Call us today on: 01642 850022 1 Kensington Rd, Middlesbrough TS5 6AL
Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a selection of the questions we are asked by customers most often. If you have a question that's not answered below, please don't hesitate to contact us on 01642 850022 or by completing our quick enquiry form.

FAQs

How much will a short-term loan cost me?

Please use the loan calculator on the home page to work out the cost of our loans. The most important thing to remember is that there will be no additional charges for late or missed payments, especially when comparing our loan products against some payday loan firms.

Why is the representative APR so large?

The APR, or Annual Percentage Rate of Change, is required by law to be included on certain documents and promotional materials and calculated according to a formula laid down by regulations.

Essentially, the APR uses a fairly complex formula to look at annualised charges, which means that high APRs are often shown for very short-term loans. They can, therefore, give a much-distorted impression of what the interest charge applied to your loan really is.

We would recommend that you always look at the total amount repayable, and how long you can have the loan for as well, to help you compare offers. You should always remember that with a Careys Personal Credit personal Credit loan you will never be charged for late or missed payments.

How do I pay back my short-term loan?

You can pay your loan each week in cash or cheque directly to your agent. You can also pay by standing order and your agent will explain this to you. You may find it more convenient to make your loan payment by using a debit card and this is called a Continuous Payment Authority (CPA). A CPA works in this way – on the morning of each repayment date, we will debit your payment card with the agreed instalment amount. You grant us permission to debit all sums due using CPA charged to the debit card to which the authority relates.

A CPA is a type of regular automatic payment that authorises us to withdraw sums from your account without having to seek repeat authorisation for each payment. Use of CPA is fully explained to you throughout our application process and more information is included in the key features document which you receive with every loan. Once agreed by you the CPA is used to collect payments. However, you can cancel the authority by contacting us on 01642 850022 or getting in touch with your debit card provider. If you do contact your debit card provider then you should tell us. If you cancel you will still owe any outstanding debt and will need to provide us with an alternative method of repayment on the due date to avoid your loan going into default.

We will make no more than two CPA attempts on the day each instalment falls due. In the event that the two attempts are not successful and you call us on the day, we will arrange a one-off payment with you to settle the outstanding instalment. This is outside of the CPA authority.

In the event that the two attempts are not successful and you do not call us on the day, your agent will contact you by a variety of methods to remind you that the instalment remains outstanding and agree a suitable plan for repayment. This may involve a one-off payment, agreeing a repayment plan, agreeing with you to use the CPA on subsequent instalments or you requesting an agent to call at your home to collect payments.

What happens if I struggle to pay back the loan or I cannot repay the loan?

We do not charge a fee if you are late making a payment or if you miss a payment. The borrowing rate is clearly explained in your agreement. If you are unable to pay what you owe us, we will work with you to agree a repayment plan that you can afford and which suits your financial circumstances.

Should you require any further assistance there are a number of free debt counselling organisations who can also help you. These include...

Citizens Advice: Visit www.adviceguide.org.uk. To find your local office, look in your local telephone directory or online.

Surviving Economic Abuse: Visit  www.survivingeconomicabuse.org and www.nationaldahelpline.org

StepChange: Visit www.stepchange.org or call 0800 138 1111.

National Debtline: Visit www.nationaldebtline.org or call 0808 808 4000.

Money Advice Service - www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk - 0300 500 5000

National Debtline - www.nationaldebtline.org - 0808 808 4000

Money Advice Service - www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk - 0300 500 5000

Please note, Careys Personal Credit cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites.

 

How can I make a complaint?

If you are dissatisfied with any element of our service then you should contact [email protected].   

Alternatively, should you wish to speak to us, you may do so by calling 01642 85022 and asking to speak to either Phil Carey or Paul Allison.

We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and send a notification letter or email within five working days, and review it in line with the Financial Conduct Authority’s Dispute Resolution rules. We are committed to providing the best possible outcome. However, should you feel dissatisfied with our final response you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of our final response to your complaint.

If we have not issued you with a final response within eight (8) weeks, you have the right to have your complaint dealt with by the Financial Ombudsman Service (“FOS”).

You may write to the FOS at the following address: The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London, E14 9SR, or refer to their website at Exchange Tower, London, E14 9SR, or call 0800 023 4567 or email [email protected].

You may also submit your complaint to conciliation with our Trade Association, the Consumer Credit Association ("CCA") by writing to them at the Consumer Credit Association, 1 Minerva Court, Minerva Avenue, Chester CH1 4QT.

Your right to complain to the FOS is independent of your right to take your complaint to the CCA. You are not required to approach the CCA before FOS.

Further sources of information and advice that are freely available to you include local Trading Standards department and the Citizens Advice Bureau – www.adviceguide.org.uk. To find your local office, look in your phonebook or via an internet search engine.

Please note, Careys Personal Credit cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites.

What criteria do I need to apply for a loan?

To apply for a loan with Careys Personal Credit you must be a UK resident aged over 18. We will NOT lend to anyone with evidence of Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVAs) or Bankruptcy within the last three years. All applications are subject to credit checks and affordability assessments and not everyone who applies will be offered a loan or the amount applied for. However, we will do our best to help.

Do I need an affordability assessment for each new loan?

Yes. If you decide to take out more than one loan with us, an affordability check will be carried out each time. Circumstances can change very quickly, so even if we've got to know you we still want to make sure we are providing you with a loan that suits your individual needs.

What do you mean by 'outgoings'?

Outgoings are any payments being taken from you on a regular basis. The most common outgoings are:

  • Rent/mortgage
  • Utility bills
  • Living costs (eg food, transportation)
  • Loan repayments
  • Any other payments (eg child support payments)
How long until I receive my cash loan?

We would always aim to provide successful new applicants with their cash loan within 72 hours. Existing customers who have paid their loans correctly will generally receive their cash on the day of request.

What is a representative APR?

The Representative APR is the highest APR (Annual Percentage Rate) at which at least 51% of loans taken out through advertisements are made. The display of this APR is prescribed by regulations. This means that you can be sure that Careys Personal Credit is being transparent in showing you, in terms of the APR, a percentage that is representative of the loans made. 

Can I apply for a loan if I don't have a good credit history?

Yes, you can. We consider all circumstances of credit history. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to offer a loan to everyone who applies.

Will a short-term loan from Careys Personal Credit affect my credit history?

Yes, it will affect your credit history. When we make a credit reference search it will show up on your credit file – this is known as a footprint on your credit record and is a visible mark on your credit file stating that a search has been made. If you have lots of “footprints” or “searches” then it could indicate that you are seeking to obtain loans from multiple providers, which can negatively affect your credit score. An individual’s credit score can always go up or down depending on how they manage their financial transactions. It is possible to check your credit file with a specialist company on a free trial or for a few pounds a month. This will allow you to make sure your credit score is as high as possible so you can get the best rates and maximise your chances of being approved for future credit. Currently, Careys Personal Credit do not forward individual customer payment histories to any of the credit reference agencies.

Can I pay back my loan early?

Yes, you can. You can repay your loan in full at any time by contacting a member of our customer service team by any of the following methods:

  • Email [email protected]
  • Call 01642 850022
  • Write to us at 1-3 Kensington Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, TS5 6AL.

If you want to settle in full you will need to tell us the date on which you want to settle the loan. We will then send you a statement showing what you must pay, after deducting any rebate to which you are entitled. If you want to settle part of the agreement, once we have received your payment we will work out any rebate to which you are entitled, apply it to your loan amount and recalculate your repayments. If you make a partial early settlement you may ask us to send you a statement.

What happens if I don’t repay my loan and don’t respond to your attempts to contact me?

The first thing to do is to talk to your agent. It may be possible to reduce your weekly repayments to make them more convenient for you. A branch manager or agent will discuss this with you.

It is important that you talk to your agent as soon as you can. If you find your circumstances have changed and you may not be able to make the required repayments on their due dates, please call us as soon as possible as we will always try to help find an amicable solution. If your due repayment fails and we don’t hear from you, we will make attempts to contact you by a variety of methods including telephone, email and SMS.

Who are Careys Personal Credit Personal Credit?

Careys Personal Credit has been providing short-term loans in the Teesside area for over a century. We pride ourselves in providing simple and straightforward access to money and great customer service.

Careys Personal Credit is a trading name of Careys, 1-3 Kensington Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, TS5 6AL. Careys is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 700141. You can confirm our registration on the Financial Conduct Authority's website www.the-fca.org.uk or by contacting the Financial Conduct Authority on 0800 111 6768.

What is an affordability assessment?

The affordability assessment is a series of simple checks and questions carried out by an agent when they visit you in your home. It doesn't take very long but is important to ensure that your loan is right for you.

Why do you need to carry out an affordability assessment?

At Careys Personal Credit we aim to make sure that each loan is suitable for each customer. The affordability check lets us understand a little more about your income and your outgoings, so we can make sure that you can afford your loan repayments and won't get into any unnecessary difficulty.

Who carries out the affordability assessment?

Your agent will conduct an affordability assessment with you in the comfort of your own home. Completing this in person means that you can ask as many questions as you like and also helps your agent assess your requirements on an individual basis.

What documents will be needed for the affordability assessment?

When your agent comes to complete your affordability assessment they will need to see your Passport or Driving Licence PLUS one of the following documents...

  • Utility bill
  • Payslip
  • Official letter
  • Birth certificate

They need to see these official documents to verify all the information you have provided. This is a standard procedure with the majority of credit applications.

If you don't have these documents please speak to your agent, as other documents not listed here can be used.

Do you need information about the income and outgoings of anyone else in my household?

No, your affordability assessment only concerns your finances - so your Agent will only need to know information regarding your income and outgoings.

How much money can I borrow?

If it’s the first time you’ve ever borrowed from Careys Personal Credit, we may be able to lend you up to £200. When you’ve paid back your loan, you may be able to increase the amount you can borrow should you apply for a subsequent loan. Please note, each time you apply for a loan with Careys Personal Credit you will be subject to an affordability assessment in line with responsible lending criteria.

We do not encourage you to borrow more money. Our short-term loans are usually repayable within a period from three-to-six months and would not be suitable if you want to borrow over a longer period.

Late repayment can cause you serious money problems. For help, visit moneyadviceservice.org.uk.

Please note, Careys Personal Credit cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites.

If you require a Careys "Personal Credit Loan"

We will provide you with your own agent who you can contact at any time to discuss your repayment options or any other query you may have about your loan.

Representative Example:

£100 loan repayable over 25 weeks: 25 weekly payments of £6 : Rate of interest 104.00% pa fixed: Representative 468.18% APR: Total Amount Payable is £150

Site By: Calm Digital