Job Discussion Forums

garlic and basil · Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 46

Two scenarios... One, you're working under the table on a tourist visa. Your mastercard or VISA payment is due. Scenario two, you have a work visa and the same payment is due.

Is it straightforward or complicated/impossible to make payments to one's Canadian mastercard account? A Mastercard telephone clerk in Calgary told me that 'you can go into any place that accepts Mastercard and make a payment' What naievete! They have obviously never travelled overseas.

Oh, a complicating factor - I have a co-card. It's actually in my sister's name. So I can't show my statement to the economic police or whatever they are called in Red China in orde to get their permission to conduct my private financial business. BTW, China is not the only country in Asia that does not have a Swiss style open economy. Even in Thailand it is a pain to make payments. My guess is that Hong Kong would be a breeze. Maybe fly there every month with cash and make payment there? Inconvenient!

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

Why not just pay for it online?

My Master Card does an automatic debit from my bank account to pay off the entire statement, and I access my Canadian bank account online to pay off my Visa and my Amex.

This worked well until for some reason I started having problem logging into my account, and the financial institution couldn't figure out why.

cujobytes · Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 8:09 am Post subject:

garlic and basil · Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 46

For political and financial reasons years ago I vowed to never use a bank of my own citizenship (Canada) or of the 'master of the world' (USA). For decades I have always used an offshore bank. But after 9/11 they got all uptight and refused me my visa card because I have 'irregular income'. I haven't found a nation that is reliable ('Joe's Bank of Latvia', no thank you) and doesn't require too much personal information in order to take my hard earned money. The new 'money laundering' regulations are mostly to gain more money for governments through confiscatory taxation - not to prevent crime.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

Volodiya · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 1:18 am Post subject:

Others may have more experience with this, but what about wiring money to your sister, using Western Union? If she's also on the card, she'll have an interest in seeing that it gets paid, too. Other posters have reported good experiences with using Western Union to send money home from here. It costs a fair bit, but you could do that till you figure out an alternative.

SillySally · Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 167

Why not stay in Canada and clean up your current messes rather than bring them to China?

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=26255

Volodiya · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 1:59 am Post subject:

SillySally, I don't know if we know enough about this person to judge what's best for him.

He may be able to set aside more, working here, to apply to his debts, than he could if he works in Canada. He will know better than we, what kind of income/expense ratio he has there. I know that here, it can be rather favorable, as I spend just 2,500 RMB for everything and live what I think of as a "comfortable" life.

As for a general condemnation of a person who has debts, and wishes to go abroad, I don't buy it. People occasionally need a "fresh start" in life and, in this case, we have someone who is concerned enough about paying his debts to inquire how he could do it from here.

SillySally · Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 167

OP withdrawn

Volodiya · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 3:22 am Post subject:

Yes, Sally, I read this man's other posts, and offered him my advice, earlier, on that thread you mentioned.

More often than not, the troubles people have can be traced back to mistakes they've made. If, at any point, they are going to see hope for a better life than the one they've made for themselves, people (like us) have got to stop pushing them back.

Who "deserves" a fresh start? Nobody- and everybody.

SillySally · Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 167

Fresh starts do not start by running away.