I recieved a different Credit offer in the mail and accepted it. It turned out to be a legitimate company, but the limit was low, and the fees were outlandish. Suddenly, I am bombarded with letters from companies like PEOPLES CREDIT FIRST offering me $5,000 credit lines, and I was puzzled but almost bought it. It guaranteed approval and money back, so I figured why not? Luckily, I am a very lucid individual (you could call me paranoid) and decided to read the offer again. RED FLAG #1: There were no terms and conditions on the back of the letter. You had to wait for that after you paid them $50. I used to work for a bank that handled Credit Cards. All legitimat offers come with terms and conditions summary on the back. ALL of them. RED FLAG #2: I re-read and re-read the offer, and finally figured out what was causing me to feel unsure. "You may use immediately... For all purchases FROM CREDIT PROVIDER." That meant only one thing - I could use their so-called credit card on their stuff, like Amway gone worse. I had signed and addressed the envelope and everything - it was too late at night to get a mony order thank god - so I will be spared the frustration and embarassement of being taken in. Not all people with bad credit are losers or bad people, or even irresponsible. I have terrible credit, even though I have never bounced a check, been late on a car payment or been evicted. Yet I can't even have a checking account. Why? Because my husband has done all of the above, and my credit is attached to his. Par for the course in a Patriarchal society. The only bad marks on my credit are medical bills that my Insurance agreed to pay (I paid $389 a month, they better have!) and did not. Four surgeries and several visits to the ER for an unavoidable illness later, and I owe several thousand dollars. Better to wipe the slate clean I think, declare Ch. 7 and be done with it. I am still young. Young people, you especially need to watch out for these scams! They tempt you with great sounding offers and can easily take your credit from none to really bad in a heartbeat! It is frustrating but be patient and don't give in to temptation. The rule of thumb on credit: *"If it SOUNDS too good to be TRUE, it probably ISN'T!"*SusanCedar Rapids, Iowa
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