Been here a few days - phew!
Jul 9th 2009, 12:31 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Carleton Place, ON
Posts: 133
Been here a few days - phew!
After three years waiting for our PR visa, we arrived in Ottawa a few days ago and I thought I'd share some of our experiences:
LANDING
After a 7.5-hour flight we queued for 15 minutes to show our passports then went to Immigration, where we handed over our visas and forms, answered a few questions and showed our proof of funds (a letter from HIFX confirming a transfer to our HSBC Canada account). All was in order, thankfully, and the whole process was straightforward. On to customs, where we showed our B4(E) and mover's inventory. All OK. Welcome to Canada!
SETTLING IN
We're renting a hotel suite for a month while we settle in and look for work. I'm in the middle of a job application process which I started in the UK, and while we wait to discover if I've got the job, we've obtained our SINs and are now getting to explore the city. It's quiet, spotlessly clean and very friendly, although we've had to speak slowly so that people can understand our (slight Welsh) accents. HSBC has put us in touch with a realtor who is looking for homes outside the city for us, in areas like Carleton Place, Almont, and Arnprior, but buying will have to wait until I've got a job.
CONCLUSIONS
It's been a mindblowing experience so far with so much to take in.
On the downside:
Calling home on mobiles was ridiculously expensive so now we're using Euroshade calling cards.
We have to hunt for a Tescos-like supermarket in the city centre to keep bills down.
We were going to hire a car for a few days to explore but have been alarmed by the price, etc.
On the upside:
Cars are not quite as expensive to buy as we expected, but we'll wait until I've got a job.
Portions in restaurants are enormous.
The people are very pleasant.
The bus network is excellent (although it can be hard to understand the drivers).
Scenery around the city is lovely.
I've had to appreciate that we can't get everything we want (job, house, car) in just a few days, and we have to take it one day at a time. Every day has taught us something (everything is further away than you think, Second Cup serves a great hot chocolate) and we have to be patient.
BE has been a great source of information during our long wait to get to this point, and if anybody has any advice on how to make our first few weeks go smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
LANDING
After a 7.5-hour flight we queued for 15 minutes to show our passports then went to Immigration, where we handed over our visas and forms, answered a few questions and showed our proof of funds (a letter from HIFX confirming a transfer to our HSBC Canada account). All was in order, thankfully, and the whole process was straightforward. On to customs, where we showed our B4(E) and mover's inventory. All OK. Welcome to Canada!
SETTLING IN
We're renting a hotel suite for a month while we settle in and look for work. I'm in the middle of a job application process which I started in the UK, and while we wait to discover if I've got the job, we've obtained our SINs and are now getting to explore the city. It's quiet, spotlessly clean and very friendly, although we've had to speak slowly so that people can understand our (slight Welsh) accents. HSBC has put us in touch with a realtor who is looking for homes outside the city for us, in areas like Carleton Place, Almont, and Arnprior, but buying will have to wait until I've got a job.
CONCLUSIONS
It's been a mindblowing experience so far with so much to take in.
On the downside:
Calling home on mobiles was ridiculously expensive so now we're using Euroshade calling cards.
We have to hunt for a Tescos-like supermarket in the city centre to keep bills down.
We were going to hire a car for a few days to explore but have been alarmed by the price, etc.
On the upside:
Cars are not quite as expensive to buy as we expected, but we'll wait until I've got a job.
Portions in restaurants are enormous.
The people are very pleasant.
The bus network is excellent (although it can be hard to understand the drivers).
Scenery around the city is lovely.
I've had to appreciate that we can't get everything we want (job, house, car) in just a few days, and we have to take it one day at a time. Every day has taught us something (everything is further away than you think, Second Cup serves a great hot chocolate) and we have to be patient.
BE has been a great source of information during our long wait to get to this point, and if anybody has any advice on how to make our first few weeks go smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
Jul 9th 2009, 12:42 am
#2
Im strange but not scary!
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Shelburne, ON
Posts: 179
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
Congrats on the big move!!!!
Jul 9th 2009, 12:59 am
#3
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 11
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
Hi
Welcome to Canada! We've been living in Kanata since Oct 2008 and so far the whole experience has been mind-blowing. You've definitely made the right move and in no time you'll get a job and settle in. We've also moved from Wales (Aberystwyth) and can associate with the having to speak slowly!
With regards to phoning home, and I guess this will be more appropriate once you've settled into your new home, is to use SKYPE. It costs around $9.99 per month for any landline in the world - just got to make sure you have internet connection and mobile calls will cost approx 30cents. Not sure if you've sorted out your driving licences, but that was a fairly simple process and you've got 6 weeks to transfer them over and it costs approx $70. Plus side is that you don't have to take a test! 
You've probably know what else needs to be done but shout if you need any help. We're still getting used to the way of life here, but it's definitely a better lifestyle. PS. For Tesco like super-markets I would say that either Loblaws or Independent grocers are the closest thing, but for 'cheaper' everyday basics there's Food Basics. Depending on where you're going to be working, Arnprior, Carleton Place etc is about 20 mins from Kanata and if working downtown, it can take anything from 40-60 mins each way...depending on traffic.
Good luck
Welcome to Canada! We've been living in Kanata since Oct 2008 and so far the whole experience has been mind-blowing. You've definitely made the right move and in no time you'll get a job and settle in. We've also moved from Wales (Aberystwyth) and can associate with the having to speak slowly!
With regards to phoning home, and I guess this will be more appropriate once you've settled into your new home, is to use SKYPE. It costs around $9.99 per month for any landline in the world - just got to make sure you have internet connection and mobile calls will cost approx 30cents. Not sure if you've sorted out your driving licences, but that was a fairly simple process and you've got 6 weeks to transfer them over and it costs approx $70. Plus side is that you don't have to take a test! You've probably know what else needs to be done but shout if you need any help. We're still getting used to the way of life here, but it's definitely a better lifestyle. PS. For Tesco like super-markets I would say that either Loblaws or Independent grocers are the closest thing, but for 'cheaper' everyday basics there's Food Basics. Depending on where you're going to be working, Arnprior, Carleton Place etc is about 20 mins from Kanata and if working downtown, it can take anything from 40-60 mins each way...depending on traffic. Good luck
Jul 9th 2009, 3:37 am
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,113
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
After three years waiting for our PR visa, we arrived in Ottawa a few days ago and I thought I'd share some of our experiences:
LANDING
After a 7.5-hour flight we queued for 15 minutes to show our passports then went to Immigration, where we handed over our visas and forms, answered a few questions and showed our proof of funds (a letter from HIFX confirming a transfer to our HSBC Canada account). All was in order, thankfully, and the whole process was straightforward. On to customs, where we showed our B4(E) and mover's inventory. All OK. Welcome to Canada!
SETTLING IN
We're renting a hotel suite for a month while we settle in and look for work. I'm in the middle of a job application process which I started in the UK, and while we wait to discover if I've got the job, we've obtained our SINs and are now getting to explore the city. It's quiet, spotlessly clean and very friendly, although we've had to speak slowly so that people can understand our (slight Welsh) accents. HSBC has put us in touch with a realtor who is looking for homes outside the city for us, in areas like Carleton Place, Almont, and Arnprior, but buying will have to wait until I've got a job.
CONCLUSIONS
It's been a mindblowing experience so far with so much to take in.
On the downside:
Calling home on mobiles was ridiculously expensive so now we're using Euroshade calling cards.
We have to hunt for a Tescos-like supermarket in the city centre to keep bills down.
We were going to hire a car for a few days to explore but have been alarmed by the price, etc.
On the upside:
Cars are not quite as expensive to buy as we expected, but we'll wait until I've got a job.
Portions in restaurants are enormous.
The people are very pleasant.
The bus network is excellent (although it can be hard to understand the drivers).
Scenery around the city is lovely.
I've had to appreciate that we can't get everything we want (job, house, car) in just a few days, and we have to take it one day at a time. Every day has taught us something (everything is further away than you think, Second Cup serves a great hot chocolate) and we have to be patient.
BE has been a great source of information during our long wait to get to this point, and if anybody has any advice on how to make our first few weeks go smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
LANDING
After a 7.5-hour flight we queued for 15 minutes to show our passports then went to Immigration, where we handed over our visas and forms, answered a few questions and showed our proof of funds (a letter from HIFX confirming a transfer to our HSBC Canada account). All was in order, thankfully, and the whole process was straightforward. On to customs, where we showed our B4(E) and mover's inventory. All OK. Welcome to Canada!
SETTLING IN
We're renting a hotel suite for a month while we settle in and look for work. I'm in the middle of a job application process which I started in the UK, and while we wait to discover if I've got the job, we've obtained our SINs and are now getting to explore the city. It's quiet, spotlessly clean and very friendly, although we've had to speak slowly so that people can understand our (slight Welsh) accents. HSBC has put us in touch with a realtor who is looking for homes outside the city for us, in areas like Carleton Place, Almont, and Arnprior, but buying will have to wait until I've got a job.
CONCLUSIONS
It's been a mindblowing experience so far with so much to take in.
On the downside:
Calling home on mobiles was ridiculously expensive so now we're using Euroshade calling cards.
We have to hunt for a Tescos-like supermarket in the city centre to keep bills down.
We were going to hire a car for a few days to explore but have been alarmed by the price, etc.
On the upside:
Cars are not quite as expensive to buy as we expected, but we'll wait until I've got a job.
Portions in restaurants are enormous.
The people are very pleasant.
The bus network is excellent (although it can be hard to understand the drivers).
Scenery around the city is lovely.
I've had to appreciate that we can't get everything we want (job, house, car) in just a few days, and we have to take it one day at a time. Every day has taught us something (everything is further away than you think, Second Cup serves a great hot chocolate) and we have to be patient.
BE has been a great source of information during our long wait to get to this point, and if anybody has any advice on how to make our first few weeks go smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
Grendel,
Congratualtions on your landing in Canada, I would agree with much what you have said there. There are some downsides but in the 5 weeks I have been here I have seen far more to the upside and I can see a great future, but like you, I must be patient! I think sometimes I seem to think I should be settled and have everything with in a month or two....but if you take a minute to think about it, common sense prevails, I think the the problem is, is that the 5 weeks seems like 5 months!
Oh and yes I do agree there can be a language barrier at times! where ever your from in the UK! a lot of it can just be terminology!
One thing I have found out today, that I consider an utmost priority for living in Canada....you may already have one...and that is a credit card, one for building your credit history, and basically just to buy things other than at a store or restuarant....for example to buy things on line, I used to use my
UK debit card, and today I tried to hire a car......no chance...if YOU want to drive the car then YOU must have a credit card in YOUR name to leave as a deposit, I even activated my UK debit card to see if they could use that... but no, i offered to pay it all in cash and leave a cash deposit.....no. I offered them the option of my friend to use his Canadian card, but that was a no too, as the name on the card and the named named driver must be the same. I suppose a UK credit card would do (even tho that wont build your Canadian credit history, but I havent a UK credit card either, I dont believe in the things - I ran up debt when I was younger on a credit card and said I would never have one again....but its a MUST have in Canada, I had a lot of fun today (NOT) and never did get to hire a car to get to ny evening class, but I learned that I must have a credit card ASAP....
Glad youre settling in well, you have made the right decision, Ive had a few annoying things happen the last few days, but its nothing in the scheme of things, and once you start to learn the different ways do and donts... - again its all about time and patience! Canada is a great country.
All the best
Paul
Ps Another silly little downside....decent cheese is astronomically expensive! Why?? I remember before I came here I used to buy a 300g block of mature Canadian cheddar in Tescos for 2.50? I saw a block in Zhers the other day for $16!!!!!! how do they work that out! an 8quid block of cheese!!!! As I said tho in the scheme of things...its just not important, just found it a bit perplexing! there is so much other good food and snacks to explore and eat!
Jul 9th 2009, 4:38 am
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2009
Location: Wolfville, NS
Posts: 144
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
Welcome to Ottawa!
Have you found the Metro and Loblaw supermarkets on Rideau St? We shopped at the Metro when we were staying downtown during our Ottawa recce. The Loblaws looks bigger and should be cheaper. There's a big liquor store down there as well.
Are hire cars really that expensive? I had a quick look on expedia.ca and found something for approx. $35/day for a two week rental with Enterprise. Seems reasonable to me. Whatever the cost is, I don't think you can properly explore the area without a car, especially as you are looking to live out in the sticks. I personally would have budgeted for hiring a car immediately and buying/leasing ASAP.
BTW, what's the attraction of Arnprior, Carleton Place etc? Are you going to explore some Ottawa neighbourhoods as well?
Have you found the Metro and Loblaw supermarkets on Rideau St? We shopped at the Metro when we were staying downtown during our Ottawa recce. The Loblaws looks bigger and should be cheaper. There's a big liquor store down there as well.
Are hire cars really that expensive? I had a quick look on expedia.ca and found something for approx. $35/day for a two week rental with Enterprise. Seems reasonable to me. Whatever the cost is, I don't think you can properly explore the area without a car, especially as you are looking to live out in the sticks. I personally would have budgeted for hiring a car immediately and buying/leasing ASAP.
BTW, what's the attraction of Arnprior, Carleton Place etc? Are you going to explore some Ottawa neighbourhoods as well?
Jul 9th 2009, 6:06 am
#6
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,457
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
After three years waiting for our PR visa, we arrived in Ottawa a few days ago and I thought I'd share some of our experiences:
LANDING
After a 7.5-hour flight we queued for 15 minutes to show our passports then went to Immigration, where we handed over our visas and forms, answered a few questions and showed our proof of funds (a letter from HIFX confirming a transfer to our HSBC Canada account). All was in order, thankfully, and the whole process was straightforward. On to customs, where we showed our B4(E) and mover's inventory. All OK. Welcome to Canada!
SETTLING IN
We're renting a hotel suite for a month while we settle in and look for work. I'm in the middle of a job application process which I started in the UK, and while we wait to discover if I've got the job, we've obtained our SINs and are now getting to explore the city. It's quiet, spotlessly clean and very friendly, although we've had to speak slowly so that people can understand our (slight Welsh) accents. HSBC has put us in touch with a realtor who is looking for homes outside the city for us, in areas like Carleton Place, Almont, and Arnprior, but buying will have to wait until I've got a job.
CONCLUSIONS
It's been a mindblowing experience so far with so much to take in.
On the downside:
Calling home on mobiles was ridiculously expensive so now we're using Euroshade calling cards.
We have to hunt for a Tescos-like supermarket in the city centre to keep bills down.
We were going to hire a car for a few days to explore but have been alarmed by the price, etc.
On the upside:
Cars are not quite as expensive to buy as we expected, but we'll wait until I've got a job.
Portions in restaurants are enormous.
The people are very pleasant.
The bus network is excellent (although it can be hard to understand the drivers).
Scenery around the city is lovely.
I've had to appreciate that we can't get everything we want (job, house, car) in just a few days, and we have to take it one day at a time. Every day has taught us something (everything is further away than you think, Second Cup serves a great hot chocolate) and we have to be patient.
BE has been a great source of information during our long wait to get to this point, and if anybody has any advice on how to make our first few weeks go smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
LANDING
After a 7.5-hour flight we queued for 15 minutes to show our passports then went to Immigration, where we handed over our visas and forms, answered a few questions and showed our proof of funds (a letter from HIFX confirming a transfer to our HSBC Canada account). All was in order, thankfully, and the whole process was straightforward. On to customs, where we showed our B4(E) and mover's inventory. All OK. Welcome to Canada!
SETTLING IN
We're renting a hotel suite for a month while we settle in and look for work. I'm in the middle of a job application process which I started in the UK, and while we wait to discover if I've got the job, we've obtained our SINs and are now getting to explore the city. It's quiet, spotlessly clean and very friendly, although we've had to speak slowly so that people can understand our (slight Welsh) accents. HSBC has put us in touch with a realtor who is looking for homes outside the city for us, in areas like Carleton Place, Almont, and Arnprior, but buying will have to wait until I've got a job.
CONCLUSIONS
It's been a mindblowing experience so far with so much to take in.
On the downside:
Calling home on mobiles was ridiculously expensive so now we're using Euroshade calling cards.
We have to hunt for a Tescos-like supermarket in the city centre to keep bills down.
We were going to hire a car for a few days to explore but have been alarmed by the price, etc.
On the upside:
Cars are not quite as expensive to buy as we expected, but we'll wait until I've got a job.
Portions in restaurants are enormous.
The people are very pleasant.
The bus network is excellent (although it can be hard to understand the drivers).
Scenery around the city is lovely.
I've had to appreciate that we can't get everything we want (job, house, car) in just a few days, and we have to take it one day at a time. Every day has taught us something (everything is further away than you think, Second Cup serves a great hot chocolate) and we have to be patient.
BE has been a great source of information during our long wait to get to this point, and if anybody has any advice on how to make our first few weeks go smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
Jul 9th 2009, 11:34 am
#7
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Carleton Place, ON
Posts: 133
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
Thanks everyone for the replies.
We'll be hiring a car soon to explore the area, but our budget means we'll be looking for somewhere outside the city; that's why we're considering Carleton, Arnprior, etc. They look nice and property is affordable.
It's nice to know I'm not the only person who's tried to get everything sorted out in the first few days. It's obviously completely unrealistic and we have to take it one day at a time.
I know we've made the right decision in leaving the UK, but it's a lot to get your head round and we're looking forward to what the future might bring.
We'll be hiring a car soon to explore the area, but our budget means we'll be looking for somewhere outside the city; that's why we're considering Carleton, Arnprior, etc. They look nice and property is affordable.
It's nice to know I'm not the only person who's tried to get everything sorted out in the first few days. It's obviously completely unrealistic and we have to take it one day at a time.
I know we've made the right decision in leaving the UK, but it's a lot to get your head round and we're looking forward to what the future might bring.
Jul 9th 2009, 12:03 pm
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: North
Posts: 1,357
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
If your UK debit card was a VISA they would have accepted that without any problems. A couple of times I've rented a car from Hertz and National from Toronto Airport with my Barclays Bank VISA debit card and there were no issues at all. I didn't say "this is a debit card, is that a problem?" at any time...
Jul 9th 2009, 1:59 pm
#9
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,113
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
If your UK debit card was a VISA they would have accepted that without any problems. A couple of times I've rented a car from Hertz and National from Toronto Airport with my Barclays Bank VISA debit card and there were no issues at all. I didn't say "this is a debit card, is that a problem?" at any time...
Last edited by Paul_Shepherd; Jul 9th 2009 at 2:01 pm.
Jul 9th 2009, 2:08 pm
#10
ModerĪ±tor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
Congratulation, so far do good.
As far as car prices go, be aware there is a bunch of tax to add to the price you see, more so for new vehicles (deliver charge, air con tax, gas guzzler tax, GST, PST, etc...) It can add a significant amount overall.
As far as car prices go, be aware there is a bunch of tax to add to the price you see, more so for new vehicles (deliver charge, air con tax, gas guzzler tax, GST, PST, etc...) It can add a significant amount overall.
Jul 9th 2009, 5:46 pm
#11
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 23
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
After three years waiting for our PR visa, we arrived in Ottawa a few days ago and I thought I'd share some of our experiences:
LANDING
After a 7.5-hour flight we queued for 15 minutes to show our passports then went to Immigration, where we handed over our visas and forms, answered a few questions and showed our proof of funds (a letter from HIFX confirming a transfer to our HSBC Canada account). All was in order, thankfully, and the whole process was straightforward. On to customs, where we showed our B4(E) and mover's inventory. All OK. Welcome to Canada!
SETTLING IN
We're renting a hotel suite for a month while we settle in and look for work. I'm in the middle of a job application process which I started in the UK, and while we wait to discover if I've got the job, we've obtained our SINs and are now getting to explore the city. It's quiet, spotlessly clean and very friendly, although we've had to speak slowly so that people can understand our (slight Welsh) accents. HSBC has put us in touch with a realtor who is looking for homes outside the city for us, in areas like Carleton Place, Almont, and Arnprior, but buying will have to wait until I've got a job.
CONCLUSIONS
It's been a mindblowing experience so far with so much to take in.
On the downside:
Calling home on mobiles was ridiculously expensive so now we're using Euroshade calling cards.
We have to hunt for a Tescos-like supermarket in the city centre to keep bills down.
We were going to hire a car for a few days to explore but have been alarmed by the price, etc.
On the upside:
Cars are not quite as expensive to buy as we expected, but we'll wait until I've got a job.
Portions in restaurants are enormous.
The people are very pleasant.
The bus network is excellent (although it can be hard to understand the drivers).
Scenery around the city is lovely.
I've had to appreciate that we can't get everything we want (job, house, car) in just a few days, and we have to take it one day at a time. Every day has taught us something (everything is further away than you think, Second Cup serves a great hot chocolate) and we have to be patient.
BE has been a great source of information during our long wait to get to this point, and if anybody has any advice on how to make our first few weeks go smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
LANDING
After a 7.5-hour flight we queued for 15 minutes to show our passports then went to Immigration, where we handed over our visas and forms, answered a few questions and showed our proof of funds (a letter from HIFX confirming a transfer to our HSBC Canada account). All was in order, thankfully, and the whole process was straightforward. On to customs, where we showed our B4(E) and mover's inventory. All OK. Welcome to Canada!
SETTLING IN
We're renting a hotel suite for a month while we settle in and look for work. I'm in the middle of a job application process which I started in the UK, and while we wait to discover if I've got the job, we've obtained our SINs and are now getting to explore the city. It's quiet, spotlessly clean and very friendly, although we've had to speak slowly so that people can understand our (slight Welsh) accents. HSBC has put us in touch with a realtor who is looking for homes outside the city for us, in areas like Carleton Place, Almont, and Arnprior, but buying will have to wait until I've got a job.
CONCLUSIONS
It's been a mindblowing experience so far with so much to take in.
On the downside:
Calling home on mobiles was ridiculously expensive so now we're using Euroshade calling cards.
We have to hunt for a Tescos-like supermarket in the city centre to keep bills down.
We were going to hire a car for a few days to explore but have been alarmed by the price, etc.
On the upside:
Cars are not quite as expensive to buy as we expected, but we'll wait until I've got a job.
Portions in restaurants are enormous.
The people are very pleasant.
The bus network is excellent (although it can be hard to understand the drivers).
Scenery around the city is lovely.
I've had to appreciate that we can't get everything we want (job, house, car) in just a few days, and we have to take it one day at a time. Every day has taught us something (everything is further away than you think, Second Cup serves a great hot chocolate) and we have to be patient.
BE has been a great source of information during our long wait to get to this point, and if anybody has any advice on how to make our first few weeks go smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
Jul 9th 2009, 9:00 pm
#12
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Carleton Place, ON
Posts: 133
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
Alwar,
We're staying at the Albert at Bay, where a one-bedroom suite costs about $3,000 for a month. We can't fault it so far. There are other hotels that have suites, such as the Crown Plaza, but I don't know how much they cost.
We're staying at the Albert at Bay, where a one-bedroom suite costs about $3,000 for a month. We can't fault it so far. There are other hotels that have suites, such as the Crown Plaza, but I don't know how much they cost.
Jul 9th 2009, 9:12 pm
#13
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
If your UK debit card was a VISA they would have accepted that without any problems. A couple of times I've rented a car from Hertz and National from Toronto Airport with my Barclays Bank VISA debit card and there were no issues at all. I didn't say "this is a debit card, is that a problem?" at any time...
Jul 10th 2009, 3:08 am
#14
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,113
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
You guys are crazy. Get a credit card and use it for ALL of your card purchases without exception and then just pay it off every month if you don't like being in debt. I may be being paranoid, but I just don't trust any retailers with cards that link directly to my bank account and therefore my money (maybe that's cos I live in Vancouver which is rife with card fraud).
Last edited by Paul_Shepherd; Jul 10th 2009 at 3:12 am.
Jul 10th 2009, 6:26 am
#15
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: North
Posts: 1,357
Re: Been here a few days - phew!
You guys are crazy. Get a credit card and use it for ALL of your card purchases without exception and then just pay it off every month if you don't like being in debt. I may be being paranoid, but I just don't trust any retailers with cards that link directly to my bank account and therefore my money (maybe that's cos I live in Vancouver which is rife with card fraud).
Incidentally, I have been a victim of card fraud once, and it was my credit card not my debit card where the details were stolen.