Quote:
Originally Posted by HansTWN
It is actually a very good and easy way for them, I wouldn't call it crude. Getting a credit card from a US bank with a US billing address is a real hassle for somebody who is not living in the US and who has no trustworthy friends or relatives there that can receive the bank mail.
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That's not true. I have such a card, and am not based in the US. I got it because I have a US bank account, which I was able to open simply by walking into a branch of a bank in the US and filling in the usual forms - including a declaration that I am a non-US resident for tax purposes.
Well, to be fair, it was a bit of a hassle, but only slightly more than the usual hassle anyone has in opening any bank account these days.
And I suppose you could argue that the majority of non-US residents would never have the opportunity - or the reason - to open a US bank account. That's fair enough. All I'm saying is that the ownership of a credit card for a particular country is no proof of residence on that country.