Any advice (from personal experience, please) about being denied....?

I'm asking on behalf of my boyfriend - he doesn't have any credit cards yet, but does have points against his credit because of a $120 doctor bill that happened 2 years ago (yes, it's irresponsible of him not to have paid it, but that's beside the point).





He has been trying (and my mother and I have been trying to help him, as well) to apply for a credit card because he has a bill coming up due that he can't afford - and no matter where he applies, he gets denied solely because the $120 bill damaged his credit (there is nothing else against him) - I personally spoke to a representative and heard this firsthand. It seems to me that a small unpaid bill of $120 should not be this damaging - I have a cousin who has $20,000 in credit card debt, and she still gets approved for credit.





Does anyone have any suggestions as to places that rarely deny ANYONE for credit?? I would greatly appreciate any suggestions, especially if you have personal experience in this area.





Thanks.Any advice (from personal experience, please) about being denied....?
You could try getting a secured credit card; basically you give them a deposit, and they will usually match it and that's your line of credit.





Here's the problem; he has zero available credit, and an unpaid bill. In the eyes of credit issuers...not a good formula.





Your cousin may have $20,000 in credit card debt, but how much available credit does she have? If she's paying her bills on time (at least the monthly minimum), the formula being used would make sense.





I hate to tout anyone, but search online for secured credit cards. They're a good way to build credit and demonstrate that your boyfriend can use credit responsibly (based on what you're telling us, he hasn't done that yet based on his unpaid bill). I know it seems unfair, but if that's all they have to go on...not so good.Any advice (from personal experience, please) about being denied....?
You said that your bf's $120 unpaid doctor bill is ';beside the point';. He needs to realize that it is precisely the point. He continues to be irresponsible and has not paid that debt. Why would any credit card company give him a card so he can be in debt to them and then not pay them back.? He is exactly the kind of customer they don't want.





Now he's racked up a big bill that he can't pay without getting a credit card to do it. But, his credit history shows that if he gets a card with new debt, he will most likely ignore it and not pay. Credit companies are not stupid!!!





He needs to get a second job, cut way down on expenses, buy absolutely nothing that isn't a necessity, and pay off his bills on his own. Time for him to take a 'big boy pill'.
credit card is not good.





credit card will become a monster and will drawn you with bills.





complex interest is some thing not.





In Islam and Christianity complex interest is forbidden.
You don't say whether or not he ever paid the $120 that he owes.





If he still owes it -- tell him to PAY IT and get that negative removed from his credit record. Then he should be able to qualify for credit somewhere else.





Oh, and if he can't afford to pay the bill that he has coming up -- how the heck is he going to afford to pay the amount of the bill PLUS credit card interest? It sounds like your boyfriend is still being pretty irresponsible about his finances.
The problem is that the ';small'; $120 debt seems to be the ONLY thing he has on his credit record - thus the denials. He need to start building a good credit history and it takes time - he may have to start with a secured credit card.


See www.ehow.com (enter ';credit building'; in the search block).
It's possible the reason he's being denied is ';lack of credit history'; - not the $120 bill. At this point, there's only a few options for your boyfriend to start building his credit history and fixing some of these problems. Here's some examples of cards he may be able to qualify for: http://www.asapcreditcard.com/poor-credi鈥?/a>





Unfortunately, he's going to have to pay higher interest rates and some additional fees to get the chance to prove himself. But with regular on-time payments, eventually he'll be able to build / improve his credit score and move on to a more competitive offer. For now, his choices will be limited...