Credit record check?

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 12:27 am

man... It's been a week since I moved to Florida. I'm staying at a friend's place in Broward, and will be moving down to Miami Dade as soon as I get everything set up.

But man, I'm bumping into sooo many problems!!! I entered the US as an immigrant (with a greencard) and that was already hard enough. Establishing a credit record is now my next problem.

Okay, people outside the US may not know, but in order to be considered "okay" in the US, other than your greencard, you'll need a social security number (ID number), a US bank account and credit card, and a driver's license. It seems that you need all 3 simultaneously to do anything of importance. Like getting a cellphone, buying a car, renting an apartment..

I'll also point out the obvious hole in the system. To apply for a social security number, you need an address. But, to rent an apartment, they'll run a credit record check on you. Problem is, you don't have a record because you haven't applied for your social security number yet, which means you also don't have a bank account or a credit card. So, you see how each item depends on the other, and that somehow, they need to become intact simultaneously for everything to work. Of course, you can talk your way out of some situations and that's how I got started.

Basically, people want to know who you are. Like REALLY well. What are they afraid of? Probably all the fraud cases.. but man, what happened to privacy? Sensitive personal information? To be honest, I don't like it.

So, I was wondering, how's it like in other countries? I know that in Japan and Taiwan, they have credit records and companies that keep track of the database. But it's not used too often and people are much more relaxed about identifying their customers. I mean, atleast I never felt like I was being spied on.

[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2004-12-18 00:32 ]

Post by **garyb** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:38 am

catch-22

Post by **garyb** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:41 am

papers, please......

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 6:38 am

For what I know, Denmark has been critisized for being too dificult to get into ... unless you have an education, that we need.

The politician's reasoning is stuff like cost and crime. About costs, it is really far off, because forreigners can go here and study (free I think, but I am not shure). And the politicians want to keep them here afterwards. But ... ofcoarse ... be then, the forreigners do not want to stay here, because they say Denmark is not a very wellcomming place. Wellcomming is not done "just" by handing out free education. People need to feel good here to stay here.
About crime ... as I see it, it becomes far "easyer" as an imigrant to be marginalized, when the politicians cry "we are having imigrant issues" all the time. It is really dividing the society in an unhealthy way. Experts in the field regularly say "We don't have ethnic issues. We have social issues." Unfortunately it seams, that too many top politicians do not need insigths. They just need stuborn opinions, lies and promisses for the people. "We just gave X to the elderly people". Such angels ... the year before, they took x*3 from the same people. (unfortunately, I do not remember the exact numbers and proportions). Sorry about unloading frustrations again.

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 9:20 am

I feel ya. My original post was sort of a vent anyway..

Still pisses me off to know that there's so many things to worry about other than music. Ah, life. I hope it's doing something good to my creative brain.

Post by **hubird** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 9:25 am

wish you good luck in getting it all together, Ken

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 11:11 am

Canada's immigration policy:

"Knock, knock..."
"Who's there?.."

Post by **garyb** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 2:06 pm

ken, it's been getting much, much worse. there are new laws just enacted days ago, which, for all intents and purposes, ended privacy in the u.s.a.. i feel for those who come here expecting a certain kind of freedom and opportunity. more and more, it is a false promise. i suspect that this is a situation that is always in the process of happening in the world, as power wishes for control and people wish for freedom and sovereignity.....

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 11:17 pm

when did it get so bad tho? I'm guessing after the mid 90's when there were overwhelming numbers of credit card problems in the US.. was it like this even before?

I was told today (my cellphone application got declined again) that it would take up to 4 months for my credit card and bank account to show up on my credit record, and that it may take up to 1 year for my newly applied social security number to show up.. So basically, I won't have a credit record for roughly 1 year. And so I'm still wondering how I'm supposed to get a cellphone and a car.

I knew the situation in the US rather well before I got here, and didn't exactly dream of freedom and whatnot.. just didn't expect the situation to be quite as bad. phewee!! just gotta keep trying I guess.

[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2004-12-18 23:19 ]

Post by **garyb** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 11:21 pm

911
paranoia is very high. corporate control is very strong.

i guess it might be tough for an outsider moving to Japan at times(although my stepson had no trouble!)....

you may have to resort to prepaid cell phone service...i'm sure that you can still use your Japanese visa/mastercard if you have to. i know you'll find a place. you might have to step a notch down in status, but that'll bring you into closer contact with that 'hood you like(hip hop culture, beware though, gangsters ain't always nicey-nice, as you know...it's tough being in the lower castes)

as to the car, do you need a new one?

i'd be happy to be a reference, but being on the west coast it probably won't help much. let me know if i can help.....

[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2004-12-18 23:31 ]

[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2004-12-18 23:33 ]

Neutron · Post by **Neutron** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 11:59 pm

haha welcome to the "land of the free"

free to get in the system and work for the man untill you die.

free to conform! or off to Guantanamo bay with no trial for you!

free to choose in which way you serve.

free to choose pepsi or coke

free to choose which hospital will be the one to take your house if you get sick.

oh yeah dont forget..free to choose PC or MAC

at least you have internet!

orwell was 20 years early..well give em a bit maybe 25 dont expect to be "free" in the land of the.../

[ This Message was edited by: Neutron on 2004-12-19 00:08 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Neutron on 2004-12-19 00:12 ]

Post by **hubird** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:33 am

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 12:47 pm

911

Gary, that is the first time I really realize the irony in the date.

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:58 am

ya, fortunately I am staying at a family friend's place (chinese connections rule) and they're willing to co-sign a bunch of things for my wife and I. Just got a used car today, which helps quite a lot. The friend says he'll just get our cellphones under his name, and so that should solve things. Can't imagine how someone would survive if they didn't have a friend with a good credit record that's willing to co-sign stuff. I mean, that's a tough criteria to match.

gary->I'm stayin' way clear from the bad neighborhoods.. I mean, it's the same in miami or LA or wherever, I can get myself into some serious trouble hangin' around the wrong places at the wrong time. Won't be so hiphop after I get robbed and get my car stolen eh? I gotta watch out.

Post by **garyb** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:17 am

aahhh, we're not all bad!(o.k. i've spent plenty years in suburban neighborhoods too)
actually there are plenty of places i won't hang out, but most people are pretty cool.
of course, it seems like the real strangeness is in florida( l.a. is pretty strange too...

)

[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2004-12-20 02:18 ]

Counterparts · Post by **Counterparts** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 6:47 am

I went to the States a few years ago (to Chicago), and my contact at the company I was working for was from the East End (London) originally and had been living there for about three years, IIRC. He was only just then being accepted for a credit card! (Even though he had sorted out a bank account, had been working full-time, wife & kids etc.)

The strange flip-side, I found, was that people automatically assume that the card you hand over is yours. They even give it back to you before you sign the bill!? There wasn't any occasion where somebody even checked the signature. I could imagine credit fraud being quite high in the USA!

Royston

Post by **garyb** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:59 pm

once the online slip is run, it doesn't matter who or if one signs.....

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:38 pm

What I dodn't understand is the credit card machines with the pad to sign electronically. You could sign anything. Nobody ever looks at it. So what is the point of it?

Counterparts · Post by **Counterparts** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:34 am

They have those in Sainsburys "self-service checkouts". I have been really tempted to write "Errol Flynn" or "X" to see what happens...watch this space!

Post by **garyb** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:10 am

once the card is scanned, nothing matters. sign whatever you wish. if it really mattered, they wouldn't allow you to sign without supervision.