At My Wits End !

Squiz... Having been married to a man who would prefer to keep his money in his mattress, I can understand your concerns. But actually this is the perfect time in your life to establish good credit for yourself. It doesn't have to be risky and as far as being concerned about having "thousands of dollars" at your fingertips.... well, don't. It's called self discipline.

Start out small. Try seeing if your bank has something called a Secured Credit Card. What this is, is a bank account using a credit card instead of a debit card but your limit is whatever amount you deposit into this account before hand.

If you make your payments on your balance responsibly then your money stays in that account and it acts as an interest accumulating savings account. If for some reason you don't pay your balance, then your debt is simply pulled out of that savings account by the bank and there is less damage done to your credit rating.

It is the method my son used to establish credit. Instead of taking a risk and tempting himself with "low interest" credit cards the companies all offer to college kids to rope them in, I had him go to the bank. He has a credit rating that will help him in future when he applies for student loans, home loans, etc. and at the same time he has a savings account of a couple of hundred dollars just sitting there accumulating interest that he can add to anytime he wants.

If banks in the UK don't offer this option (though I imagine they would) bank internationally. Most banks have websites and online banking.

Hmm, well...maybe if your credit rating is so bad that only Capital One will give you a card. (Which I'm not suggesting .) The banks offer quite competitive rates...and no annual fees. Interest rates are hardly a worry either, provided you pay your balance in full monthly. Also, credit cards offer far more purchase protection than UK debit cards. Linden Labs could run off with your $72USD for example and your standard CC protection (which doesn't cost extra) would see you promptly reimbursed. Try that with Switch, Solo or Maestro. I lost £250 paid by debit card when one mail order retailer went bankrupt a few years ago. How I wish I'd used my Visa instead.

Good luck with your problem.
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Dillon (UK)

Yeah they are Margaret. That doesn't only sum up the way Credit Cards work here in the UK, but many of our cards are issued by American issuers (American Express, Capital One, etc.) so it's not that surprising I suppose. The British issuers (like Banks for example) tend to offer more competitive rates than the American examples listed. I don't know of any that charge annual fees anymore...but I assume they exist.

I've been buying goods over the net for at least ten years now...and will ONLY use a credit card because it's the safest way IMO. As for card fraud, I suspect you're more vulnerable in RL stores and at cash points than online...and UK debit cards certainly offer LESS consumer protection.
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Dillon

Well...you're going to struggle to buy things over the internet in general then. The Linden Labs payment options are actually VERY flexible compared to most international online retailers. Hell, most won't accept AMEX, never mind Paypal. And many CC issuers (banks in particular) will CAP your credit limit on request so the "thousand pounds" worries need not be an issue.

I kinda like people with credit cards. They tend not to riot in sandboxes, welcome areas, etc. (At least I'm getting that impression after June 6th.)
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Dillon

PS: 6/6/2006 -- Will any SL user forget that date?

Yeah umm, im still not getting a credit card. I know we live in a culture where its ok to be in debt and owe money etc etc. But thats not ever gonna be me, and im not starting now

That's your perogative absolutely. But hope you never plan to buy a house or put a kid through college. I'm sorry, I see your dilemma but it's just the way much of our society works now.

And you don't have to be in debt. Again, its self discipline. If you have credit, you use it wisely. Only use the card for things a credit card is required for and only when you can pay it off that very same day with cash you already have. Simple.