provident agents [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

beaver123

I am fed up with ignorant people criticising agents-you have no idea! We do not set the interest rates-the company does! and they work in the same way that an insurance company works their premiums-based on risk! If you have an accident, or penalty points-your premium goes up! If you have a bad credit rating, then unfortunately you have to pay higher rates! Fact of life! I do believe that Provident should provide preferential rates to quality customers though, one of mine has been a customer for 40 years, and in all that time she says she has never ever missed a payment-i know in the years she has been mine she never has! We do not prey on the vulnerable-where else would they go if they needed a new washing machine, or at Christmas time? A loan shark who will break their knee caps if they miss a payment perhaps?

We are providing a service, and for the vast majority of agents a bloody good one! Most of my customers are my good friends, one helped me move house-another who is disabled I check on daily and make her a cup of tea and help out around the house! I have never taken a day off, for holiday or sick in 3 years, go out in all weathers-and this is how the company repay our loyalty? i actually haven't been stung by these fines so far, but that doesn’t mean I agree with the new system. I’m not stupid, anyone can see that it is not going to work in the agents favour. Once you have got 100 % quality (as if that is ever possible in our business!) the only way from there is down! the same with a new customer, they start as an arrears stage 0-therefore you can only ever lose out! They must think we are thick! and to bring it in over the double bank holiday shows what double crossing greedy wolves they really are!

I think Peter Crook and the other fat cats at the top obviously haven’t got a clue what it is like to be an agent-i challenge him to come out with me on my round and see what it is like in the real world!

Nephthys50

beaver123 wrote: »

I am fed up with ignorant people criticising... !

That really wasn't a very good start if you were hoping to change my opinion.

In fact you have just confirmed it.

mother1234_2

now you mean to tell me that for instance a provident agent earns £100 a week and say they get charges (as to no fault of their own because these customers simply cannot afford to pay that week) that agent gets charged £120.. then that agent not only has NO wage the following week but also OWES provident a further £20 the week after that, which would be taken out of their wages automatically!. provident do have high interest rates but its not the agents fault because of this.
for some people to find work at the moment is extremly hard so they have to take any job that is avaliable. this may be their only income to support themelves and their family and bacuse of certain customers the agent gets charged out of their own pocket!

it cant be legal what provident are doing to the agents and something needs to be done about it!

empowerthepeople

LOOK...YOU'RE BETTER OFF...IT'S OFFICIAL!

This is taken from Andrew Penman and Nick Sommerlad from the Daily Mirror's Investigations team.


We've heard from dozens of furious Provident agents since we reported changes to the commission structure that's left many of them out of pocket.
At today's annual general meeting, bosses of the doorstep lender were doorstepped themselves by Alan Thornton, campaigns officer of Church Action on Poverty.
They insisted that most agents are happy with the changes that have left them, overall, "slightly better off".
We revealed last month that doorstep lender Provident is increasing the financial penalties on self-employed agents when borrowers fall behind on their repayments. It's feared Provident is attempting to pass the risks of the business on to agents as household income falls.


Provident makes much of the fact that borrowers don't pay more if they pay late. The firm charges interest of up to 1068% to the UK's poorest people who can't get cheaper credit from mainstream lenders.
Our comments board is full of agents threatening to quit or discussing a walk-out.
But at today's AGM Chris Gillespie, head of the Consumer Credit Division, said that only a "small number" of agents were unhappy and that most were "overwhelmingly in favour of the changes".
He added that "in fact commissions have gone up" and the new system "creates and opportunities not negatives".
Despite the complaints we've been hearing, shareholders were told that "on balance slightly agents are slightly better off", while employees have had a 3.4% pay rise.
Robert Hough, chair of remuneration committee, defended the 82% pay rise for chief exec Peter Crook insisting the "market dictates" that Provident pays top wages for senior staff.
Alan had this to say after the meeting: "If a company that advertises an APR of 1068% is going to continue to charge low-income households extortionate amounts for credit then we should try to make the business a bit less socially irresponsible.
"The bosses shouldn't be profiting unfairly from the hard work of their thousands of low paid workers. It is strange indeed that the company is top rated by the FTSE4Good index given their core business."
Are you a Provident agent? Are you "slightly better off"?

scooby088

There are credit unions that offer cheaper loans than provident and other doorstep lenders, i would always advise people to use these as their interest is a hell of a lot lower than doorstep lenders. Only thing is you have to put money in before you can get any out but still it's a better idea than doorstep lending. There are always alternatives to provident/greenwoods and shopacheck just do your research.

beaver123

empowerthepeople wrote: »

LOOK...YOU'RE BETTER OFF...IT'S OFFICIAL!

Are you a Provident agent? Are you "slightly better off"?

At the moment, I actually have been either up, or evens. But this is only the 3rd week, I can see that this isn't sustainable!

Lottie123

Nephthys50 wrote: »

I find it very difficult, impossible in fact, to find any sympathy at all for people who exploit the vulnerable. You were all happy to do this until you got treated the same way.

Given the way your customers are treated how did you expect to be treated as employees?

Karma imho.

Where do you get your information that Provident customers are all vunerable people? I can't say that I have one 'vunerable' customer and I object that you say that agents exploit their customers. I have never pushed anyone into having a loan or taking on a loan they want with payments they can't afford, and I don't know one agent that has.


Where else can you ring someone for a loan and it arrives in your home the same day in cash? Where else can you default on loan payments and not incur extra charges on your balance? Name a bank or building society who would not take you to court if you took out a loan for 1 year but then took up to 5 years to pay it back?

That is why people use Provident - not because some 'heavy' has gone round and bullied people into taking out loans.

I have a very good relationship with all my customers, and they are all appalled by these new 'rules'.

So Nephthys50 how would you feel if your earnings were penalised for something that you have no control over i.e If someone moves house and doesn't tell you? If your earnings were cut when it has cost you money on phone calls, petrol and running costs for a car to actually do your job? A job where you do the same hours and amount of work and never get paid the same amount each week?

Don't knock the agents, they are just trying to earn a living and keep a roof over their heads, if you want to knock anyone try Peter Crook and all the fat cat shareholders, they're the ones who set the interest rates and are penalising the agents, who go out regardless of how terrible the weather is or the driving conditions to keep them in the bonuses they have become accustomed too.

sjk24

bashtheagents wrote: »

Yes its called a focus print.

yes thats my point a focus print is printed from the same system that produces our clips so why do they differ??

hallowitch

don't knock the agents
15/16 years ago had a few provi loans i knew the pros and cons of borrowing from provi my agent was always spot on and did in fact go out of his way to help me finance a trip to London for my brother in laws funeral a trip i would not have been able to make without his help and for that i will always be eternally grateful to him

NetV

YOUR_A_JOKE_PROVI wrote: »

Employment status: basic checks to help you decide

You can usually work out your employment status by asking a few straightforward questions.

You are probably self-employed if you:

• run your own business and ****take responsibility for its success or failure ****
• have several customers at the same time
• can decide how, when and where you do your work
• are free to hire other people to do the work for you or help you at your own expense
• provide the main items of equipment to do your work

I think you may have hit the nail on the head there 'YOUR A JOKE PROVI' The new scheme is forcing you to take responsibility for both the success and failure of your customers