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PayDay Loans--Help!

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Anonymous
Not applicable

PayDay Loans--Help!

So, I've gotten myself into a sticky mess with some payday loans....you know, the loans that will tie you over until payday but in the meantime charge you obscene interest! Well, I'm in a rut.  I have 3 of them!  And the interest is hurting me--I can't pay off the whole thing because I'm paying interest on 3 of them at once...each payday!. I have other debt that is really affecting my credit score, but with paying these loans' interest I don't have the extra funds to start in on those.  Help!   Any advice is appreciated.

 

 

 

Message Edited by kt_scarlett007 on 10-22-2008 04:00 PM
Message 1 of 68
67 REPLIES 67
nosxih
Regular Contributor

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!

One idea might be to get a credit card that allows balance transfers with a low interest and transfer the 3 to that card. That would give you 1 payment at a lower interest rate.

 

Message 2 of 68
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!

I feel your pain...I really do.  It wasn't that long ago that I was in your situation.  My personal belief is that payday loan sharks are the scum of the earth.  I believe they are the root of predatory lending.

 

Back to your subject at hand.  I'm sure you did sign some contracts agreeing to these terms.  If there is any way at all you can start paying down the principle then do it.  It may take some cutting back in your lifestyle.  Cut in any areas you can.  Beans rice and tunafish can keep you healthy!  If you have cable, or anything that you can live without for a few months...cut it back.

                                                      OR

Many people on this site will disagree with me on this point of view.  If you have done everything that you can.  (That means asking family for a loan, cutting back non essentials) I recommend default.  You have to eat.  You have to pay your rent or mortgage and you have to make a car payment if you have one.  These are all things important to your health and your job.  Not making any of these payments will put you in a worse spot than you are in. 

If you do default on these loans, be prepared for a world of hurt and humiliation.  Payday companies will call anyone they can to humilate you into paying your loans. (Your parents, family, work)  Again, I don't recommend this option since you did sign a contract.  On the other side I don't feel bad for these companies when they get stiffed because they build a certain amount of default protection into the 500% apr they charge you for a few 100 bucks.


I hope this helped.  Do the best thing for yourself and your family.  Make yourself a promise today that once you get out of this mess you will never get yourself back in.  Keep your head high and in one year you will look back on this mess a stronger person!


GOOD LUCK!

 

 

Message 3 of 68
johnsj21
Regular Contributor

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!

I feel your pain.  My advice....close your checking account and open a new one immediately.  You need to pay your day to day bills more than you need to pay those sharks!  If you close your checking acct immediately they won't be able to draw the payments.  Once they realize your payments were returned they will start calling you like there is no tomorrow - when that happens CMRRR a cease and decist letter and ask that all communication be via US MAIL or Email (since most deal with email).  Next step  - contact them and ask them for a payment plan, but DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR NEW CHECKING ACCT INFO - tell them you will only pay them with certifed funds like cashiers checks or western union. 

 

I've been through this and I am still going through this - DH lost his job at the beginning of the year and we needed money to pay our bills and we got stuck in the same cycle as you.  Only 1 of the loans actually went to collections so far, but I'm finding that all they want is there $ and now that we are doing better financially I am able to strike deals with them for less than the full amount owed as long as I give them a lump sum.

 

Good luck!!!!

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Message 4 of 68
marty56
Super Contributor

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!


@Anonymous wrote:

Many people on this site will disagree with me on this point of view.  If you have done everything that you can.  (That means asking family for a loan, cutting back non essentials) I recommend default.  You have to eat.  You have to pay your rent


I would also agree.  People also will slame me but I would check Dave Ramsey on on this subject.  He has delt with this issue and you may find some good advice from people who have been there and done that.  take far of the basics first.  Food, shelter,lights, transportation. 

1/25/2021: FICO 850 EQ 848 TU 847 EX
Message 5 of 68
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!

Excellent information and suggestions everyone, but question:  Who is Dave Ramsey and how can I find more information about what he would suggest?

 

Thanks again.

Message 6 of 68
bevj2
Established Member

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!

I, too, am in the same boat, as a result of divorce.  I agree with the advice of closing your checking account, but beware....many companies are turning to legal recourse if you default.  I had one file a civil suit against me, and I made arrangements to pay them off in two installments if they would drop the suit.  I just made the second payment yesterday, and am waiting on the paperwork in the mail.  Note, the amount I paid was twice what I originally "borrowed", as they charged filing fees/interest.  I have also received a notice from the attorney of another one, and am going to contact them to see if they will agree to a payment plan of the original amount plus any bank fees they may have incurred.  I live in Ohio, and one of the issues on the ballot this year deals with these sharks, where the amount of interest they can charge is severely reduced, along with the amount and number of loans one person can take out at a time.  Believe me, I am voting YES on this one!!!  Smiley Happy  Like johnsj21 said, contact them and ask for a repayment plan.  If they have not gone into collections you should be able to work something out.  Sometimes it's comforting just knowing you're not the only one in the same boat!  Smiley Very Happy  Good luck!!!   
Message 7 of 68
lessismore2014
Frequent Contributor

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!

This is from personal experience. Try & get these paid as soon as possible. Make sure if they accept a lower amount as payment in full, get it in writing. Let me tell u why, Back in December I took out a payday loan and they kept taking $99 my balance was going no where, well I closed my checking & opened a new one. Then they started with phone calls to my job every other day. They asked to speak with my supervisor, I told him they had nothing to do with this loan. They told me i was incorrect, it's called a payday loan for a reason. It's in the smallprint on that contract. They can garnish your wages if they get a judgement against you. In the end of March I got another phone call guess who, at work, the gentleman I spoke with told me I owed close to $600, I told him he was out of his mind. I only borrowed $350 I wasn't going to pay a penny more. He finally agreed to the $300 as pymt in full. I told him I would call on my next payday & pay by credit card. He continue to say if I paid that same day he would lower it to $200, I couldn't do it. I called back April 9th and got confirmation of my $300 + $5 fee payment. I thought it was done & over with. Boy, was I wrong. I get another call at work at the end of May that I still owed money, I said that was BS! I paid this in full. I later called in & spoke to a real **bleep** of a supervisor, excuse the word. I told him I had taken care of this already and gave him his employee's name, ext, & confirmation #. He said that wasn't possible. He really pissed me off and I told him to speak to his F****** employee 7 verify pymt. He told me that I should speak to the employee since I was the one who borrowed the money. Oh and he told me if I swore at him again I would regret it and asked to speak to my supervisor so I gave the call to my supervisor, he asked for my bosses name and hung up. We all thought at work he was going to write a letter complaing about my swearing but nothing never happened UNTIL July when it showed up on my credit report. I was fuming. To make a longer story short, it turns out that I still owed $50 and with interest it accrued to $320. The **bleep** who took my info no longer worked there so I could chew him a new. The collection agency said if I didn't pay it would get taken out of my paycheck and that it was allowed. I paid a settlement offer of $240. I then disputed with the CRA and back at tye beginning of October it was removed, THANK GOD! So be very careful deaking with these assholes.
Message 8 of 68
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!

Been done this deserate road myself - it isn't fun.

 

I got to be kinda friends with one of the clerks and asked her if there was anyway around renewing every 2 weeks at that time, but monthly at the end.  What she did for me was this - told me to go ahead and let my check go through, it cost an OD fee at the bank and of course they would add a fee.  At that time it goes into their internal collections wherein as long as I paid whatever her and I agreed upon every two weeks it would stay below their collection requirements radar and I paid it off as was and saved that interest.  Of course I was at the max (lod) and it would take 6-8 weeks to do this, but it saved my life. 

 

Plus, being kinda friends, she knew I had another one and once that one was paid, the greedy company (not my friend) was more than willing to reloan me money.  So we did it again, the same way and I was able to pay off the other one while controlling the interest. 

 

We're still friends outside the loan company today.  Might pay to become a little friendly and share your situation and see what might get offered.  It saved my bacon!!  Smiley Happy

Message 9 of 68
Breakthecycle2
Established Contributor

Re: PayDay Loans--Help!

Here's my take on this, and this is strictly my take as I, at one point, had 5 or 6 at the same time. If they are store fronts (meaning you actually walked into a store and signed papers) let them default, then call for a payment arrangement.

 

If they are all via the internet and I hope they are, depending on what state you live in, you are not liable for ANYTHING. Let me explain. MOST internet PDL's are illegal, unlicensed companies. If they are not licensed, they have NO authority to loan, never mind collect. Most state laws require that the business be licensed in the state in which you live. Pennsylvania for example states that for internet lending, the lending company must be licensed somewhere in the US. NJ and NY for example PROHIBIT them period, meaning no one can lend to these residents, licensed or not.

 

I warn you though, if these are internet PDL's, once you default, they will call you, they will call your work at some point and they will threaten you with fraud and arrest. This also is obviously illegal and a scare tatic the collection companies use. They will want you to pay and pay within the hour. I have one pay day loan company, located in the UK (which I just found out about) that still calls me this day after 2 years or so. I paid them back there $200 (they claim it was interest fees, I say screw you, it's what you lent me).

 

If you want to, post the company names and your state and I will help you further.


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