subject: Red in the face - the credit score and a shopping surprise [print this page] Red in the face - the credit score and a shopping surprise
I have recently experienced something that was very little amusing, but very educational in it's own terms and decided to share my story with you. My hopes are that when the time comes you will not follow in my footsteps but instead, be prepared.
So far during my employment time I have done many things and worked in various sectors. You could say that I have resisted the trend to specialize in one certain field and, instead, decided to gain experience in various environments to broaden my horizons. It doesn't have anything to do with the main point of the story apart from explaining why I did not have the required funds to purchase a brand spanking new 27 inch iMac by cash when I fell in love with it. I've had a crappy job.
After reading at least a dozen of reviews on the Net I was quite certain that this is the machine of my dreams, and one I really need in order to be happy in my life (Apple's marketing sure kicked in on this one, but what can I do, I'm easily influenced).
The following day I went straight to my local PC World to purchase the object of my desires. I walked around the store for a while thinking about the accessories which would go well with my new computer and was even considering adding a dSLR camera to my order to, you know, make the most out of MY new iMac. In the end I've settled with just a wireless printer.
I have approached the store clerk and asked about finance options on large purchases like mine and was pleased with the Buy now, pay later' plan they've had on offer. Great, filling out the paperwork took no longer than 10 minutes and even though I was sitting at the customer desk in a computer store, my mind was already at home unpacking the new majestic piece of Apple hardware.
- "Sorry mate, it didn't go through"
- "What...?"
At first I didn't really get what went wrong but everything was explained to me in the very next minute. Apparently my credit score was not good enough to take a loan to cover the cost of a computer. Now, you could argue that those things happen every day and there's no need to feel embarrassed about it - and you're right, at least in theory. The thing that kills me the most is the fact that I've had a lengthy conversation about the specs with my friends the day before and was boasting about my new machine as if I've already owned one. Conclusion: before trying to buy cars, computers and what not on a finance, check what your credit score is.
