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A comment on Outrageous HSBC Settlement Proves the Drug War is a Joke. Parent comment

Re: Outrageous HSBC Settlement Proves the Drug War is a Joke by maxerickson on Monday December 23, 2013 @11:54AM (#6955173)
The 'you don't need a bank account' method in the parent was the money order (there is also usually a way to pay in person, lots utilities do this in concert with convenience and grocery stores).

The wireless thing is because the phone companies treat the account as a credit account. The easy way around it is some prepaid plan (which is possible to fund in cash...). 5 years ago it wasn't such a good option. These days a $50 prepaid plan is at least reasonable, even if it isn't the best option.

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Re: Outrageous HSBC Settlement Proves the Drug War is a Joke by ufmace on Monday December 23, 2013 @12:18PM (#6955311)
The usual postpaid cellular account that most US providers want to sell is indeed a credit account. They're usually paying hundreds up front towards your phone, plus accepting the payments after you've used the service.

For cellular, prepaid seems to solve all of the problems everywhere I've been. I ordered a prepaid SIM card here in the US over the internet with nothing but a credit card number, has full data service and everything. Same thing everywhere else I've travelled in the last year.

Around the beginning of 2013, I took a trip to UAE, Norway, and the Netherlands. In each of those, I was able to get a prepaid SIM card at the airport for cash, with nothing but a passport for ID. All with phone, text, and data service.

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Re: Outrageous HSBC Settlement Proves the Drug War is a Joke by aestra on Thursday December 26, 2013 @09:57PM (#6969219)
I paid my electric in person before years ago before I started paying online and I had a problem with mail delivery and they didn't mail me a bill to mail back. It was simple.

I also knew someone who paid their phone bill in person every month because he was a teenager and didn't have a checking account, but had a cell phone bill.

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