Let me tell you a story about Jan, a friend of mine. Jan is a teacher at one of the schools in our area, and she is one of the nicest people I know. She loves being a teacher and wouldn't do anything else. She is also a single mom, so she knows what a dollar is worth and how to make it go further. Yet, she had a problem not too long ago, just like a lot of other people. From there, our story starts.
Jan called me late at night on a cold January night, "I don't know what's wrong with you, Steve! My heater isn't working, and the house is getting cold very quickly. Can you look at it over here?" I wrapped up and went over to Jan's to see what was going on. I didn't have good news to tell her, though. It looked like the box of wires on the side of her furnace had stopped working. I told her she and her daughter could spend the night with me because it was going to be very cold.
The next day, the repairman told her the bad news, which was bad news worth $800. Jan doesn't make a lot of money, but she always pays her bills on time and keeps her house simple. But she wasn't ready for this unexpected cost, and payday wasn't for a few weeks. She couldn't control herself as she tried to figure out what to do. I felt bad and wanted to offer to lend her the money, but the truth was that I didn't have it myself.
Later that day, Jan called me and told me she didn't need to stay at my place that night because her furnace was working again. I was very surprised. I asked her where she got the money, and she said that a friend had told her about a place where she could get a loan. She said it was easy; all she had to do was show proof of income and tell them where to send the money, and the money was hers. She was even able to choose the best way for her to pay back the loan.
I asked her if she had to fill out a long application or go through a credit check, and she said no. She said it was the simplest thing she had ever done. She said she went to the bank that morning and asked about a personal loan, but they told her she would have to put up collateral and it would take at least a week to process. Just like a bank! People who already have money are the only ones who can get a loan. And in the middle of winter, who can wait a week for their furnace to be fixed?
Jan told me that when she first thought about getting a cash advance loan, she was a little worried, but she soon realised that her worries were unfounded. It was so easy and the process was so customer-friendly that she felt like they cared about her well-being, not just the money. She said it was one of the best times she has had with customer service in a long time.
So Jan had her furnace fixed and paid back her cash advance in a little over a month on terms that didn't force her to stretch her paycheck even more. Every time I talk to her, she tells me how the place where she got a cash advance loan helped her keep her dignity and pride. Most of all, she tells everyone she knows that she finally found a business that cared about her.
