWikIWETHEY] -- an experiment in collective intelligence. Stupidity. Whatever.\r\n \r\n Keep software free. Oppose the CBDTPA. Kill S.2048 dead.\r\n[link\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html]\r\n
Post #111,790 by tuberculosis 7/28/03 7:05:28 PM 8/21/07 6:08:50 AM Reply	Tried that But giant faceless corporation couldn't send me a letter, I sent them one but they ignored it. You can't win. So I don't play. As a result of this, I no longer loan money (front expenses) for employers. Its put off a fair number of bean counters but I just stand firm and say that if they want me to travel, they have to pay up front. So far its caused grumbling and resulted in advance checks being cut. Smalltalk is dangerous. It is a drug. My advice to you would be don't try it; it could ruin your life. Once you take the time to learn it (to REALLY learn it) you will see that there is nothing out there (yet) to touch it. Of course, like all drugs, how dangerous it is depends on your character. It may be that once you've got to this stage you'll find it difficult (if not impossible) to "go back" to other languages and, if you are forced to, you might become an embittered character constantly muttering ascerbic comments under your breath. Who knows, you may even have to quit the software industry altogether because nothing else lives up to your new expectations. --AndyBower Edited by tuberculosis Aug. 21, 2007, 06:08:50 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #111,988 by Ashton 7/30/03 3:51:16 AM Reply	Welcome brother Made IBM cut a check for some samples of a (electrical) "contact enhancing" chemical. I wouldn't accept their PO with multi-week settle date. They paid. Anonymity - I think that's what brings out the execrable BS buck passing, from a random phone line within the great Corporate womb. Ashton
Post #111,718 by bbronson 7/28/03 11:28:02 AM Reply	I like Discover No annual fee, and since I pay off the entire balance every month, an effective negative interest rate. They're paying me to spend money I'm going to spend anyway, and that's fine with me. Brian Bronson
Post #111,759 by Ashton 7/28/03 4:09:02 PM Reply	But isn't that the only sane way to use any CC? Then you get the use of their funds through the billing cycle (they still rake off from the merchants - so they don't dislike the fast-payers as much as some make out..) All I know fershure is - anyone who maintains a rotating balance at 20+ percent with THIS Prime Rate - has failed the IQ test (or is living in perpetual Emergency, as.. only sometimes is unavoidable). Ashton
Post #111,785 by bbronson 7/28/03 6:27:58 PM Reply	Yessirree, but trying to convince some people of this is harder than it should be! Like some of my friends and relatives. Brian Bronson
Post #111,670 by orion 7/28/03 12:05:51 AM Reply	I've cut back on my use of them I used to live off of credit cards, had a lot of medical bills I paid with them, etc. Been paying them off, hope to one day have zero credit card debt. One card offered me a 5.99% fixed rate if I transfered over to their card and kept timely payments. So I juggled my credit card debt into that card. It is easy enough to spend $500USD or more a month on a credit card and not really notice it until the bill comes in. It all adds up. I now use credit cards like a loan, to borrow money to pay off later, instead of using them like cash. We too have a Visa check card, for those who don't take checks and debit cards. Plus the Visa check card doesn't need a credit check everytime you use it like a check does. They usually reject my check because I have too many checks I wrote not cashed yet, or too many credit checks on my account in a six month period (not my fault, so many companies check my credit before offering me stuff on the phone, etc, and I have no control over this) or some other lame reason. In 1996 when I got engaged, they rejected my check for the engagement ring, so I went to an ATM, and withdrew $500USD cash and put a downpayment for it with that. Made me so mad. But I never bounced a check, and always make my payments, yet I have endless problems with credit checking companies when I write a check. I only use checks to pay off house bills, which we have no problems with so far.
Post #111,671 by kmself 7/28/03 1:25:59 AM Reply	CC advantages A debit card is a pipeline straight into your checking account, with few if any stop-loss restrictions. This may be changing as I've not stayed on the issue. \r\n\r\n The best credit card is one from a reputable credit union which is owned by its members (depositors). Get one. I've finally initiated a transfer to a local CU after finding that residency in my county was sufficent for membership. \r\n\r\n As for payments -- I pay all day-to-day expenses cash, bills with checks (the two horrors of electronic billpay are guaranteed payment and discontinuing service). To the extent I can, big-ticket items are paid cash or check as well, though I'll CC a few and pay balance. \r\n\r\n Mainstream, megabank, unsecured consumer credit: yes, it's the hell you think it is. I've worked inside it. Twice. Run, don't walk. --\r\n Karsten M. Self [link\|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com\|kmself@ix.netcom.com]\r\n [link\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/]\r\n What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?\r\n [link\|http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/\|TWikIWETHEY] -- an experiment in collective intelligence. Stupidity. Whatever.\r\n \r\n Keep software free. Oppose the CBDTPA. Kill S.2048 dead.\r\n[link\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html]\r\n
Post #112,204 by bluke 7/31/03 8:09:57 AM 7/31/03 8:23:06 AM Reply	Credit card is much better if used correctly A credit card offers a number of advantages if you use it the same way you would use a check card or cash, i.e. don't use the credit aspect and carry a balance: 1. fraud protection - if someone steals your card or number and uses it you are not liable, to the best of my knowledge a check/debit card offers no such protection. Likewise if you buy something and it is defective, not delivered, etc. you can dispute the charge and not pay. 2. free credit - you get a months free credit until you actually have to pay the bill. In fact, I use 2 cards, 1 card has a billing date at the beginning of the month 1 on the 16th, from the 1st - 15th I use the first card, from the 16th - end of the month I use the second. This way I maximize the free credit that I get. 3. Money is not constantly draining from your checking account. You pay once or twice a month allowing you to keep the money invested somewhere else earning interest (I admit a pittance these days) during the month. 4. You can usually find a free credit card that gives you something back. For example, my parents have a Shoprite American Express card. They get 1% back (in the form of a Shoprite voucher) for general purposes and 3% back for Shoprite purchases. Since they shop in Shoprite anyway, the vouchers are as good as cash for them. They carry no balance and use the card for eveything that they can, so over a year it is a decent sized sum of money for free. 5. It is easy to keep track of your purchases every month. You get a bill itemizing every purchase. If you use cash it is easy to forget. Edited by bluke July 31, 2003, 08:16:10 AM EDT Edited by bluke July 31, 2003, 08:23:06 AM EDT Expand All History

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