Somebody Help-living in Maine with PAYDAY DEBT!

Legal Status: Prohibited - Permitted for supervised lenders

Citation:
Maine's UCCC applies. 9-A Me.Rev.Stat.Ann. 2-401. Supervised Lenders are exempt from 32 M.R.S.A. 6138(4)(D) which prohibits a check casher from cashing or advancing any money on a postdated check.

Small Loan Rate Cap
30% per year on amounts up to $2,000 or a fee of $5 for amounts financed up to $75; $15 for amounts financed $75.01-$249; or $25 for amounts financed of $250 or more.

Where to Complain, Get Information:
Regulator: Maine Office of Consumer Credit Regulation
Address: Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, 35 State House Station Augusta ME 04333
Phone: (207) 624-8527
Fax: (207) 582-7699
Regulatory Contact: William N. Lund Director

Quote:
What should you do?
Close your account asap, if you are unable to close your account, go into your bank and ask to speak with the Branch Manager, tell him/her you need a hard debit block placed on your account immediately! Explain that you are revoking ACH authorizations from unlicensed/illegal companies, and have learned these companies are notorious for ignoring revocation, therefore it is important to BLOCK any withdrawal attempts on your account to protect your interest. This is your privilege, do not accept no for an answer. The following link will provide you important information regarding closing accounts. CLICK HERE

What next?
AFTER your account is secure send each pdl (the unlicensed and illegal) an email similar to THIS (please scroll down to locate letter template). Tailor this letter to your needs, and try to write it with the same basic concept in your own words. You will need to research and locate email addresses/physical addresses if you don't already have them, I suggest that you type the name of the pdl (example: "oneclickcash address") in the search box in the upper right hand corner of this forum. You may also search for addresses HERE at the Better Business Bureau.

File complaints: Most of the time, you can file a complaint online with the following, I encourage you to follow through with doing so, you will need to search the Internet for your state Attorney General's website, however, here are links to file complaints for the FTC, Online complaints: Federal Trade Commission., and the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU.

Keep in mind that you may not receive a response for days, or even weeks, or, you may receive harassing and threatening phone calls. I have found the best way to deal with this is not to respond or reply, simply hang up.

Side note: If you have paid an illegal/unlicensed payday lender above and beyond the principal amount you borrowed, it might be a good idea to demand a refund and a paid in full letter/receipt. You may or may not get one or both. It still doesn't hurt to include that tidbit in your letter.

To Whom It May Concern:

After doing research on internet payday loan laws in the state of Connecticut, I have found that your internet payday loans are actually illegal. I have also found the following laws to be true applying to payday loans in the state of Connecticut in general:

Legal Status: Prohibited

Citation:
Usury act applies or small loan act applies. Conn. Gen. Stat.???? 36a-563

Small Loan Rate Cap
30.03% apr or $17 per $100 up to $600; $11 per $100 up to $1,800; add-on interest.

I have contacted the Connecticut Office of Financial Institutions and the Connecticut State Attorney General's Office regarding your internet payday loans and was informed they are indeed illegal in Connecticut and was advised to pay what is due according to principle amount only of the loan.

To date, I have paid $525.00 DOLLARS on my $250.00 DOLLAR loan. The legal amount that could have been charged to my loan is the principal amount of $250.00 DOLLARS even if your internet pay day loan was legal in Connecticut. I have paid $525.00 DOLLARS on this loan by your debits of my bank account. Please mark this account as PAID IN FULL.

I demand that any contact be made through US Postal mail or email only. I will need everything in writing to keep accurate records of all communication as per instruction from my state Attorney General's Office.

I prohibit you or your affiliates to contact me via telephone at my place of employment or my home telephone number. I also prohibit you from calling my references listed on my loan. Once I inform you of this, you must stop the telephone contact immediately or you will be once again breaking the laws of the state of Connecticut.

You are also hereby notified that I am revoking any voluntary wage assignment I may or may not have signed. I no longer authorize you, your company, or your affiliates to attach any part of my wages or contact my employer for your collection purposes.

I am revoking your right to debit my checking account any longer. You, your company, or your affiliates are not authorized to debit my checking account at all. Please be aware that I have informed my financial institution of this situation and they will also be receiving a copy of this correspondence. Any further attempts at debiting my account will be rejected by my financial institution.

I must also inform you that I have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and my state Attorney General's Office.

I expect a response from your company no later than 5/2/2008, regarding this matter. This response may only come via US Postal mail or email. No telephone contact is permitted.

Thank you,