How I got a credit card within 3 months
Apr 18th 2003, 1:37 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
How I got a credit card within 3 months
I have been here since December 2002 and I just got a credit card (it
would have been quicker but my bank er... forgot to send the cards to
us!!! Everything I had read in this newsgroup suggested it wasn't
possible, but here's how it worked for me:
My wife had a bank account with Bank of Kentucky with $100 in it (the
minimum amount) for a while. When I got a job here we went along to a
local branch and talked to the manager. Bank of Kentucky is a very
small chain of banks, probably no more than 15, scattered around
northern Kentucky. When we spoke to the manager we said we had been
in the area for a little while, I had just got a good job (true), and
I had references from my bank in England saying I had fully repaid
loans, mortgages and credit cards, and it was such a shame that I had
$10,000 total credit limit in the UK, but nothing here. She said she
would speak to someone at the HQ and arrange for a credit card for us
with a $500 limit. Of course that's not much, but now we're on the
ladder for getting a credit score.
In summary, here's what to do - it may work for you, you never know:
- Talk your bank in the UK (or wherever) and get written references
saying that you've had loans, credit cards, mortgages, whatever, and
that they have been maintained to the bank's satisfaction (I got mine
before I left, on the off-chance that it would useful)
- Get a checking account at a small local bank in your area. I can't
imagine the bigger banks would be as accommodating. Talk one-on-one
with the manager, preferably while your spouse is there
- Get proof of employment. I had just secured a good job which made
that easy
- Say you would like a credit card with a small limit (I asked for
$500)
It's not all great though... the bank is a load of crap, generally.
In fact all US banks seem to be intent on screwing money out of you
and offering you little in return. They are about 15 years behind
banks in the UK. Debit cards are just becoming popular, ATMs charge
you if it's not your bank, everyone still writes checks and pays bills
with checks, online banking is variable at best, they charge you for
direct debits (and a lot of other things you would expect for free in
the UK), and the smaller banks haven't got a clue about how to
transfer money to another country.
When we moved house, we told the bank. A couple of weeks later when
we were ordering something to be delivered at a store we were held up
for ages because we found out they hadn't registered our new change of
address for the debit card. Then when we ordered some stuff online a
couple of weeks after that we had the same problem. They said they
didn't know they had to register our change of address with MasterCard
(the debit card provider). It's amazing. And an ELECTRONIC funds
transfer from USA to UK took TWO WEEKS to complete. They had to go
through a third party, and at one point it looked like they had lost
our money because it wasn't in the originating account, nor the
receiving account. From now on, in order to pay off the UK credit
cards that I've had to rely on to get furniture, I've decided to just
send a US cashier's check (bankers draft) to HSBC in the UK, who said
they can deposit that into my bank account with the minimum of fuss.
Once we have a credit rating we will be changing banks!
By the way, just for fun when we bought a washing machine from Sears I
applied for credit. It's done on the spot, but just comes back
'insufficient credit history'. You'd think that no history was better
than a bad history, but they just WILL NOT give you credit without
some sort of history. Try what I did with the bank and it just may
work. Maybe I was lucky, but if I was I guess other people can be
too.
I hope this helps someone.
Jim
would have been quicker but my bank er... forgot to send the cards to
us!!! Everything I had read in this newsgroup suggested it wasn't
possible, but here's how it worked for me:
My wife had a bank account with Bank of Kentucky with $100 in it (the
minimum amount) for a while. When I got a job here we went along to a
local branch and talked to the manager. Bank of Kentucky is a very
small chain of banks, probably no more than 15, scattered around
northern Kentucky. When we spoke to the manager we said we had been
in the area for a little while, I had just got a good job (true), and
I had references from my bank in England saying I had fully repaid
loans, mortgages and credit cards, and it was such a shame that I had
$10,000 total credit limit in the UK, but nothing here. She said she
would speak to someone at the HQ and arrange for a credit card for us
with a $500 limit. Of course that's not much, but now we're on the
ladder for getting a credit score.
In summary, here's what to do - it may work for you, you never know:
- Talk your bank in the UK (or wherever) and get written references
saying that you've had loans, credit cards, mortgages, whatever, and
that they have been maintained to the bank's satisfaction (I got mine
before I left, on the off-chance that it would useful)
- Get a checking account at a small local bank in your area. I can't
imagine the bigger banks would be as accommodating. Talk one-on-one
with the manager, preferably while your spouse is there
- Get proof of employment. I had just secured a good job which made
that easy
- Say you would like a credit card with a small limit (I asked for
$500)
It's not all great though... the bank is a load of crap, generally.
In fact all US banks seem to be intent on screwing money out of you
and offering you little in return. They are about 15 years behind
banks in the UK. Debit cards are just becoming popular, ATMs charge
you if it's not your bank, everyone still writes checks and pays bills
with checks, online banking is variable at best, they charge you for
direct debits (and a lot of other things you would expect for free in
the UK), and the smaller banks haven't got a clue about how to
transfer money to another country.
When we moved house, we told the bank. A couple of weeks later when
we were ordering something to be delivered at a store we were held up
for ages because we found out they hadn't registered our new change of
address for the debit card. Then when we ordered some stuff online a
couple of weeks after that we had the same problem. They said they
didn't know they had to register our change of address with MasterCard
(the debit card provider). It's amazing. And an ELECTRONIC funds
transfer from USA to UK took TWO WEEKS to complete. They had to go
through a third party, and at one point it looked like they had lost
our money because it wasn't in the originating account, nor the
receiving account. From now on, in order to pay off the UK credit
cards that I've had to rely on to get furniture, I've decided to just
send a US cashier's check (bankers draft) to HSBC in the UK, who said
they can deposit that into my bank account with the minimum of fuss.
Once we have a credit rating we will be changing banks!
By the way, just for fun when we bought a washing machine from Sears I
applied for credit. It's done on the spot, but just comes back
'insufficient credit history'. You'd think that no history was better
than a bad history, but they just WILL NOT give you credit without
some sort of history. Try what I did with the bank and it just may
work. Maybe I was lucky, but if I was I guess other people can be
too.
I hope this helps someone.
Jim
Apr 18th 2003, 2:34 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: How I got a credit card within 3 months
[email protected] (Jim Lockwood) wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> I have been here since December 2002 and I just got a credit card (it
> would have been quicker but my bank er... forgot to send the cards to
> us!!! Everything I had read in this newsgroup suggested it wasn't
> possible, but here's how it worked for me:
>
> My wife had a bank account with Bank of Kentucky with $100 in it (the
> minimum amount) for a while. When I got a job here we went along to a
> local branch and talked to the manager. Bank of Kentucky is a very
> small chain of banks, probably no more than 15, scattered around
> northern Kentucky. When we spoke to the manager we said we had been
> in the area for a little while, I had just got a good job (true), and
> I had references from my bank in England saying I had fully repaid
> loans, mortgages and credit cards, and it was such a shame that I had
> $10,000 total credit limit in the UK, but nothing here. She said she
> would speak to someone at the HQ and arrange for a credit card for us
> with a $500 limit. Of course that's not much, but now we're on the
> ladder for getting a credit score.
>
> In summary, here's what to do - it may work for you, you never know:
> - Talk your bank in the UK (or wherever) and get written references
> saying that you've had loans, credit cards, mortgages, whatever, and
> that they have been maintained to the bank's satisfaction (I got mine
> before I left, on the off-chance that it would useful)
> - Get a checking account at a small local bank in your area. I can't
> imagine the bigger banks would be as accommodating. Talk one-on-one
> with the manager, preferably while your spouse is there
> - Get proof of employment. I had just secured a good job which made
> that easy
> - Say you would like a credit card with a small limit (I asked for
> $500)
>
> It's not all great though... the bank is a load of crap, generally.
> In fact all US banks seem to be intent on screwing money out of you
> and offering you little in return. They are about 15 years behind
> banks in the UK. Debit cards are just becoming popular, ATMs charge
> you if it's not your bank, everyone still writes checks and pays bills
> with checks, online banking is variable at best, they charge you for
> direct debits (and a lot of other things you would expect for free in
> the UK), and the smaller banks haven't got a clue about how to
> transfer money to another country.
>
> When we moved house, we told the bank. A couple of weeks later when
> we were ordering something to be delivered at a store we were held up
> for ages because we found out they hadn't registered our new change of
> address for the debit card. Then when we ordered some stuff online a
> couple of weeks after that we had the same problem. They said they
> didn't know they had to register our change of address with MasterCard
> (the debit card provider). It's amazing. And an ELECTRONIC funds
> transfer from USA to UK took TWO WEEKS to complete. They had to go
> through a third party, and at one point it looked like they had lost
> our money because it wasn't in the originating account, nor the
> receiving account. From now on, in order to pay off the UK credit
> cards that I've had to rely on to get furniture, I've decided to just
> send a US cashier's check (bankers draft) to HSBC in the UK, who said
> they can deposit that into my bank account with the minimum of fuss.
>
> Once we have a credit rating we will be changing banks!
>
> By the way, just for fun when we bought a washing machine from Sears I
> applied for credit. It's done on the spot, but just comes back
> 'insufficient credit history'. You'd think that no history was better
> than a bad history, but they just WILL NOT give you credit without
> some sort of history. Try what I did with the bank and it just may
> work. Maybe I was lucky, but if I was I guess other people can be
> too.
>
> I hope this helps someone.
>
> Jim
Great stuff Jim - Thanks a lot.
Couldn't agree more with your comments re USA banks .. they do screw you
for every cent they can.
324
news:[email protected]:
> I have been here since December 2002 and I just got a credit card (it
> would have been quicker but my bank er... forgot to send the cards to
> us!!! Everything I had read in this newsgroup suggested it wasn't
> possible, but here's how it worked for me:
>
> My wife had a bank account with Bank of Kentucky with $100 in it (the
> minimum amount) for a while. When I got a job here we went along to a
> local branch and talked to the manager. Bank of Kentucky is a very
> small chain of banks, probably no more than 15, scattered around
> northern Kentucky. When we spoke to the manager we said we had been
> in the area for a little while, I had just got a good job (true), and
> I had references from my bank in England saying I had fully repaid
> loans, mortgages and credit cards, and it was such a shame that I had
> $10,000 total credit limit in the UK, but nothing here. She said she
> would speak to someone at the HQ and arrange for a credit card for us
> with a $500 limit. Of course that's not much, but now we're on the
> ladder for getting a credit score.
>
> In summary, here's what to do - it may work for you, you never know:
> - Talk your bank in the UK (or wherever) and get written references
> saying that you've had loans, credit cards, mortgages, whatever, and
> that they have been maintained to the bank's satisfaction (I got mine
> before I left, on the off-chance that it would useful)
> - Get a checking account at a small local bank in your area. I can't
> imagine the bigger banks would be as accommodating. Talk one-on-one
> with the manager, preferably while your spouse is there
> - Get proof of employment. I had just secured a good job which made
> that easy
> - Say you would like a credit card with a small limit (I asked for
> $500)
>
> It's not all great though... the bank is a load of crap, generally.
> In fact all US banks seem to be intent on screwing money out of you
> and offering you little in return. They are about 15 years behind
> banks in the UK. Debit cards are just becoming popular, ATMs charge
> you if it's not your bank, everyone still writes checks and pays bills
> with checks, online banking is variable at best, they charge you for
> direct debits (and a lot of other things you would expect for free in
> the UK), and the smaller banks haven't got a clue about how to
> transfer money to another country.
>
> When we moved house, we told the bank. A couple of weeks later when
> we were ordering something to be delivered at a store we were held up
> for ages because we found out they hadn't registered our new change of
> address for the debit card. Then when we ordered some stuff online a
> couple of weeks after that we had the same problem. They said they
> didn't know they had to register our change of address with MasterCard
> (the debit card provider). It's amazing. And an ELECTRONIC funds
> transfer from USA to UK took TWO WEEKS to complete. They had to go
> through a third party, and at one point it looked like they had lost
> our money because it wasn't in the originating account, nor the
> receiving account. From now on, in order to pay off the UK credit
> cards that I've had to rely on to get furniture, I've decided to just
> send a US cashier's check (bankers draft) to HSBC in the UK, who said
> they can deposit that into my bank account with the minimum of fuss.
>
> Once we have a credit rating we will be changing banks!
>
> By the way, just for fun when we bought a washing machine from Sears I
> applied for credit. It's done on the spot, but just comes back
> 'insufficient credit history'. You'd think that no history was better
> than a bad history, but they just WILL NOT give you credit without
> some sort of history. Try what I did with the bank and it just may
> work. Maybe I was lucky, but if I was I guess other people can be
> too.
>
> I hope this helps someone.
>
> Jim
Great stuff Jim - Thanks a lot.
Couldn't agree more with your comments re USA banks .. they do screw you
for every cent they can.
324
Apr 18th 2003, 2:52 am
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: How I got a credit card within 3 months
"3244" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Jim Lockwood) wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
> > I have been here since December 2002 and I just got a credit card (it
> > would have been quicker but my bank er... forgot to send the cards to
> > us!!! Everything I had read in this newsgroup suggested it wasn't
> > possible, but here's how it worked for me:
> >
> > My wife had a bank account with Bank of Kentucky with $100 in it (the
> > minimum amount) for a while. When I got a job here we went along to a
> > local branch and talked to the manager. Bank of Kentucky is a very
> > small chain of banks, probably no more than 15, scattered around
> > northern Kentucky. When we spoke to the manager we said we had been
> > in the area for a little while, I had just got a good job (true), and
> > I had references from my bank in England saying I had fully repaid
> > loans, mortgages and credit cards, and it was such a shame that I had
> > $10,000 total credit limit in the UK, but nothing here. She said she
> > would speak to someone at the HQ and arrange for a credit card for us
> > with a $500 limit. Of course that's not much, but now we're on the
> > ladder for getting a credit score.
> >
> > In summary, here's what to do - it may work for you, you never know:
> > - Talk your bank in the UK (or wherever) and get written references
> > saying that you've had loans, credit cards, mortgages, whatever, and
> > that they have been maintained to the bank's satisfaction (I got mine
> > before I left, on the off-chance that it would useful)
> > - Get a checking account at a small local bank in your area. I can't
> > imagine the bigger banks would be as accommodating. Talk one-on-one
> > with the manager, preferably while your spouse is there
> > - Get proof of employment. I had just secured a good job which made
> > that easy
> > - Say you would like a credit card with a small limit (I asked for
> > $500)
> >
> > It's not all great though... the bank is a load of crap, generally.
> > In fact all US banks seem to be intent on screwing money out of you
> > and offering you little in return. They are about 15 years behind
> > banks in the UK. Debit cards are just becoming popular, ATMs charge
> > you if it's not your bank, everyone still writes checks and pays bills
> > with checks, online banking is variable at best, they charge you for
> > direct debits (and a lot of other things you would expect for free in
> > the UK), and the smaller banks haven't got a clue about how to
> > transfer money to another country.
> >
> > When we moved house, we told the bank. A couple of weeks later when
> > we were ordering something to be delivered at a store we were held up
> > for ages because we found out they hadn't registered our new change of
> > address for the debit card. Then when we ordered some stuff online a
> > couple of weeks after that we had the same problem. They said they
> > didn't know they had to register our change of address with MasterCard
> > (the debit card provider). It's amazing. And an ELECTRONIC funds
> > transfer from USA to UK took TWO WEEKS to complete. They had to go
> > through a third party, and at one point it looked like they had lost
> > our money because it wasn't in the originating account, nor the
> > receiving account. From now on, in order to pay off the UK credit
> > cards that I've had to rely on to get furniture, I've decided to just
> > send a US cashier's check (bankers draft) to HSBC in the UK, who said
> > they can deposit that into my bank account with the minimum of fuss.
> >
> > Once we have a credit rating we will be changing banks!
> >
> > By the way, just for fun when we bought a washing machine from Sears I
> > applied for credit. It's done on the spot, but just comes back
> > 'insufficient credit history'. You'd think that no history was better
> > than a bad history, but they just WILL NOT give you credit without
> > some sort of history. Try what I did with the bank and it just may
> > work. Maybe I was lucky, but if I was I guess other people can be
> > too.
> >
> > I hope this helps someone.
> >
> > Jim
> Great stuff Jim - Thanks a lot.
> Couldn't agree more with your comments re USA banks .. they do screw you
> for every cent they can.
You must not be from Canada.
Just as a note, I was one of those lucky ones that received a credit card
from Bank of America based on my credit in Canada. I got my card roughly a
month after arriving.
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Jim Lockwood) wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
> > I have been here since December 2002 and I just got a credit card (it
> > would have been quicker but my bank er... forgot to send the cards to
> > us!!! Everything I had read in this newsgroup suggested it wasn't
> > possible, but here's how it worked for me:
> >
> > My wife had a bank account with Bank of Kentucky with $100 in it (the
> > minimum amount) for a while. When I got a job here we went along to a
> > local branch and talked to the manager. Bank of Kentucky is a very
> > small chain of banks, probably no more than 15, scattered around
> > northern Kentucky. When we spoke to the manager we said we had been
> > in the area for a little while, I had just got a good job (true), and
> > I had references from my bank in England saying I had fully repaid
> > loans, mortgages and credit cards, and it was such a shame that I had
> > $10,000 total credit limit in the UK, but nothing here. She said she
> > would speak to someone at the HQ and arrange for a credit card for us
> > with a $500 limit. Of course that's not much, but now we're on the
> > ladder for getting a credit score.
> >
> > In summary, here's what to do - it may work for you, you never know:
> > - Talk your bank in the UK (or wherever) and get written references
> > saying that you've had loans, credit cards, mortgages, whatever, and
> > that they have been maintained to the bank's satisfaction (I got mine
> > before I left, on the off-chance that it would useful)
> > - Get a checking account at a small local bank in your area. I can't
> > imagine the bigger banks would be as accommodating. Talk one-on-one
> > with the manager, preferably while your spouse is there
> > - Get proof of employment. I had just secured a good job which made
> > that easy
> > - Say you would like a credit card with a small limit (I asked for
> > $500)
> >
> > It's not all great though... the bank is a load of crap, generally.
> > In fact all US banks seem to be intent on screwing money out of you
> > and offering you little in return. They are about 15 years behind
> > banks in the UK. Debit cards are just becoming popular, ATMs charge
> > you if it's not your bank, everyone still writes checks and pays bills
> > with checks, online banking is variable at best, they charge you for
> > direct debits (and a lot of other things you would expect for free in
> > the UK), and the smaller banks haven't got a clue about how to
> > transfer money to another country.
> >
> > When we moved house, we told the bank. A couple of weeks later when
> > we were ordering something to be delivered at a store we were held up
> > for ages because we found out they hadn't registered our new change of
> > address for the debit card. Then when we ordered some stuff online a
> > couple of weeks after that we had the same problem. They said they
> > didn't know they had to register our change of address with MasterCard
> > (the debit card provider). It's amazing. And an ELECTRONIC funds
> > transfer from USA to UK took TWO WEEKS to complete. They had to go
> > through a third party, and at one point it looked like they had lost
> > our money because it wasn't in the originating account, nor the
> > receiving account. From now on, in order to pay off the UK credit
> > cards that I've had to rely on to get furniture, I've decided to just
> > send a US cashier's check (bankers draft) to HSBC in the UK, who said
> > they can deposit that into my bank account with the minimum of fuss.
> >
> > Once we have a credit rating we will be changing banks!
> >
> > By the way, just for fun when we bought a washing machine from Sears I
> > applied for credit. It's done on the spot, but just comes back
> > 'insufficient credit history'. You'd think that no history was better
> > than a bad history, but they just WILL NOT give you credit without
> > some sort of history. Try what I did with the bank and it just may
> > work. Maybe I was lucky, but if I was I guess other people can be
> > too.
> >
> > I hope this helps someone.
> >
> > Jim
> Great stuff Jim - Thanks a lot.
> Couldn't agree more with your comments re USA banks .. they do screw you
> for every cent they can.
You must not be from Canada.
Just as a note, I was one of those lucky ones that received a credit card
from Bank of America based on my credit in Canada. I got my card roughly a
month after arriving.
Apr 18th 2003, 2:23 pm
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: How I got a credit card within 3 months
> In fact all US banks seem to be intent on screwing money out of you
> and offering you little in return. They are about 15 years behind
> banks in the UK. Debit cards are just becoming popular, ATMs charge
> you if it's not your bank, everyone still writes checks and pays bills
> with checks, online banking is variable at best, they charge you for
> direct debits (and a lot of other things you would expect for free in
> the UK), and the smaller banks haven't got a clue about how to
> transfer money to another country.
So true. My bank actually explained me that when I do online bill payment
though online banking, a computer on the banks side actually prints a check
and SNAIL MAIL's it to the company you want to pay. No wonder it says you
need to schedule payments 5 days in advance.
In The Netherlands (and i'm sure in the UK as well) I would just make a bank
transfer and it would be payed and done with the same day. More and more
companies are starting to offer their own services on their website (e.g.
charge a creditcard or bankaccount number) but that means you have to go to
THEIR website every time you pay a bill.
Paying with a Debit card (using the PIN-code to make a payment and have it
DIRECTLY debited from your account as opposed to Credit) has been introduced
about 15 years ago (or more) in The Netherlands. About 5 years ago almost
nobody was doing it in the United States and it is just starting to be
popular. Especially the older generation here in the United States still
writes checks. For the last 10 years ago if someone needed to pay me money
they just said "i'll dump it in your account" while here they say "i'll
write you a check". Oldfashioned
Its funny how my wife's clients in
Europe (Ireland, Austria, Netherlands) pay her with a bank transfer in our
Dutch account, and her clients in the United States snail mail her a check!
Looking at how the Euro was introduced (and the total abolishement of checks
in those countries) banks can change their policy and systems in a matter of
years. If 12 countries in europe can combine their currencies, completely
get rid of checks, and switch to a completely computer based paying system
within just a few years.... so can the U.S., with the exception they don't
have to switch currencies About time they get a little more advanced with
banking in the U.S.....
Time will tell, one can only hope
Maarten
> and offering you little in return. They are about 15 years behind
> banks in the UK. Debit cards are just becoming popular, ATMs charge
> you if it's not your bank, everyone still writes checks and pays bills
> with checks, online banking is variable at best, they charge you for
> direct debits (and a lot of other things you would expect for free in
> the UK), and the smaller banks haven't got a clue about how to
> transfer money to another country.
So true. My bank actually explained me that when I do online bill payment
though online banking, a computer on the banks side actually prints a check
and SNAIL MAIL's it to the company you want to pay. No wonder it says you
need to schedule payments 5 days in advance.
In The Netherlands (and i'm sure in the UK as well) I would just make a bank
transfer and it would be payed and done with the same day. More and more
companies are starting to offer their own services on their website (e.g.
charge a creditcard or bankaccount number) but that means you have to go to
THEIR website every time you pay a bill.
Paying with a Debit card (using the PIN-code to make a payment and have it
DIRECTLY debited from your account as opposed to Credit) has been introduced
about 15 years ago (or more) in The Netherlands. About 5 years ago almost
nobody was doing it in the United States and it is just starting to be
popular. Especially the older generation here in the United States still
writes checks. For the last 10 years ago if someone needed to pay me money
they just said "i'll dump it in your account" while here they say "i'll
write you a check". Oldfashioned
Its funny how my wife's clients inEurope (Ireland, Austria, Netherlands) pay her with a bank transfer in our
Dutch account, and her clients in the United States snail mail her a check!
Looking at how the Euro was introduced (and the total abolishement of checks
in those countries) banks can change their policy and systems in a matter of
years. If 12 countries in europe can combine their currencies, completely
get rid of checks, and switch to a completely computer based paying system
within just a few years.... so can the U.S., with the exception they don't
have to switch currencies
About time they get a little more advanced withbanking in the U.S.....
Time will tell, one can only hope
Maarten
