Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Dec 2nd 2004, 9:20 pm
#1
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Millington, TN
Posts: 533
Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
I found this kinda interesting... obviously I have no credit history here - I had a friend in a bank run a credit report on me and there was nothing there - I wasn't sure if rent, utilties etc were reported to the credit agencies.
Anyways, I couldn't clearly get a regular credit card so I secured a card with Plains Bank - duff deal? Yeah, for sure. But the plus is that they report to all 3 agencies - you have a $250 limit and there is a $250 application fee which is debited to your account upon opening. Minimum payment is $25 a month and the only way you can free up credit is by paying off the fee - additionally, they refund the fee in full throughout an 18 month period. Interest rate is very high at around 20% if I remember correctly - but I have no intentions of using it except to make payments every month.
Anyway, curiously about 1 month after getting this card and only making one payment - I was looking at cellphone - I had a Virgin Pay as You Go and the cost was ridiculous I felt I looked at Sprint and the guy said I should try applying anyway etc and half heartedly I agreed expecting the usual decline but I got accepted
Free nifty little camera phone, $35 a month and unlimited nationwide minutes after 7 every night and all weekend, plus 300 anytime minutes to use at other times. International for $4 a month and 6 cents a min to the UK.
It would appear that I finally exist here.
Not sure if its a good or bad thing - seems like my bills are gradually catching up with what I had at home!!! 
Anyways, I couldn't clearly get a regular credit card so I secured a card with Plains Bank - duff deal? Yeah, for sure. But the plus is that they report to all 3 agencies - you have a $250 limit and there is a $250 application fee which is debited to your account upon opening. Minimum payment is $25 a month and the only way you can free up credit is by paying off the fee - additionally, they refund the fee in full throughout an 18 month period. Interest rate is very high at around 20% if I remember correctly - but I have no intentions of using it except to make payments every month.
Anyway, curiously about 1 month after getting this card and only making one payment - I was looking at cellphone - I had a Virgin Pay as You Go and the cost was ridiculous I felt I looked at Sprint and the guy said I should try applying anyway etc and half heartedly I agreed expecting the usual decline but I got accepted
Free nifty little camera phone, $35 a month and unlimited nationwide minutes after 7 every night and all weekend, plus 300 anytime minutes to use at other times. International for $4 a month and 6 cents a min to the UK.
It would appear that I finally exist here.
Not sure if its a good or bad thing - seems like my bills are gradually catching up with what I had at home!!!
Dec 2nd 2004, 9:43 pm
#2
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: VA
Posts: 1,260
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Originally Posted by Lesley1020
I found this kinda interesting... obviously I have no credit history here - I had a friend in a bank run a credit report on me and there was nothing there - I wasn't sure if rent, utilties etc were reported to the credit agencies.
Anyways, I couldn't clearly get a regular credit card so I secured a card with Plains Bank - duff deal? Yeah, for sure. But the plus is that they report to all 3 agencies - you have a $250 limit and there is a $250 application fee which is debited to your account upon opening. Minimum payment is $25 a month and the only way you can free up credit is by paying off the fee - additionally, they refund the fee in full throughout an 18 month period. Interest rate is very high at around 20% if I remember correctly - but I have no intentions of using it except to make payments every month.
Anyway, curiously about 1 month after getting this card and only making one payment - I was looking at cellphone - I had a Virgin Pay as You Go and the cost was ridiculous I felt I looked at Sprint and the guy said I should try applying anyway etc and half heartedly I agreed expecting the usual decline but I got accepted
Free nifty little camera phone, $35 a month and unlimited nationwide minutes after 7 every night and all weekend, plus 300 anytime minutes to use at other times. International for $4 a month and 6 cents a min to the UK.
It would appear that I finally exist here. Not sure if its a good or bad thing - seems like my bills are gradually catching up with what I had at home!!!
Anyways, I couldn't clearly get a regular credit card so I secured a card with Plains Bank - duff deal? Yeah, for sure. But the plus is that they report to all 3 agencies - you have a $250 limit and there is a $250 application fee which is debited to your account upon opening. Minimum payment is $25 a month and the only way you can free up credit is by paying off the fee - additionally, they refund the fee in full throughout an 18 month period. Interest rate is very high at around 20% if I remember correctly - but I have no intentions of using it except to make payments every month.
Anyway, curiously about 1 month after getting this card and only making one payment - I was looking at cellphone - I had a Virgin Pay as You Go and the cost was ridiculous I felt I looked at Sprint and the guy said I should try applying anyway etc and half heartedly I agreed expecting the usual decline but I got accepted
Free nifty little camera phone, $35 a month and unlimited nationwide minutes after 7 every night and all weekend, plus 300 anytime minutes to use at other times. International for $4 a month and 6 cents a min to the UK.
It would appear that I finally exist here.
Not sure if its a good or bad thing - seems like my bills are gradually catching up with what I had at home!!! That's interesting! Our bank told us to apply for a line of credit with them and that would help with the credit situation for me, gonna have to get myself down to the sprint store (do they have a store?!!!!) to see if it has made any difference!
Dec 2nd 2004, 9:44 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Originally Posted by Lesley1020
I found this kinda interesting... obviously I have no credit history here - I had a friend in a bank run a credit report on me and there was nothing there - I wasn't sure if rent, utilties etc were reported to the credit agencies.
Anyways, I couldn't clearly get a regular credit card so I secured a card with Plains Bank - duff deal? Yeah, for sure. But the plus is that they report to all 3 agencies - you have a $250 limit and there is a $250 application fee which is debited to your account upon opening. Minimum payment is $25 a month and the only way you can free up credit is by paying off the fee - additionally, they refund the fee in full throughout an 18 month period. Interest rate is very high at around 20% if I remember correctly - but I have no intentions of using it except to make payments every month.
Anyway, curiously about 1 month after getting this card and only making one payment - I was looking at cellphone - I had a Virgin Pay as You Go and the cost was ridiculous I felt I looked at Sprint and the guy said I should try applying anyway etc and half heartedly I agreed expecting the usual decline but I got accepted
Free nifty little camera phone, $35 a month and unlimited nationwide minutes after 7 every night and all weekend, plus 300 anytime minutes to use at other times. International for $4 a month and 6 cents a min to the UK.
It would appear that I finally exist here. Not sure if its a good or bad thing - seems like my bills are gradually catching up with what I had at home!!!
Anyways, I couldn't clearly get a regular credit card so I secured a card with Plains Bank - duff deal? Yeah, for sure. But the plus is that they report to all 3 agencies - you have a $250 limit and there is a $250 application fee which is debited to your account upon opening. Minimum payment is $25 a month and the only way you can free up credit is by paying off the fee - additionally, they refund the fee in full throughout an 18 month period. Interest rate is very high at around 20% if I remember correctly - but I have no intentions of using it except to make payments every month.
Anyway, curiously about 1 month after getting this card and only making one payment - I was looking at cellphone - I had a Virgin Pay as You Go and the cost was ridiculous I felt I looked at Sprint and the guy said I should try applying anyway etc and half heartedly I agreed expecting the usual decline but I got accepted
Free nifty little camera phone, $35 a month and unlimited nationwide minutes after 7 every night and all weekend, plus 300 anytime minutes to use at other times. International for $4 a month and 6 cents a min to the UK.
It would appear that I finally exist here.
Not sure if its a good or bad thing - seems like my bills are gradually catching up with what I had at home!!! Apparently (meaning I don't really know) there may be a way of getting free credit reports ...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=298270
Last edited by Patent Attorney; Dec 2nd 2004 at 10:02 pm.
Dec 2nd 2004, 9:47 pm
#4
Septicity
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 23,762
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Originally Posted by Lesley1020
Anyways, I couldn't clearly get a regular credit card so I secured a card with Plains Bank - duff deal? Yeah, for sure. But the plus is that they report to all 3 agencies - you have a $250 limit and there is a $250 application fee which is debited to your account upon opening. Minimum payment is $25 a month and the only way you can free up credit is by paying off the fee - additionally, they refund the fee in full throughout an 18 month period. Interest rate is very high at around 20% if I remember correctly - but I have no intentions of using it except to make payments every month.
Always take the secured credit card from the big bank to start the ball rolling. It should cost you no more than $25 all in, and six months after it's issued you're on your way to a Fico score!
Too late now! I leave this post for others...
Dec 2nd 2004, 9:52 pm
#5
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,577
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Maybe you got the phone because you were spending money. The staff at my local Best Buy said they would get me a store card if I was to spend more than $1000. I turned it down because I thought it was probably a sales tactic.
-tom
-tom
Dec 2nd 2004, 10:03 pm
#6
Septicity
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 23,762
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Originally Posted by Lesley1020
a card with Plains Bank - duff deal? Yeah, for sure.
Dec 3rd 2004, 12:46 am
#7
Mr. Grumpy
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 3,100
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Originally Posted by fatbrit
No, no no!
Always take the secured credit card from the big bank to start the ball rolling. It should cost you no more than $25 all in, and six months after it's issued you're on your way to a Fico score!
Too late now! I leave this post for others...
Always take the secured credit card from the big bank to start the ball rolling. It should cost you no more than $25 all in, and six months after it's issued you're on your way to a Fico score!
Too late now! I leave this post for others...
For anyone else thinking about a secured card, get one from bank of america, chase or citi
In fact, if you really want, get 2
And then in a couple of months get a target guest card
Dec 3rd 2004, 1:16 am
#8
Septicity
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 23,762
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Originally Posted by Patent Attorney
Apparently (meaning I don't really know) there may be a way of getting free credit reports ...
Dec 3rd 2004, 2:45 am
#10
You Are All Diseased
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Farnham, UK
Posts: 4,511
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
Originally Posted by fatbrit
Click through from the link on the FTC page here to get your free report.
This credit stuff is a major life stopping red tape pain in the f**king arse
Dec 3rd 2004, 2:50 am
#11
Mr. Grumpy
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 3,100
Re: Credit Rating/Cellphones/Credit Cards etc...
this free report thing IS great
however, its a bit annoying that it will essentially mean even more revenue for the three CRAs in the end (considering experian and transunions cust service SUCKS)
pulling my CR was addictive for me for a while... equifax reaped the profits
you know what they say, any publicity is good publicity
however, its a bit annoying that it will essentially mean even more revenue for the three CRAs in the end (considering experian and transunions cust service SUCKS)
pulling my CR was addictive for me for a while... equifax reaped the profits
you know what they say, any publicity is good publicity
