Legality of requiring credit cards? (fwd)

Forwarded message:
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 15:43:28 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Gurski <mgursk1@umbc.edu> Subject: Legality of requiring credit cards?
It's that wonderful season again, when all the assholes are out in force, and people feel obligated to purchase merchandise to give to each other. For various reasons, I don't believe in credit cards, and yet, trying to pay for something by personal check at the local Hecht's, they either *require* a credit card, or go through the Nazi check-warranty company Equifax.
Equifax does business by tracking reputations, as do all credit reporting companies. That's how a free market handles bad checks.

On Sun, 22 Dec 1996, Charles Gimon wrote:
Equifax does business by tracking reputations, as do all credit reporting companies. That's how a free market handles bad checks.
Yes, and if I'd *ever* written a bad check, it would be a different story. The weasel there basically said that because I'd made purchases there in the past few days, they tried to contact my bank on a Sunday afternoon.... (No, I don't get it either) But that still doesn't answer whether or not a credit card can be requested when paying by check. -- |\/|ike Gurski mgursk1@umbc.edu http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~mgursk1/ finger/mail subject "send pgpkey"|"send index" Hail Eris! -><- O- |Member, 1024/39B5BADD PGP Keyprint=3493 A994 B159 48B7 1757 1E4E 6256 4570 | Team My opinions are mine alone, even if you should be sharing them. | OS/2 Senate Finance Committee Chair, SGA 1996-1997

I can't see how it is legal to allow credit card agencies. Where is the legality if the individual doesn't want to be included in its data bases? There is no voluntaryness on the part of the major part of the population.Has anyone ever questioned the legality of the existence of these credit reporting agencies. On Sun, 22 Dec 1996, Charles Gimon wrote:
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 23:22:54 -0600 (CST) From: Charles Gimon <gimonca@skypoint.com> To: cypherpunks@toad.com Subject: Legality of requiring credit cards? (fwd)
Forwarded message:
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 15:43:28 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Gurski <mgursk1@umbc.edu> Subject: Legality of requiring credit cards?
It's that wonderful season again, when all the assholes are out in force, and people feel obligated to purchase merchandise to give to each other. For various reasons, I don't believe in credit cards, and yet, trying to pay for something by personal check at the local Hecht's, they either *require* a credit card, or go through the Nazi check-warranty company Equifax.
Equifax does business by tracking reputations, as do all credit reporting companies. That's how a free market handles bad checks.
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participants (3)
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gimonca@skypoint.com
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Michael Gurski
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Moroni