advantage loans con or not?

[christie]

ADVANTAGE LOANS,CON OR NOT? I contacted advantage loans for a loan they said they could do me a loan for 2 thousand pound,i had to send them 49.50 for the legal fees,i havent heard back from them its been 2 weeks have i been ripped off?has anyone eles had problems with them?im a single mother i cant offerd to be 50 quid out of pocket help.

[adb]

I fell for it to. I was told �4000 within 5-10 days after sending my �49.50. After about a week I recieved a letter saying that I had been refered to Express finance, whom in which would finalize my loan. I had to fill in another application form and send it to Express finance(envelope provided). Since then I havent heard anything and that was 2 weeks ago. I was given no contact number for Express finance and whenever I try to call Advantage loans its either busy or I get no answer. To put it bluntly, " I am really ******," Ive just finished contacting Watchdog. I think everyone else should do the same. They can't get away with it.

[shmollin]

I dont know if this helps but I went looking for Express Finance on the interntet. and when I put this address in http://www.express-finance.co.uk/ It came up with a company called Caledonian Express, I dont know if this helps. but its worth a try. You may be able to get through to them that way. I just hope we all get our money back. I am not going to let this drop, as at the end of the day �49.50 is not just pocket change is it. anyway I will keep you all up todate.

[shmollin]

I also put this address in http://www.advantageloans.co.uk/ so they are still going, but is this a company that will stay open for so long and then vanish?

[frankegarr]

Well, I am in the same position - sent �49.50 - they have advised me they have got my money - I can't get through to customer services on 0870 0464 433 - engaged or never answered phone - you can usually reach someone on 0870 900 1939 (the main number)... What next? I don't know at the moment...

[lilyann]

I feel such a fool! If only id tried to look up Advantage Loans before i sent my money off on saturday 4th sept 04. I to am a single parent and cant afford to be in any more debt as it is . I will be contacting Watchdog very soon.

[advantagehel]

I work in the Customer Service department at Advantage Loans and was disturbed to hear that some of you are having difficulty in contacting us, we have been very short staffed recently with sickness and holidays but are now better staffed. I know that Advantage Loans do offer a refund policy for anyone who is not happy with the service we offer and I can assure anyone who contacts me with their contact details I will look into it for you and arrange a refund. You can contact me on [Contact details removed as per site policy. - AB Editor].

[muttley64]

Lets all go through watchdog if anyone can find out and track them down they can iam also on the sick long term and i need advantage loans like a bullet in my hard so im off now to watchdog come on and lets get these b******s excuse my language but thats how i feel

[muttley64]

I have just been on to watchdog because i dont belive anything that is said from a member of there team is true maybe now we will get some answers and the right ones

[idodds]

Edited. They send you a letter telling you that your loan is accepted. However its not. You pay for them to do a credit check on the details you provided in your first phone call. Your 49.50 is just for them to process the loan. You are not accepted for anything until they do this processing. If you fail the credit check you lose your 49.50 but you can try and get them to refund it. Thats if your seccessful in getting through on their telephone number. 08709001939. Its well dodgy on their part, pretending you are accepted by making the accepted word bold in the letter. But really what has been accepted? Nothing....

[christie]

hi all just received a phone call from jackie at advantage loans to let me no she,s sending me a cheque for 49.50 so get in touch with her through her email address shown and she,l sort out your refund.

[stellaweston]

I sent a cheque for �49.50 off which was cashed last week. I have just called 0870 0464433 (cust services) it took 3 attempts to get through but was given quite a lot of information with regards to my loan. I think they are genuine but believe the time it takes for money to come through is actuallt longer than Advantage quote.

[duped]

I too had a letter from Advantage Loans, offering me �5000, upon receipt of �49.50, as my partner is long term sick this seemed ideal to sort our problems out. Sent the monies and was contacted by a debt management company, this is not what I requested, and all calls to so called customer services are not answered. Have rang the number given by previous postee, and have been told they cannot deal with any enquiries, and insist on giving out the number nobody answers.

[AB Editor]

Please note that the exchange of personal contact details such as email addresses goes against the terms and conditions of The AnswerBank and any such information will be removed as per site policy

[clairwy]

Edited. I sent off a cheque for 49.50, when I spoke to them this week I was told they are short of staff and that I would receive money in 5 days. Well 10 days later still nothing I to am a single perosn tryin to get out of debt. clairwy

[advantagehel]

Unfortunately the AB Editor has had to remove my contact details due to their site policy. I am still willing to help anyone who is still having difficulties. If you contact our main number 0870 900 1939 and ask to speak to Jacki Thompson Re: answerbank you will be put through to me if I am unavailable please leave your contact details, name number and postcode I will contact you back. To reiterate it is our policy to refund any client who is not happy or is unable to obtain a loan through us, if you do not want to telephone please write to our main address PO Box 4002, Poole, Dorset BH14 0BF please mark the letter for my attention. many thanks jacki

[tombraideruk]

i to have been contacted by this so called company and thank god i checked it out first but what id like to draw everyones attention to is another letter i got who i believe are connected to this company they call themselves CGS and tell you they can give you a credit card or bank account for the same fee advantage loans are asking for they are also based in poole and the forms look like something you can make up yourself on the computer they are a subsidary of posternet sound familiar i really believe they are 1 in the same and willbe contacting my local authorities to look into this matter as i believe its money they are obtaining by deception.

[misswildish]

I cant actually believe what i have just read from all of you, i rang abacus to try and sort out my debt problems, they said that a loan would be guarented with them, i was so happy to hear that soon my problems would be solved, after a couple of days i received my letter telling me i had been accepted, so like most of you i sent a cheque off and waited to hear from them, this morning i decided to look the company up on the internet just to see if they had any good interest rates etc, i found there to be no website which i thought was odd then i came across this website and i really couldnt beleive that all of these people who wanted help with money problems had been Edited. , i phoned my bank straight away to see if i could cancel the cheque i had sent, after all they told me it would take 5-10 working days to actually clear but the bank told me they recieved and express cashed the cheque the same day, i have been in contact with someone and i am now in the middle of writing a complaint and reporting these people to the authorities, not saying its going to work but ill have a good go and try to at least get these b******s shut down.
Claire x

[Anj1]

I have just been in touch withb Advantage loans as I too was accepted for a 5,000 loan and couldn't find a website. Apparently according to the lady on the phone, they don't have one. She insists they are legit and has promised me her manager will call me back today sometime. I have told them that they are rumoured to be a scan and the lady on the phone was shocked to hear that, she also says that people must not have read the terms and conditions. When I have heard back I will let you all know.

[fubofo]

Edited. I was jst wondering if any1 actually applied to them in order to be accepted, as i know i didnt? Im really glad i stumbled across this forum after deciding to search for Adantage Loans. I too hav contacted this Jacki Thompson and am awaiting reply.
Im from northern ireland and have contacted "Fair Play" (similair to watchdog) twice, also contacted watchdog. I applied for �500 loan and was then passed on to express finance. I am still awaiting reply, n doubt i will get any!!
Also, shortly after sending my �49.50, I hav been getting calls from other companies ("CASH FINANCE DIRECT" and "RAINYDAY LOANS") who then passed my details on to WELCOME FINANCE. Funny thing is they gave me a belfast number it seems to check out ok.
I was jst wondering if these companies are connected in any way!?

[shmollin]

It seem's that a few companies are connected to Advantage loans, such as Cash Finance Direct, Rainyday Loans, Welcome Finance, Cash loans uk (avoid rining this one as its �1.00 a minute and they keep you on the phone for 20 min's wich costs you �20 in the end they then tell you they can not help) what a way to run up a bill. Some of the numbers you are given to ring seem like they do not exsist. It seems that maybe Advantage loans may be a real company, but it also seems like they prey on the people in need. To be honest I can see this big room with lots of people sitting at desk's with your details, and rining all sorts of loan place's. and that is what we pay them for, �49.50 is a lot of money to pay some twit to ring around, or find numbers for us to ring (at a �1.00 a minute) for a loan. I think people should be made aware of this companie Edited. . is there anyone on this board that has got a loan yet, or does everyone get the run around treatment.