Dundee Council Bans Payday Sites

molerat

Dundee Council has started blocking payday company sites from its computers including libraries and community centres.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/dundee-launches-offensive-over-internet-pay-day-loan-companies-1-2699430

Councillor Ken Guild, the leader of the administration, said: “We are trying our best to block access to these sites which promise solutions to people that bring only more misery and heartache.

What do you think, good idea or nanny state ?

Brains64

molerat wrote: »

Dundee Council has started blocking payday company sites from its computers including libraries and community centres.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/dundee-launches-offensive-over-internet-pay-day-loan-companies-1-2699430

I recognize the good intention of this Dundee Council to be fair, so I'm not knocking them too hard but I fear that in their good intentions they don't quite see the reality, it's all very well them saying don't use payday loan sharks because they cause more fiscal problems and blocking them from libraries, community centers etc but what they have to understand is that rightly or wrongly it is nevertheless for many their ONLY lifeline when they're short of cash.

What do they think people are going to do to if they can't get loans from somewhere??, live off of fresh air??, if this Council is prepared to give people the funds they need themselves then fine but I doubt if they will, all they will probably offer is free debt advice etc, that's all very well but who really wants to listen to all that when their skint??, I know I don't!

jonesMUFCforever

Stupid but councils are a law unto themselves spending other people's money comes easy to each and every one of them.
To be honest people who use payday loans do not seem to me to be the type that use libraries - as most certainly can't read the terms of loans offered.

CLAPTON

Brains64 wrote: »

I recognize the good intention of this Dundee Council to be fair, so I'm not knocking them too hard but I fear that in their good intentions they don't quite see the reality, it's all very well them saying don't use payday loan sharks because they cause more fiscal problems and blocking them from libraries, community centers etc but what they have to understand is that rightly or wrongly it is nevertheless for many their ONLY lifeline when they're short of cash.

What do they think people are going to do to if they can't get loans from somewhere??, live off of fresh air??, if this Council is prepared to give people the funds they need themselves then fine but I doubt if they will, all they will probably offer is free debt advice etc, that's all very well but who really wants to listen to all that when their skint??, I know I don't!

how exactly do very high interest loans help these people?

loans need to be paid back or are you assuming they will simply default?

Garage_Flower

Payday loans are horrible services run by horrible companies but there is a genuine need for the service they provide and managed properly aren't the cancer on society some people make them out to be. A council has no right to prevent people from using a perfectly legal service.

k12479

I wonder if there are any legal implications to this?

Aside from trying to ban certain sites, they also appear to be actively promoting Discovery Credit Union.

There seems little difference in a council doing this than saying "don't shop at Asda, Tesco's better". Neither are any council's business.

broad-sword_2

Nice to see some social repsonsibility from the council (does Dundee have a particualr problem with payday loans amongst it's folk?). However, a lot of people who may fall prey to PD loans have I-Phones and (as has been said) will never go near a libary so not much effect I fancy.

[Deleted User]

personally i`d agree with all isp`s blocking pdl sites not just councils,these lenders are scum who prey on the poor
my advice would be join a credit union

atrixblue.-MFR-.

i normally wouldnt comment on these type of posts. but its drawn my attention.

i respect dundee's council decision. these companies target mainly those who cannot pay them back at the rate they set, mainly those in financial direstraits and on benefits, perhaps this will open the door to other restrictions in the uk on these companies.

opinions4u

Fine with me either way.

The typical PDL customer will probably have a smartphone with an expensive contract adding to their financial woes. They'll apply through that.

By the way, I don't get why people see credit unions as an alternative to PDL companies. They offer very different borrowing options.

antrobus

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

.... these companies target mainly those who cannot pay them back at the rate they set, mainly those in financial direstraits and on benefits, ...

Well, no actually; by definition PDL's target those people who actually have a payday; that's why they're called payday loans.