How to File a Claim Against Check ’n Go Payday Loans

What is a Payday Loan?

The definition of a payday loan varies from one state to another but no matter which state you live in a Payday Loan is a short-term loan that gets repaid with extremely high interest rates. Most payday loans require repayment within 30 days, and they usually charge interest and fees that add up to an interest rate between 260% and 640%.

Common Issues with Check ‘n Go Payday Loans

Before you take out a payday loan, be advised that they often use unsavoury practices in the industry.

Bait and switch tactics are quite common with lenders misrepresenting the cost of borrowing by failing to describe what the terms of the loan are, and charging people unadvertised, hidden fees.
Payday loans use very abusive and often unfair lending practices like unjustified risk-based pricing.
Aggressive collection practices are quite common where lenders will refer the debt to a collection agency almost immediately leading to customers being harassed regularly.
A lot of complaints have to do with preying on low income families in areas where the higher interest rates can deplete the assets of a low-income community.

There is even an alert pending from the BBB:

BBB has received consumer information that the name of this business has been spoofed in order to solicit consumers for fraudulent loans. Consumers who have been victims of this spoof report being contacted by a third party who claims to be affiliated with Check N Go. The third party then requests for payment in order to obtain a larger loan for the consumer. The arrangement is fraudulent, and consumers never receive the funds. BBB has confirmed with Check N Go that they are in no way associated with this solicitation and do not conduct business with third parties in this manner.

BBB warns you to be cautious of any personal loan offers and not to fall for advance fee loan scams.

No legitimate company will ask you to pay in advance of a loan, nor will they ask for any loan fee to be wired to them directly by Western Union, Moneygram, or any other wire service. Traditional banks generally deduct fees from the loan amount when the funds are dispersed to you and will never ask you to pay a loan fee upfront.

If you suspect you have experienced an advance fee loan scam, contact your local BBB.

So, what can you do to file a claim against Check ‘n Go Payday Loans for these and other issues?

File a Claim in Small Claims Court

What is it?

When you take out a payday loan, you’re fine print in the contract usually says you cannot bring a claim against Check ‘n Go payday loans except in the case of small claims court. Small claims court is an opportunity for you to bring the claim before a local judge up to a specific monetary limit. Small claims courts are only for special types of claims so you have to make sure your claim qualifies.

When to try it:

When you have a lot of time and energy on your hands, this is something to explore. It will take a lot of time and it does come with some court fees but it’s a good chance to make your claim against Check ‘n Go payday loans.

What you need to do:

Find your small claims court and then follow the steps they have to file a small claims court suit. When you file a claim against Check ‘n Go payday loans, you will have to make sure you follow the procedures laid out for your specific area.

Find your state court website here.

What to expect:

If you follow each of the steps laid out by your court, and you have a good case against the company there’s a good chance that you will get compensation. Moreover, the companies tend to offer you a settlement early on in exchange for dropping the civil suit against them and reducing the negative publicity.

File a Complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Against Check ‘n Go Payday Loans

What is it?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is an organization that has a complaint database. It’s through this complaint database that this Federal agency is able to regulate the payday loan industry and lodge government complaints or lawsuits against them if they utilize illegal tactics.

When to try it:

If you have a complaint about the following, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to know about it:

Unexpected fees or interest charges
Unauthorized or incorrect charges to their bank account
Payments that were not credited to their loan
Problems contacting the lender
Not receiving money after they applied for a loan

What you need to do:

You can submit a complaint online by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint. You can also call the toll free numbers 1-855-411-CFPB (2372) or TTY/TDD phone number at 1-855-729-CFPB (2372). If you want to send a fax, send it to the CFPB at 1-855-237-2392. You can mail a letter to: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, P.O. Box 4503, Iowa City, Iowa 52244.

What to expect:

This is not going to get you compensation but it is going to get your complaint against the business practices lodged officially with the government and help this agency to regulate the company.

File a Better Business Bureau Complaint against Check ‘n Go Payday Loans

What is it?

The Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) and its local chapters are private organizations. These sites will collect and publish complaints against companies like this one. They also give the company a rating based on the aggregate data from these complaints.They give the companies an opportunity to respond to the complaints lodged against them as well.

When to try it:

The best time to try it is when the BBB page shows that the companies are actively responding to complaints because that is more likely to result in you getting your voice heard and compensation. Alternatively you can always post your issue if you just want to get your dissatisfaction published.

What you need to do:

Go to the Check ‘n Go Payday Loans BBB profile here and follow the instructions for submitting a complaint.

What to expect:

The outcome depends entirely on whether the company is responding to the complaints posted on the BBB page. In some cases you might receive a response directly from the company or you might get one from the BBB. In these cases you might be asked to provide further documentation or clarification about the issue you have. Ultimately though it’s up to the payday loan company to decide if they want to acknowledge what you have said and offer you compensation.