OT: Last time I'll set foot in Home Depot

[Leon]

Perhaps, but I maybe a different version unless something has come up lately.. I do know that the discount was restricted to the original GM vehicles some years back. Saturn and Saab were not eligible for rebate. Anyway, when I cashed in on the GM rebate 7 years ago, the dealer and or salesman never knew that I had any rebate at all. In the closing office I indicated to the finance manager that I would like to apply my GM rebate to the final cost of the vehicle and after a telephone call to the CC company $3,600 was deducted from my total. No prior announcement was required.

[Bruce]

Hello! It has a limit. Your balance. Yes, a credit card has a limit but not usually a reasonable one.

[EmbErna]

No, people who think credit cards allow them to spend money they will never have are stupid.

Credit cards are a convenient way to pay for purchases, and some cards nowadays refund you cash, or airline miles, or gasoline, etc.

Abusing credit cards is stupid, the cards themselves are not. mikey.

Charlie Campney wrote:

[Scratch Ankle Wood]

Well, my credit card has another limit -- if I wouldn't pull cash out of my wallet or write a check, I don't use the card (except for emergency). Therefore I pay off every month. I don't have to carry a lot of cash and usually not the check book. The advantage of the credit card over a debit card is that you have protection from misuse by other persons with a credit card.

Neither card prevents you from being stupid -- only you can do that.

[Traves W. Coppock]

On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 10:23:41 GMT, "Scratch Ankle Wood" Crawled out of the shop and said. . .:

i donno bout you, but MY debit card has fraud protection...so does everyone else with the visa logo on his/her card AFAIK

Traves

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Mine does as well. Lack of fraud protection on debit cards is a common myth.

Barry

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

More details:

Barry

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It prevents you from spending money you don't have. The limit is the amount in your checking account.

Although, some purchases are stupid no matter the form of payment. Ed

[George]

Ayup. Most important, places that would require three forms of ID - including a credit card - to cash a check, take the plastic willingly. They pay a price for the security of knowing they will be paid, you pay a price for the convenience of underpaying. The card company takes the risks.

As a properly identified 2LT home on leave, I once had to get my mom to vouch for my _travelers' checks_ at a local establishment. Got a credit card the next week.

[CWNoah]

SWMBO turned me on to a method that almost sounds like a scam, except it's legal. We have 2 cards (Discover and Visa) that pay a "kickback" based on total amount of purchases. We put everything we can on them and pay before the due date - no interest, zero balance and money back. Not a huge amount, but it beats the hell out of paying interest charges. It's a hoot!

Regards, Charlie Noah

[e-mail] (Jack-of-all-trades - JOAT) writes:

[Leon]

Then you might as well right a check... And again, it is not the card, its the user.

[Leon]

You hit the nail right on the head with that answer. Exactly all the same reasons I use a credit card and mine pay back a minimum of 2% in rebates. I don't use the CC to buy things that I cannot afford. I use it for normal daily spending and pay it off every month.

[Leon]

But it does not prevent you from draining your checking account and not being able to pay other bills because you now have no money in that account. It's all a matter of self controll.

[GARY]

Yep, them credit cards will bend you over and drive you home with fees.

Gary

[Tim Douglass]

True story. I once had to write Sears a check for $0.00 to get them to stop dunning me. I had called, written and whined, but they had finally turned it over to a collection agency. It took me years to get that stupid non-payment thing off my credit record. IIRC I ended up having to call each month and get them to remove the late payment fee, but they still kept billing me the $0.00. Sometimes you wonder about stuff.

Tim Douglass

[mttt]

I did thanks. The three other cards I have don't have late fees. Even called to check. Better shop 'round Scout! :)

[mttt]

No, it sucks to have a Home Depot Credit card. Took care of that right after paying the bill. :)

[mttt]

I like mine too. Hate the 25 cent surcharge to use it.

[mttt]

Yep - when I called. He offered to remove it. It was 100% my mistake. I was a "deadbeat", to quote Dave. Didn't think that would be honest. I screwed up by not reading the contract.

I politely told the rep, to cancel the account and he collected my reason...

[mttt]

Someone else said this... "Bunk."

I'm well into the second half of my life, managed my finances quite well. Complete w/ cards. You must live a very different life. Credit cards are

*unavoidable* in my world. When's the last time you had to rent a car? Ever order a new Starrett Combination Square from Amazon?

Always pay cash? Every buy a house? A car?

I do appreciate you taking the time to share the advice.