Driven by fintech, the online lending industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years. However, behind this boom, the online lending industry has gradually exposed many problems, such as privacy leakage, suspected fraud, violent collection, etc., especially violent collection, which has become the "hardest hit area" of the online lending industry.
According to the relevant data of the consumer service protection platform under the China Electronic Chamber of Commerce, since 2023, the platform has received a total of 46,053 complaints related to online loans, with a total amount of 637 million yuan, while the effective complaint resolution rate of the relevant platforms is only 43.48%.
From January to April this year alone, the cumulative number of online loan complaints on consumer insurance platforms reached 18,771, an increase of 185.97% over the same period last year. Among them, the number of complaints jumped to 5,901 in March, and the amount of complaints involved was 84.33 million.
Mr. Rao, a consumer, complained on the consumer insurance platform that he was induced by installment music marketers during his college years, and after borrowing money through the APP, he found himself in a bottomless pit of repayment. Although he has repaid 147,300.83 yuan, the APP still shows that the outstanding amount is 208,395.87 yuan, of which the principal is 102,174.25 yuan.
However, after Mr. Rao's own verification, he found that the unpaid principal was only 9,824.16 yuan. He claimed that the installment was fictitious about the amount of the outstanding principal through means such as high interest, interest rollover and high fines.
Mr. Rao said that he also encountered bad collection behavior from a third-party collection agency entrusted by Installment Le. On January 5, 2024, the collection agency pretended to be a paralegal, privately inquired about Mr. Rao's personal social security information, and used a virtual phone number to harass his employer, and even threatened to fire him.
After several unsuccessful attempts to communicate with Installment, Mr. Rao lodged a complaint with the consumer insurance platform on 6 January. Installment later responded that the collection had been suspended, but Mr. Rao's arrears had not been resolved.
Mr. Rao appealed, hoping that the installment platform would refund the high interest paid in previous years, and issue a settlement certificate to eliminate the account and completely resolve the usury dispute.
According to consumer insurance data, among many online loan platforms,
In addition, online loan platforms such as Tongcheng Money, You and Me Loan, Shengbei, and 360 IOUs have also entered the forefront of the industry complaint list.
In terms of complaints,
The main complaints of Tongcheng Money Tour are concentrated in arbitrary charges, interest problems, false publicity, etc.
Among the many problems in the online lending industry, many consumers are mired in the dilemma of violent collection. Many borrowers reported that they were subjected to malicious harassment and verbal threats by the collection personnel of the lending platform after the deadline, and even threatened and intimidated the borrower's relatives and friends, which seriously infringed on the legitimate rights and interests of the borrower.
Recently, Mr. Zhou, a consumer, complained on the consumer insurance platform that he borrowed 50,000 yuan from JD Finance and generated about 639 yuan in interest. Although the platform offered the option of early repayment, he was required to pay a lump sum of 50,639 yuan, which exceeded the upper limit of 50,000 yuan for a single payment on his bank card, and it was not allowed to repay in installments.
Mr. Zhou believes that JD Finance's practice constitutes a maliciously created obstacle to repayment and increases interest costs. He tried to communicate through JD Finance's complaint channel several times, but although the other party promised to solve the problem, it was not fulfilled, and Mr. Zhou felt that his appeal was maliciously delayed.
In addition, Mr. Zhou pointed out that JD Finance disclosed his personal information to third-party platforms without permission, and then these platforms kept calling him, which seriously interfered with his normal life and work.
According to the data of the consumer insurance platform, the number of complaints related to online loan platforms involving an amount of less than 3,000 yuan accounted for 47.04%, and the problems in small loans should not be ignored.
In response to consumer complaints related to online loans, experts from the Consumer Insurance Research Institute issued consumption tips to consumers:
First of all, choose a formal financial institution, and learn more about the interest rate, term, repayment method and possible fees involved in the loan, so as to avoid falling into loan sharks or fraudulent loans.
Second, assess your ability to repay and make sure you're able to make sure you're able to make payments on time before applying for a loan. Don't over-borrow to avoid getting stuck in debt. At the same time, make a reasonable repayment plan and try to repay as early as possible to reduce interest expenses.
Third, pay attention to the protection of personal privacy, avoid the leakage of personal information when operating on the online loan platform, and reduce the risk of bad collection and fraud.
Fourth, be wary of violent collection, and if you cannot repay the loan on time for some reason, communicate with the platform in time and seek a solution. At the same time, complain to the relevant regulatory authorities to protect their legitimate rights and interests.
Finally, improve personal financial literacy, understand basic lending knowledge and risks, and avoid being harmed by unfair lending terms due to lack of financial knowledge.
Text | New leaves
Edit | Friday