Door to door Loans explained
Update 26th March 2020 from Provident Personal Credit – The UK’s largest Doorstep Lender
COVID-19 has presented us all with many challenges that have increased in previous weeks and escalated further since Monday. Across Provident Financial Group we have firm contingency measures in place which vary by business area.
The safeguarding of our customers and employees is utmost and as such Provident (Home Credit) has made the decision to stop all new business activity and our colleagues in the field will be unable to service any new applications until further notice.
This is a temporary measure and we will provide updates as soon as we can.
If you’ve been looking for a cash loan you might have come across the term door to door loans? Let’s explain what these are:
- Common names: Door to Door, Doorstep & Home Credit Loans
- Small cash loans typically from £100 to £1,000
- Delivered to your door by a local company representative in cash
- Repayments collected weekly in cash by the company representative
- Often available to those who’ve been turned down by other lenders
A financial lifeline
This type of borrowing can be suitable for people who’ve been turned down for other forms of bad credit loans and have no guarantor.
- They’re not meant to be a long-term loan solution as the Representative APRs can be quite high (typically around 535% versus 49.9% for a guarantor loan).
How to arrange
1. Apply online
- If it’s your first loan with the doorstep company there are usually restrictions about how much you will be allowed to borrow.
- For most companies, this is around £100.
- Once you’ve demonstrated that you can afford the repayments and that they are on time, the lenders often make larger loans available.
- So long as there are no problems with your application, the lender will agree your loan in principle
2. Approval Meeting
- You’ll then be contacted by a local representative or agent who will come to your home to go through the terms in more detail.
- You will need to produce proof of your identity and address at this meeting.
- If you are a little unsure about which forms of ID can be used as proof of your identity, the UK Government has drawn up a Proof of identity checklist
- As long as the agent is happy that the loan is affordable and everything has been compiled correctly they will approve the loan.
The money is usually available within around 24 hours and will be delivered in cash.
Cash repayments
All repayments are collected in cash there is no need for you to have a bank account
- Your agent will visit at a weekly pre-arranged time to collect your payment and will log all transactions in a record book.
- This will help you to see exactly how much you owe throughout the term of the loan.
- If you think you are going to have problems with any payments it is important that you speak to your agent as early as possible.
- Under most circumstances, alternative arrangements can be made to ensure you are able to continue clearing the loan.
Other features
All applications and transactions are dealt with in the strictest confidence so there is no need for anyone else to know about your loan if you wish for it to remain private.
Other typical features include:
- No hidden fees
- Overpayments (for the benefits offered by overpayments click here)
- Early repayments are accepted
Improve your credit rating!
If all repayments are made on time and in full you will actually improve your credit score while you borrow 😀
- The credit agencies are advised of every successful payment
- Meaning you may be able to apply for a cheaper conventional loan in the future
If you would like to explore alternative ways to improve your credit score read 20 things you must know to boost your credit score.
Alternatives
Whilst doorstep loans offer one option if you have a poor credit rating, there are typically lower-cost options available, see :
FAQs
- What are doorstep loans?
As the name suggests, doorstep loans are loans which once agreed, will be delivered to the home of the applicant in the form of cash. The repayments will also be collected in a similar way.
- Are doorstep loans known by any other name?
Doorstep loans are the common name but you may have heard them referred to as home credit loans. Both work by having the loan and the repayments delivered to and from the home of the borrower and are essentially the same loan.
- What is the repayment period?
When a loan is arranged, you will be able to decide the length of time that you can make your repayments. Depending on the amount you borrow, the repayment period will vary.
- My credit rating is not great, will this be a problem?
Doorstep loans are part of the bad credit market and all applications will be considered, regardless of your credit rating. There are other options available though such as Guarantor Loans which may offer a cheaper solution.
- Can I still get a loan if I am not a homeowner?
You can. Doorstep loans are unsecured loans and therefore owning your own property is not an essential requirement.
- Can I repay my loan earlier than agreed?
If you find that your financial circumstances have changed and you are in a position to repay your loan at an earlier stage than agreed, this will be acceptable. By repaying your loan at an earlier stage, you will be able to reduce your total interest payable on the loan and keep repayments down to a minimum.
LOOKING FOR A DOOR TO DOOR LOAN?
Due to the current COVID-19 situation, we are currently unable to help people find a doorstep loan.
But we’ve other loan options
1. Get Quotes from our lenders who are still looking for customers
2. If no luck Find Other Lenders who are still lending
Jon Edward
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