I'd like to upgrade to VIP before jumping too quickly into this Hobby... (hey, you can never know too much about someone).  I know that "IBill" shows up on the credit card bill but my wife has a bad habit of calling companies for any purchases she can't identify.  Anyone know what IBill's story is if they get a call like that?  It would certainly suck for them to tell her I subscribed to TER and put a quick stop to a nifty hobby.  I suppose I can go the backup method and send in a check but don't know how long that would take to get approved.  Thanks.

Do you have a credit card in your name only?  
A check might also be a concern if you have a joint account.  If you have a separate checking account, does your account provide a debit card that you could use?
Just some ideas.  I don't know the answer to your question about how the billing company would respond to a phone call, though.

Actually, you can login to the ibill web site and, with a credit card number and email address, find the amount billed and who billed it.  This is a nice feature for those who don't have to hide it from somebody.  I have seen a few credit card companies offer a single use credit card number for internet purchases.  Maybe you should look to use something like that and purchase and extended membership with it.

IBL *800-307-3558 IBLLcs.com FL

It also has an associated transaction #.  Therefore, if the wifey is interested, seems like she could pick up the phone, dial the 800#, give them the transaction # and state that she had concerns about it being a legit charge.  They would then likely state enough details to confirm the charge and get you in hot water.

Go with a stand alone card that goes to your po box#.

Thanks guys, you've confirmed what I was concerned about.  Looks like the best (and most covert) method would be to use a cashier's check.  Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

Just to be 100% secure, I just send a mail order.  Costs under a buck and worth it.

Skip

Some agencies and providers have legitimate companies set up and accept MC, Visa & AmEx and the name of that company would come up, for eample...ABC, Inc., Consulting Group, Inc., Fitness Trainer, Inc., etc.  Before giving up on using the credit method, ask how the billing information appears, what telephone numbers the company uses, etc.  

Good luck & stay safe...



-- Modified on 8/23/2004 11:45:52 AM

If you are at all worried about your SO discovering this hobby, please apply for the Rush card. It doesn't appear on your credit report. It's a debit card which you load when you want to purchase something. There are some fees associated with it, but it's been my secret card for over a year now. I haven't had a single problem.

Go to Amscot...there is one on every corner these days.  Get a NetSpend MasterCard (they are also called AllAccess MasterCards, either one).  This is $19.95 to buy the card, $9.95 a month for unlimited use and $1.50 to load $$$ on it each time and those are the only fees unless you use it at an ATM.  They send no bills or statements to your house and it does not go on your credit.  The only bad thing is you have to wait like a week for the card to come in the mail, so you have to make sure you either have it sent to your office or intercept the mail from your wife.  Then, after the initial mailing of the card, you will not receive anything in the mail from them ever again!  It is what I use.  I also had a website I gave my credit card to for a purchase over charge me by about $1,400.00 one time and with this pre-paid deal, noone can steal what you dont have loaded on there.  It is a good thing!  Good luck!