# 17-year-old son gets credit card offer. Should I be concerned? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032 "2012-10-08T00:06:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/21 "2012-10-09T00:12:19Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Can a 17-yer-old enter into a legal contract? Seems to me he could max out the card and walk away from it with no legal consequences. Screw the banks. I wonder about this. I started uni when I was 17, and was given credit, and access to an overdraft. I don’t remember needing any kind of guarantor for any of that. Mind you this was in the UK in the mid 1980s, but could I just have maxed everything out and walked away with no consequences in the few short months before I turned 18? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/22 "2012-10-09T00:27:10Z")
> [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](#): > > I used to work for a bank that issued credit cards. One day, a call came in from a good ole boy about an offer we’d sent to “Chester”. He was pretty bemused that we would pre-approve Chester because Chester was his horse. They knew Chester could be trusted; he had plenty of good old-fashioned horse sense. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/23 "2012-10-09T00:28:33Z")
> [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](#): > > I used to work for a bank that issued credit cards. One day, a call came in from a good ole boy about an offer we’d sent to “Chester”. He was pretty bemused that we would pre-approve Chester because Chester was his horse. I hope he said “neigh”. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/24 "2012-10-09T00:30:53Z")
You may have trotted out your own horse joke, but I beat you by a nose! ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/25 "2012-10-09T00:34:31Z")
I believe that as the economy downturns, the more restrictive credit card companies get. Your offer in the spend-more-than-you-make '80’s would not be comparable today. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/26 "2012-10-09T00:40:30Z")
When I was an undergrad, credit card companies considered college students to be the perfect demographic: They spend a lot of money, and they’re irresponsible enough to get in trouble and rack up interest, late fees, etc., but at the same time if they get into _too_ much trouble, their parents will bail them out, so the bank won’t be left holding the bag. The CARD act mentioned by **alphaboi867** may have changed that, though. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/27 "2012-10-09T00:50:58Z")
Only if he throws the offer in the trash and says in disgust, _50k?? Oh, don’t insult me._ ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/28 "2012-10-09T01:02:25Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > The CARD Act changed alot of things. 18-20 yr olds cannot get credit cards anymore without without either having a cosigner or written proof of idenpendent ability to pay. Under 18s would definalty require a cosigner. I wouldn’t think an issuer would be willing to do business with someone who cannot legally make a binding contract (such as being a minor). ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032/29 "2012-10-09T01:10:14Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > I wonder about this. I started uni when I was 17, and was given credit, and access to an overdraft. I don’t remember needing any kind of guarantor for any of that. Mind you this was in the UK in the mid 1980s, but could I just have maxed everything out and walked away with no consequences in the few short months before I turned 18? I got a student checking account and credit card from Wells Fargo when I started college in 2005 and I’m pretty sure my parents didn’t have to do anything. I was 17 years, 11 months at the time. My dad went with me to the bank just in case, but they never involved him that I recall. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/17-year-old-son-gets-credit-card-offer-should-i-be-concerned/637032.md?page=1)