Another provider of instant cash loans in the UK was slammed for irresponsible practices recently once it was discovered that its website had statements encouraging students to use short term loans to pay for nights out or alcohol, industry watchdogs recently reported.
The firm quickly changed its tune once the discovery was made public, according to an article appearing in the Independent. The short term loans provider wasted no time in removing the articles in question from its website, claiming that it was not its intention to actively target students by encouraging irresponsible borrowing.
Reputable payday lenders were quick to condemn the firm’s actions, as they remarked that short term loans were excellent sources of quick funds in the event of a financial emergency, and that they should not be abused in order to finance a night out. Doing so could lead student borrowers down a dark path of unmanageable debt, experts said.
One of the articles posted on the firm’s website advertised its loan services by claiming that they were ideal for things such as purchasing presents for others and new clothes or for going out or buying alcohol. This prompted the Consumer Credit Counselling Service’s Una Farrell to refer to these articles as ‘reprehensible’, and her sentiment was echoed by many other debt counselling professionals as well.
The content, firm bosses say, was never intended to encourage irresponsible borrowing in students. The solitary goal of the article was to be used for the site’s search engine optimisation efforts in order to drive search engine rankings, the lender added.